How to disable 5G on the OnePlus 8

The OnePlus 8 is a fantastic phone with great hardware and the company's beloved OxygenOS software atop Android 10. Like many other high-end phones released this year, it features support for the budding 5G network, which sounds great at first glance — but most markets still don't have a 5G network to connect to. In the meantime your OnePlus 8 will be draining its battery searching for a network that isn't there. Luckily, you can tell it to stop looking.

Products used in this guide

• 5G powerhouse: OnePlus 8 ($700 at Amazon)
• LTE only: OnePlus 7T ($525 at Amazon)

How to disable 5G

While 5G theoretically allows you to hit incredible gigabit speeds and download huge movies and games in a matter of seconds (in ideal situations), it takes a considerable toll on your phone's battery life. That may well be worth it in exchange for those speeds, but if your area doesn't have 5G, you're draining power without gaining any benefits. Disabling 5G connectivity only takes a few steps in the system settings.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Wi-Fi & network.
3. Under Cellullar Data, tap Preferred network type.
4. In the pop-up window, tap 2G/3G/4G (Automatic).

That's it! Just like that, your phone will stop looking for 5G networks and revert back to LTE.

Even if your area has 5G availability, there are still reasons to disable the network. In my particular case, T-Mobile's 5G network reaches my house in central Indianapolis just enough for the OnePlus 8 to show 5G in the status bar, but the signal is so poor that my speeds are worse than when used over LTE. This problem will likely be resolved as 5G networks expand over time, but for now, I'm sticking with LTE and Wi-Fi until 5G is more reliable in my area.

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