Friday , 26 April 2024

How to toggle or switch between 2G and 3G network in android

Mobile data connection (either 2G or 3G) comes in handy when you are not connected to WiFi or any public WiFi is not available around you. We always ensure that one or the other mobile data plan is active on our device just to avoid situations where we might not have access to internet. You can connect to internet using your mobile data and browse through web, use your favorite apps etc.,. By following the simple steps mentioned below, you can turn on the mobile data. You can either connect to GSM which is 2G or WCDMA which is 3G.

When you browse using a 2G data plan you could observe that the speed of data transfer is very low.The speed at which the pages are loaded is very low and the browsing experience is never appealing over 2G. But the thing is, you could save your precious mobile data which is pretty expensive in the case of few carriers.You could browse at lightning speeds by simply switching between 2G and 3G. 3G is relatively very fast when compared to 2G and the data upload and download speeds are pretty high.Let me explain the steps to switch between 2G and 3G in android.

Switch between 2G and 3G in android

You can turn on the Mobile Data in your android device directly from settings menu.Tap on Data usage option and you can find the option titled ‘ ‘Mobile data’ to enable mobile data. Turn on the mobile data and you could see that you are connected to internet in the very next moment.From this menu, you can’t toggle between 2G and 3G networks. To toggle between these networks, follow this below procedure.

Toggle or switch between 2G and 3G network in Android

Head over to Settings menu and tap on ‘More..’. On tapping,you could find the option ‘Mobile networks’. On selecting this option you could find an option to enable or disable mobile data which means that you could use this path also to enable or disable mobile data in your android. Now to toggle between 2G and 3G networks, select the option “Preferred network type”. On selecting this option,you will get a pop-up with options which will let you switch between 2G and 3G networks.

switch between 2G and 3G networks in Android from Mobile networks option

Note: In few devices we will get a pop-up comprising of the options GSM, WCDMA and GSM/WCDMA. If you select GSM, you will be connected to 2G network. If you select WCDMA, you will be connected to 3G network. If you select GSM/WCDMA you will be either connected to 2G or 3G based on the signal strength. This is a preferable mode when compared to the other two.

Simple and useful tip: Even though 3G network enhances user experience by offering higher speeds, it could be the main reason for battery drain on your device. If you are at a place where the signal strength is low, it will lead to heavy battery drain at times as the device constantly fetches for 3G signals. Immediately switch back to 2G or turn off mobile data if possible.It would be better if you stick with 2G data if you are in an area where the signal strength is very low.

If you are facing any issue, please do write in the comments section below.We are here to help you.

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About Sai Prashanth

IT professional. Love to write.