Are you struggling with AT&T not getting 5G? It can be really frustrating not achieving the fastest speeds, especially if you’ve recently switched networks.
If you’re not getting 5G on AT&T, it’s likely due to 5G not being available yet in your area, or you need to reset your network settings. To fix this, you can use a 5G coverage checker here to see if 5G has launched in your area, or you can reset your network settings within the Settings app on your device.
Keep reading to view all our top tips for ensuring you can use 5G on the AT&T network.
Check if 5G Is Available in Your Area
The first thing you can try is double-checking that 5G has launched in your area. 5G isn’t available everywhere yet, so this may be why you’re not getting 5G on AT&T.
You can check via a 5G Coverage Checker – you’ll just need to enter your postcode and the results will show whether your area is compatible with 5G coverage. If your area isn’t compatible you may need to wait a little while longer before getting a seamless 5G connection.
Check 5G Settings Are Enabled
If 5G isn’t showing as an option in the top navigation bar on your phone, it may be that your phone settings don’t have 5G enabled.
You can check this by opening the Settings app on your phone and navigating to Wireless & Networks. Within this section, you should find Mobile Network and here you can select the option ‘5G/4G/3G/2G auto’.
Reset Network Settings
The next step we recommend is resetting your network settings. Sometimes this can help reboot things if you’re having issues connecting to 5G.
Simply follow the steps below to reset your network settings:
iPhone
- Navigate to the Settings App
- Find General
- Click Reset
- Select Reset Network Settings
Android
- Click the Settings App
- Select System
- Choose Advanced
- Click Reset Options
- Select Reset Network Settings
If network settings are the reason why you can’t connect to 5G using AT&T, resetting them should solve this issue.
Switch Flight Mode On/Off
Switching airplane mode on and off can sometimes help to reset any issues you may be having with connecting to 5G.
It’s worth toggling this on and off again to see if this solves the issue. You can usually find flight mode in the Settings app on your phone.
Make Sure You Have a 5G Supported Phone
If you’re still having trouble connecting to 5G, you should double-check that your phone definitely supports 5G. If your phone is a few years old, it may not have the ability to connect to 5G, so this is worth checking if you think this might be the case.
If you look up your phone specifications online, you should be able to easily find out if your phone supports 5G or not. If it doesn’t support 5G this would explain why you’re having trouble with AT&T not getting 5G.
Reboot Phone
Restarting your phone can often fix issues with 5G if you’re still finding you’re not able to connect using your phone.
Switch off your phone and wait at least a few minutes before restarting it. When your phone restarts you should see the 5G icon appear in the top navigation bar which means you’re fully connected to 5G. If this doesn’t appear you’ll need to continue looking for a fix to this problem.
Check APN Settings
Sometimes incorrect APN settings can affect 5G connectivity with AT&T. Access Point Names (APN) is what allows networks to connect your phone to the internet, so if the settings here aren’t quite right this can affect your phone’s capabilities of connecting to 5G.
To edit your phone’s APN settings, follow the below instructions:
- Navigate to your phone’s Settings app
- Select Network & Internet
- Click Advanced
- Choose Access Point Name (or APN)
- Click Reset to Default
We recommend looking up the AT&T 5G APN settings if you want to enter these manually. These can be found here.
Check Your Data Limits
Do you have any data limits set on your phone? It could be that you’ve reached your data limit cap for the month and so your phone is limiting your mobile data so that you don’t end up paying for more data.
You can check this by accessing the Settings app on your phone and navigating to mobile data. It should tell you in this section whether you have a limit set and if you’ve reached it.
Try removing the data cap if you have one switched on to see if this enabled your phone to connect to 5G. If this works, you’ll just need to either leave the cap off permanently or set a higher cap to enable you to regularly use 5G.
Conclusion
We hope that these quick steps have solved your problem with AT&T not getting 5G. If you’ve tried all of the above steps and are still experiencing issues, we recommend contacting AT&T directly via their support page on their website here. Their live chat system should be able to offer you support or you can call them via the support number on their website.