Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. Guides

How to turn off 5G on a Samsung phone

Paula Beaton
By

It doesn’t feel like a long time since Samsung introduced its first 5G phone, the Galaxy S10 5G. Flash forward to today, and you’ll find 5G connectivity across many Samsung phones, from the top-end Galaxy S21 range to foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 3, right down to the less-expensive A71 5G and A51 5G models.

Although 5G networks are expanding, there are still plenty of places where it isn’t yet as robust as 4G — so those accelerated connection speeds can be spotty, for now. Connectivity depends not only on your 5G carrier, but your location too — Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T all offer 5G network coverage in the U.S., but it’s still best around major cities and metro areas. Still, choosing a phone that supports the next-generation network is a sure-fire way to future-proof your new device.

Recommended Videos

Your need for 5G all depends on how you use your phone. If you game online or download movies and TV shows, the faster connection speeds might be a boon, but if you’re somewhere without 5G connectivity, or right on the edge, you may prefer to have it turned off for now. On Samsung phones, it’s easy to customize your options. Here’s how to turn off 5G on a Samsung phone.

Related

How to turn off 5G on a Samsung phone

These instructions will work on most Samsung phones with 5G connectivity.

Step 1: Go to Settings > Connections.

Step 2: Tap on Mobile Networks.

Step 3: Tap on Network Mode.

Step 4: Select LTE/3G/2G (Auto), LTE/CDMA, or one of the other 4G/LTE options to prevent the phone from using 5G. It’s easy to switch it back on whenever you want.

Depending on your carrier and whether your phone is unlocked or purchased from a carrier, you may find there are fewer options available under Network Mode. You may see just Manual and Automatic, or have no option to adjust the settings at all. (Verizon’s particularly strict about this.) If this is the case, your carrier may be blocking your ability to turn off 5G — there is, unfortunately, nothing you can do about that.

Why turn 5G off?

Unless you live in a small town or rural area, it’s probably best to leave the 5G Auto setting enabled, so you can take advantage of faster speed where it’s available and conserve (some) battery life where it’s not. But if extra speed isn’t critical, or you’re concerned about battery life, just leave your 5G off for now.

It’s worth pointing out that turning off 5G won’t necessarily save a significant amount of battery. Your phone isn’t constantly searching for a 5G tower — it knows when 5G is available. When you’re connected to a 4G network, if that tower also supports 5G, it will “hand off” your phone to the 5G signal. On some networks, the same antenna may be used for both 4G and 5G, and on other networks, you won’t even be switched over to the faster connectivity until you start using data. Don’t think that just because you’re in a 4G-only area that your phone will constantly “search” for 5G.

Don’t feel compelled to turn off 5G for the sake of battery life, unless you’re frequently traveling on the edge between areas with and without 5G, which could affect your battery life. The default 5G settings are designed to work for most people — but remember, if you decide to turn them off, it’s easy to switch them back on again.

Always double-check with your carrier to ensure your plan supports 5G, or whether you’ll need to adjust your plan or possibly even replace your SIM card to accommodate the next-generation technology.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Paula Beaton
Paula Beaton
Freelance tech and travel writer living in (somewhat) sunny Scotland. Gamer, tea addict, never without a good book.
T-Mobile’s 5G is still unmatched — but have speeds plateaued?
Woman holding up smartphone with speed test results on Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband network.

Each time a new analysis of mobile network performance gets published, it’s almost a given that we’ll see T-Mobile leading the pack in terms of delivering the fastest 5G speeds. After all, the “Un-carrier” had a massive lead in deploying its 5G networks — and it hasn’t been resting on its laurels.

However, its competitors haven’t been sitting still either. While Verizon may have been starting from behind, it’s been aggressively deploying the faster 5G spectrum that gave it a nice leap in 5G performance last year. Still, Verizon and AT&T are lagging quite a bit in overall mobile network performance, and AT&T has fallen even farther behind when it comes to delivering the best 5G speeds across the nation.

Read more
Your next Samsung phone might ditch Google Search for Bing
The screens on the Galaxy A54 and Galaxy S23 Ultra.

When you buy an Android phone, you expect Google Search to be installed out of the box as the default search engine. But that may not be the case when you buy your next Samsung phone. According to a report over the weekend, Samsung might abandon Google Search in favor of Bing as the default search engine for future Samsung Galaxy phones.

The possibility that Samsung is considering replacing Google Search with Bing on its smartphones sent Google into a "panic," according to the New York Times, Why? As the report explains, "An estimated $3 billion in annual revenue is at stake with the Samsung contract." If Samsung doesn't want to keep using Google for the default search engine on its phones, that's $3 billion per year Google will no longer get. And if Samsung decides it wants Bing instead of Google, who knows how many other companies will follow suit and do the same.
Why Samsung wants Bing over Google

Read more
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: news, leaks, price predictions, and more
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 sitting upright on a bench.

Samsung is one of the most popular brands when it comes to mainstream foldable phones, as it has the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 available right now. But we are expecting the Galaxy Z Flip 5 later this year, which should once again give us one of the most compact smartphone experiences thanks to the super-portable size that allows it to fit in any pocket, a large screen when unfolded, and more.

Though the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is good for techies, it does fall short in some areas — including battery life, camera quality, and the tiny cover screen. But Samsung has a chance to rectify all of these issues with the Z Flip 5, as there have been rumors that Samsung is making some big changes.

Read more