We have all been there. You look at the top of your screen, and you see that beautiful "5G" logo shining bright. You start downloading a heavy movie or jump into a BGMI match, and suddenly, it drops to "4G" or "LTE". Your download crawls to a halt, and your game starts lagging.
You try turning Airplane mode on and off. The 5G comes back for two minutes, and then boom, it drops back to 4G again. Why does your expensive 5G phone keep doing this, even when you know there is a 5G tower right outside your window?
Your phone is not broken, and the Jio or Airtel network is not necessarily bad. The truth is, your phone is actually doing this on purpose. Let's look at why this happens and how you can stop it forever.
Also, if you are a gamer on the Airtel network and you are sick of lag even on 5G, take a second to read our guide on lowering your BGMI ping. It is a lifesaver for rank pushing.
THE "BATTERY SAVER" SECRET
Modern smartphones (both Androids and iPhones) are programmed to be extremely smart about battery life. Here is the secret: connecting to a 5G tower uses significantly more battery power and makes your phone much hotter than connecting to an older 4G tower.
Because of this, mobile companies built a hidden feature called "5G Auto" into your phone's software. When you are just reading a WhatsApp message, scrolling through text on Google, or keeping your phone in your pocket, the phone's brain thinks, "Ah, they don't need super fast gigabit speeds right now." So, it quietly drops your connection down to 4G to save your battery.
In theory, the moment you open YouTube or start a heavy download, the phone is supposed to instantly switch back to 5G. But in reality, phones often glitch out. They get lazy and get stuck on the 4G network, leaving you frustrated.
HOW TO FORCE YOUR PHONE TO STAY ON 5G
If you don't care about your battery draining 10% faster and just want raw, uninterrupted speed all day long, you need to change your settings. You have to tell your phone to stop being "smart" and just give you the speed you paid for.
How to Fix This on Android Phones
If you use a Samsung, OnePlus, Vivo, or Xiaomi phone, follow these exact steps:
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Go to Connections or Mobile Network.
- Tap on Network Mode (or Preferred Network Type).
- You will see it is set to "5G/LTE/3G/2G (Auto)". Change it to a setting that prioritizes 5G heavily, if your phone allows it.
The Secret Developer Trick: On many unlocked Android phones, you can dial *#*#4636#*#* on your phone app. This opens a secret testing menu. Go to "Phone Information" and change the Set Preferred Network Type to "NR Only". ("NR" stands for New Radio, which is the technical name for 5G). This locks your phone to 5G forever. It will never drop to 4G.
How to Fix This on iPhones
Apple makes it very simple to stop the automatic switching:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap on Cellular (or Mobile Data).
- Tap on Cellular Data Options.
- Tap on Voice & Data.
- You will see it is set to "5G Auto" by default. Change this to "5G On".
That's it! Changing it to "5G On" forces your iPhone to use 5G whenever a tower is available, even if it hurts your battery life.
WHEN SHOULD YOU TURN THIS OFF?
While locking your phone to 5G is amazing for gaming and downloading, you should switch it back to "Auto" when you are traveling on a train or a bus. When you are moving fast, your phone struggles to hold onto a 5G signal. If you force it to stay on 5G, your battery will drain incredibly fast as the phone desperately searches for towers.
Make the change right now, restart your device, and test your new, stable connection on our Live Speed Test Tool to see the difference.
FAQ:-
Does forcing 5G drain the battery faster?
Yes. 5G modems consume more power than 4G modems. When you lock your phone to 5G, you bypass the battery-saving features, which means your battery will drain about 10% to 15% faster during the day.
Why do my voice calls drop when I lock my phone to "NR Only"?
If you use the secret Android code to lock your phone to "NR Only", you are telling your phone to completely ignore the 4G and 3G networks. If your local tower does not support VoNR (Voice over 5G), your phone will not be able to make or receive normal voice calls. Only use this trick for internet usage.
Can I lock 5G if I have an old 4G SIM card?
No. While Airtel says old 4G SIMs work with 5G, Jio specifically requires you to have an updated SIM card and an active 5G data plan to access their True 5G network. Locking your phone to 5G without the right SIM will result in a "No Service" error.
