Simple Steps to Disable 5G on a Samsung Phone

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Avoid unnecessary battery drain by disabling 5G on your Samsung smartphone

Co-authored by Darlene Antonelli, MA Reviewed by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: November 3, 2023 Fact Checked

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Turning off 5G

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FAQ

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Tips

Do you live in an area with mostly 4G service, but your 5G-enabled phone keeps searching for a 5G network? Fortunately, there's a way to turn off 5G in your Samsung phone. Turning off 5G on your phone can also save battery life. This wikiHow article teaches you how to turn off 5G on a Samsung smartphone.

Things You Should Know

Your phone uses more battery on 5G networks.
Turn off 5G in "Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks > Network Mode."
Some carriers have removed "Network Mode" from your Samsung, making it impossible to turn off 5G.

Section 1 of 2:

Turning off 5G

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Tap the app icon that looks like a gear, or swipe down from the top of your screen and tap the gear icon in the Quick Settings panel.
It's usually near the top of the menu next to a Wi-Fi icon.

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You'll find this menu option near the middle of the menu.
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Tap Network Mode. Your phone's networks are displayed (i.e., 5G/LTE/WCDMA/GSM).
- Some Verizon users cannot turn off 5G, but that's mostly an issue caused by the type of plan they've chosen. If you don't see the "Network Mode" option, contact your carrier for more help.^{[1]
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Tap the network without 5G. You can pick any of the listed network connections that don't have 5G on them, like LTE/WCDMA/GSM.
- After picking the network without 5G, you may need to restart your phone.

Section 2 of 2:

FAQ

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Yes, your battery drains faster when using a 5G network, but your data is faster.
Maybe, you can always look in the Connections > Mobile Networks > Network Mode section of your phone to see if you have the option not to use 5G.^{[2]
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Use a routine or Mode to automate when to turn off 5G. Go to Settings > Modes and Routines > Routines > + and choose the trigger for turning off 5G (like a specific time or when you arrive at a location. In "Add what this routine will do," select Connections > Network Mode and select the network connection without 5G.
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Why can't I turn off 5G? Some carriers have removed the option to turn off 5G, so you won't see "Network Mode" or be able to switch to a non-5G network if you're connected to one.
- Some users report that the Samsung Band Selection app in the Google Play Store is helpful with using non-5G networks.

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