Even with 5G becoming more popular over the past year, there are many of us still blazing on our incredible 4G and LTE networks. Perhaps 5G is not yet in your region, or your carrier and smartphone don't support it yet. Nonetheless, it's obviously a big mess when the 4G not working issue shows up. That means your phone is connected either to a 3G or 2G network, which is incredibly slow in this age.
Is 4g connection not working or it’s not stable? Don’t worry! We’ll guide you through various reasons why the 4G, not working problem persists and how to resolve it right here. Just follow us through!
First, toggle on and off the Airplane mode.
Most times, you need little troubleshooting to fix a phone not showing a 4G network, and turning on and off Airplane mode may be your one-stop solution.
In case you don't know, turning on and off airplane mode for a few seconds helps refresh your phone's network and perhaps, triggers your phone to connect to the fastest available network.
On most Android phones, you can toggle on/off airplane mode from the Quick Settings panel. If not, you may go to Settings → Mobile Networks → Airplane mode.
- Turn on Airplane mode for about 30 seconds or more.
- Turn it off again to reconnect your network.
Hopefully, your phone will connect to a 4G network now, showing a 4G text in the status bar. If not, continue troubleshooting with other solutions below to fix 4G not working on Android.
And before we continue, ensure you've turned off your Wi-Fi network to be sure your phone is not connected to a Wi-Fi network all this while.
Check your network settings!
If your phone and SIM card are compatible with 4G, you should get 4G straightaway. However, you might have switched to a slower network inadvertently, or some system changes altered the settings.
In that case, you need to double-check and ensure you've selected the appropriate network setting. Here's how you can fix the 4g data not working problem:
- Launch your device Settings
- Tap Network & Internet (or Mobile networks depending on how it is on your phone)
- Next, select the preferred network mode. Doing so will reveal a pop-up menu.
- Now, select the highest network mode: usually 2G/3G/4G (auto).
- Just ensure the mode selected has 4G (auto) in it.
However, if your phone has a “4G only” mode, we recommend you don’t select it because it can affect your phone calls.
Once you’re certain of having the right network setting, try testing your phone again to see if the 4G not working issue is fixed now.
Reboot your phone
If you're still stuck on a non-4G network, the next fix to try is to restart your phone. While toggling on/off airplane mode helps refresh the network, restarting your phone refreshes the whole system.
It doesn’t take your time either:
- Just long-press the Power button for a couple of seconds until you see a menu.
- From there, initiate the Restart option and wait for your device to reboot.
- If you don't get that, you can also restart most Android phones by long-pressing the Power button for 8-10 seconds.
Once your phone reboots, try checking if the 4G problems are resolved now. In most cases, restarting your phone refreshes both the hardware and software, helping you fix common bugs. Henceforth, restart your phone regularly to stay away from universal issues.
However, keep troubleshooting with the tips below if that didn't fix your phone not showing a 4G network.
Ensure your SIM card and phone are 4G-compatible
Even with all the fixes on this page, your phone still won’t show 4G or LTE if your SIM card and phone hardware are not 4G-compatible. You may not need to worry about this even your phone and SIM cards work on a 4G network before. But if you just got a new SIM card or phone, it's worth checking.
Though most modern phones are built with 4G (and 5G) chips, some entry-level devices feature only 3G networks to save cost. Even so, if you have an old SIM card that has not been upgraded to 4G, your phone won't so 4G.
Additionally, if you have a dual-SIM phone, you may need to check if the SIM slot you’re using supports 4G. Some phones are only capable of 4G networks in the first SIM slot.
So, before you continue, be sure that both your phone and SIM card are compatible with 4G.
Eject, clean, and reinsert your SIM card
Moving forward, you may need to clean and reinsert your SIM card now to fix the “4G not showing” issue. If your SIM card is dirty or not positioned very well, it can hinder you from enjoying the best network connection.
In that case, ejecting, cleaning, and repositioning it might help. Here’s how:
- Eject your SiM card tray with the appropriate tool.
- Take out the SIM card and wipe its connecting point with fabric cloth.
- Reinsert the SIM card carefully and check if it fixes the issue.
Some phones require that you restart them after re-inserting the SIM card. Do so if your phone needs it.
Install Software updates
It’s not a new thing; network hiccups happen here and there, and what causes it sometimes are software bugs. And sometimes, it's not what you can fix by restarting your phone or clearing corrupted caches. Thankfully, developers and carriers are working and might have fixed the issue via a software update.
In that case, what you need is to keep your device updated to fix the issue. And besides fixing your 4G network problem, system updates help resolves tons of other bugs and issues.
On most Android devices, you can check and update your software to the latest version by going to Settings → System → Software Update → Check for updates.
Try resetting network settings.
Well done. But if none of the fixes above have changed anything, you may need to reset your network settings now. Doing so will delete your existing network parameters, including saved Bluetooth devices and Wi-Fi networks. Nonetheless, it can help fix the 4G connection problem on your phone.
Follow these steps to reset your phone’s network settings if you’re cool with what it does.
- Open the Settings
- Tap System, then select Reset options.
- From the options, carefully select Reset network settings.
- You may go through what the option does, then tap Reset Settings.
- You'll need to enter your screen lock (PIN, pattern, or password) to confirm the action once again.
After resetting the network settings, wait for a minute or more to receive fresh network settings, and hopefully, it reconnects your phone to 4G. Similarly, you may restart your phone once again if nothing happens.
Call your network service provider
If at this point, your phone is still not showing or connecting to a 4G network, you need to contact your network service provider. There may be a network outage in your area, something is wrong with your line, or perhaps your carrier is having a network upgrade.
The fastest way to get in touch with your service provider is via social media handles (say Twitter, Facebook, etc.) Dialing their toll-free customer service line can also help sometimes. However, if the issue is related to a faulty SIM card, you may need to visit their physical outlet to fix the LTE not working problem.
Get your phone checked by a technician.
If your carrier confirms nothing is wrong with the network and your SIM card is working at its best, your phone might suffer from a hardware defect. Such a problem could happen if you've recently dropped your phone or it fell into the water. Perhaps its network chip got affected, or related hardware got disconnected internally.
In that case, all you need is to find the service center and let a technician access the problem. If your phone is fairly new and doesn't seem to have had any accidental damage, it might be a production fault. Your manufacturer should help in this case. Visit their official service center to get it fixed.
Here at Carlcare, we can help you fix all network-related problems on your TECNO, Infinix, and itel phones. Find our nearest service center to you or book an online reservation to have the issue fixed in no time.
As the official after-sales service provider for these brands, we're always after your satisfaction. Meanwhile, if your phone is still under warranty when it stopped showing 4G, and you did not cause the fault, we'll repair your phone for free.
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