How to Disable 5G on the iPhone 12

Trying to figure how to disable 5G on the iPhone 12?

In October of 2020, Apple unveiled its latest and greatest iPhone 12. Their new mobile device features a revamp appearance that somewhat resembles the iPhone 5, which was the final iPhone made by Steve Jobs

Other features like a stronger ceramic shield screen, improved cameras, MagSafe, and of course the A14 bionic chip that is capable of receiving 5G network signals. 

Since most carriers around the globe are starting to implement 5G signals, that is supposed to bring faster cellular network connections. 

However, some owners of the iPhone 12 still prefer to disable the feature on their new phones due to a variety of reasons. 

 

Availability.

First is the availability of 5G. Let’s be honest, most places around the world are still working on putting in place 5G cell towers. Since 5G uses millimeter waves, its coverage distance is a lot shorter compared to wavelengths that 4G connection uses. 

 

Quality of Signal. 

Since 5G has a shorter coverage distance, its connection is not yet stable unless you are in the direct line of sight of a 5G cell site. With this, most users who already have 5G enabled on their networks, still prefer to use 4G which is more stable. 

 

Battery. 

iPhones are not really known to have a large battery capacity. Instead, Apple relies on optimizing its software to be efficient so that they can extend the screen time of their devices. 

However, if you’ve been a long time iPhone user, you already know that using your cellular data drains your battery faster. Since 5G transmits data faster to your iPhone, it also consumes your battery a lot faster compared to 4G. 

Now, if you want to know how to disable 5G on your iPhone 12, head down below. 

 

How to Disable 5G on the iPhone 12

 

1. Change Your Voice & Data Settings. 

The first way to disable 5G on your iPhone 12 is by changing your Voice and Data settings. 

Check out the steps below to guide you in the process.

  1. First, open the Settings app on your iPhone 12. 
  2. After that, tap on the Cellular tab. 
  3. Inside the Cellular tab, tap on Cellular Data Options to open it. 
  4. Next, tap the Voice and Data option. 
  5. Finally, you can select 4G or 5G Auto from the options. 

 

  • 5G Auto – this mode would activate 5G on your iPhone if it will not significantly affect the battery life. 
  • 4G – this mode would disable 5G from your device and would only use 4G LTE cellular network.

Now, try to turn on your cellular data and see if the 5G logo on the signal indicator is already removed. 

 

 

2. Change Data Mode.

If your concern is preserving your data allotment or your battery life, you can leave 5G turned on, and only adjust the data mode on your iPhone. 

Follow the steps below on how to do this. 

  1. First, tap on the Settings app from your home screen. 
  2. After that, tap the Cellular tab. 
  3. Now, tap on Cellular Data Options
  4. Inside Cellular Data Options, tap on Data Mode
  5. Lastly, choose the data mode you wish to use depending on your needs. 

disable 5G on the iPhone 12

 

  • Allow More Data on 5G – this mode would utilize the max capacity of 5G to improve the quality of FaceTime calls and the quality of videos that you stream. 
  • Standard – this mode allows automatic updates and background tasks to utilize your 5G connection but limits video quality and FaceTime calls.
  • Low Data Mode – this limits the network activity of your iPhone, including background refresh, automatic updates, and location checks. In addition, video streaming quality and FaceTime calls are also limited. 

 

 

3. Use A Non 5G SIM Card. 

Since the new cellular network uses an entirely different technology from 4G, it also requires you to upgrade your sim card to enjoy 5G. 

However, if a 5G reception is not yet stable in your region or you just don’t need it since you always have access to your Wi-Fi, you can simply opt not to upgrade your SIM card to a 5G capable one.

This way your iPhone 12 would still use 4G and you won’t have to tweak your cellular settings to disable the feature. 

 

 

💡 Get to Know the Different 5G Symbols.

 

disable 5G on the iPhone 12

 

 

If you are seeing a plain 5G symbol on your iPhone’s signal indicator, this means that 5G is supported by your network and that you can connect to the internet using it. 

 

disable 5G on the iPhone 12

 

 

5G+ is an enhanced version of the standard 5G connection. Seeing this icon on your signal indicator means that your iPhone is receiving a higher frequency signal of 5G. 

 

disable 5G on the iPhone 12

 

 

This is the highest version of 5G, which means you have access to a faster internet connection. This also indicates that your iPhone has an active connection over your network. 

This ends our guide on how to disable 5G on the iPhone 12. If you have other ideas on how to disable 5G, let us know in the comment section below. We would be glad to give you credit once we update this article.

 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • John Sixto

    John is a staff writer at Saint and comes from a SAP ABAP development background. He has a Bachelors in IT and has been writing since 2018, with over 500 posts published. He loves to build PCs and has a deep curiosity in understanding how different components and configurations work. John spends hundreds of hours at a time, researching and testing the software and apps, before he proceeds to write about it. LinkedIn X (Twitter)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *