How to turn off 5G on Android phones to save battery

5G is the latest feature that mobile networks are working on, but you may not have 5G coverage everywhere. If you feel like your Android phone is draining your battery while searching for a 5G connection that doesn't exist, you can turn it off.

Saying “maybe” to turn this off is a bit of a tricky situation. There doesn’t seem to be any standardization on how to do this (if you’re allowed to do it). Some carriers and manufacturers have disabled or hidden this option.

However, there are still some ways to turn off 5G on Android devices. The methods listed below are for Samsung and Google Pixel phones, and it will be similar for other Android devices (if they have this option).

How to turn off 5G on Samsung Galaxy

Turning off 5G on a Samsung phone is easy, but there's a good chance you won't be able to do it. In the US, only T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy smartphones have this option. Other carriers have removed it.

To get started, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the notifications panel, then swipe down a second time to reveal Quick Settings . Tap the gear icon to open the Settings menu.

Next, select Connect .

Now, go to Mobile Networks .

Finally, select Network Mode .

There will be options to change the network type here, if your phone allows this feature. If so, you will have 5G/LTE/3G/2G to choose from. To stop using 5G, choose one of the remaining connections.

Your phone will use these connections instead of the 5G network.

How to turn off 5G on Google Pixel

Just like on Samsung phones, carriers can also change things on Google Pixel phones. For example, a 5G-equipped Pixel on Google Fi can't turn off 5G from the Settings app. Other Pixel phones can, and it works like this.

First, open the Settings menu by swiping down from the top of the screen twice. From there, tap the gear icon .

Next, select Network & Internet from the Settings menu .

Select Mobile Networks . Your service provider name will be listed here.

Tap Preferred network type .

Finally, select LTE from the pop-up menu.

Your Pixel will now connect to LTE networks instead of 5G. Whenever you're ready to try 5G again, you can return to these settings and make your selections again.