The 5G network promises faster data speeds and lower latency connections, but the tradeoff is that you might notice your battery draining faster than usual. Also, 5G is still not very present outside of major cities in the United States and Europe. If you have it, you can choose to connect to 4G LTE networks instead. Here’s how to disable 5G connections on your Android phone.
Related: How to turn off 5G on your iPhone
QUICK RESPONSE
To disable 5G on your Android phone, go to Settings –> Connections –> Mobile networks and select Network mode. You can now choose the 5G option you want or switch to LTE or 4G.
KEY SECTIONS
How to Disable 5G on Your Samsung Galaxy Phone
To turn off 5G on your Samsung phone, first go to Settings and press Connections. Then select Mobile networks.
From there, tap network mode to select the network you want to connect to.
Here is an additional tip; in the Energy saving settings, you can also select the toggle to disable 5G so it never reconnects to the network. See our guide to Adaptive Battery for Android for more details on the way.
Adam Birney / Android Authority
How to Disable 5G on Your Google Pixel Phone
To turn off 5G on your Pixel phone, go to Settings -> Network, select SIMand scroll down to touch Preferred network type.
That’s all there is to turn off 5G on your Android phone. The lane is relatively similar on all devices.
Read more: What to look for in a 5G plan
FAQs
Yes, you may notice your battery draining faster than usual when connected to a 5G network. The impact on battery life is about 10% more battery usage on 5G than on 4G.
Currently, 5G networks are only used for data connections and are not yet capable of carrying phone calls and messages.
To enable 5G on your Android phone, go to Settings -> Connections -> Mobile networks and select Network mode. You can now choose the 5G option you want.
Virtually all flagship smartphones launched in 2020 now support 5G, with sub-6GHz network support being the most popular. Check out our guide to the best 5G phones for a full list.