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How to Turn Off 4G LTE on the iPhone 5

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The iPhone 5 ships with 4G LTE, a new faster data connection, but in addition to using up limited data plans faster, this new technology uses the iPhone 5 battery quicker than 3G.

Apple claims the iPhone 5 battery lasts as long browsing the web on 4G LTE as it does on 3G, but some users will want to turn off 4G LTE just the same.

Read: iPhone 5 4G LTE Speed Test

Users that don’t live in 4G LTE coverage or those that live on the edge of 4G LTE coverage may want to keep the iPhone from switching connections or trying to use a low 4G LTE signal when there is stronger 3G coverage.

How to Turn Off iPhone 5 4G LTE

Go to Settings on the iPhone 5 Home Screen.

iPhone 5 4G LTE Off

Settings on the iPhone 5.

Tap on General.

Turn Off 4G LTE on the iPhone 5

iPhone 5 Cellular Settings.

Tap on Cellular.

How to Turn Off 4G LTE on the iPhone 5

Turn 4G LTE off on the iPhone 5.

Toggle Enable LTE to Off.

To turn 4G LTE back on, simply toggle the switch to On.

This same menu offers control over what services user the iPhone data and the option to turn data completely off.

Read: 4G LTE Coverage Maps for iPhone 5

With the promise of all day battery life on 4G LTE, most users should be able to use the iPhone 5 on 4G LTE all day without the need to turn it off, but it’s nice to know where the option is if there is a reason to turn 4G LTE off.

This solution works on the Sprint, Verizon and AT&T iPhone 5 models.

Verizon offers the largest 4G LTE coverage of the U.S. carriers. AT&T is in second place and expanding. Sprint takes last place for 4G LTE coverage, but is promising to turn on Sprint 4G LTE in 100 or more cities in the coming months.

Read: iPhone 5: AT&T vs. Verizon vs. Sprint – Which Carrier is Best?

It’s easier to use data faster on 4G LTE, so Verizon users can follow these directions to check data usage on the iPhone with the My Verizon app.

16 Comments

16 Comments

  1. Taylor

    10/22/2012 at 2:06 pm

    Good to know. Thank you. I’m getting the 5 tomorrow and I live on the edge of a 4g tower.

    • ant

      05/20/2013 at 6:44 pm

      i cant find how to get 4g if i have sprint and only lets me have 3g

  2. revdanielpclarkrniel

    11/09/2012 at 1:52 pm

    What if you live in an area where 4G and 3G are both weaker than the Edge (AT&T) signal? Is there a way to go down to Edge with the i5?

    • Joseph Piervincenti

      11/14/2012 at 6:14 am

      if you live in an area where you don’t get good 3G or LTE you really shouldn’t get an iPhone 5… there’s no way to restrict data to Edge, and you’d really be spending too much money on a smartphone if you can’t access the best features…

  3. Rose

    11/23/2012 at 10:02 am

    I have an iPhone 5 and I do not have LTE option under the Cellular Data, just 3G option. What might be wrong if I have not this configuration?

    • urias

      11/27/2012 at 3:50 am

      me too… what should i do?! only have the 3G option… not LTE option…

    • Mickey

      03/13/2013 at 9:28 am

      Nothing is wrong. It sounds like you’d never heard of 4G until you found this page. You can’t miss what you never knew.

      • Mick

        05/13/2013 at 5:22 am

        Honestly? That’s your contribution? I assume you knew about 4G before anyone else did?

  4. Bobo

    01/03/2013 at 7:24 am

    My wife was having issues yesterday with her new iPhone 5 in her office (first day back to work). Seems she was not able to make good connection and could do little to nothing with her phone. Thanks to this site we now know how to go back to 4G. Too soon to know if that helps. She NEVER had an issue with her 4s and of course is now threatening to go back. Nooooo!!!!

  5. Mark the Arc

    01/11/2013 at 4:25 pm

    Stuff rarely does what u understood it would, that is so we upgrade and pay all over again, cos we are all such optimists :-/

  6. Jebby1209

    01/21/2013 at 10:58 am

    I have iPhone5 4GLTE and I’m on 5gb plan I use it up pretty quickly because I tether. It contract is 5gb for 4G LTE speed and unlimited for 3G. Can anyone tell me how to enable 3G on iPhone5. So far i only see to turn off LTE.
    Thank you

  7. Mike

    01/30/2013 at 3:56 am

    Got the fix… Update your carrier settings:

    Follow these instructions to update your carrier settings:

    Make sure your device is connected to the Internet.
    Tap Settings > General > About. If an update is available, a prompt will appear.

  8. Khalid

    02/02/2013 at 12:51 pm

    I have an iPhone 5 and I do not have LTE option under the Cellular Data, just 3G option. What might be wrong if I have not this configuration?
    Help me

  9. Someone

    07/17/2013 at 1:57 pm

    Please, just got an iPhone 5 and decent web use drains the battery in about 5 hours max. The battery life on this is absolutely abyssmal compared to the iPhone 4. I miss that thing……

  10. C Roberts

    11/03/2013 at 4:02 pm

    iphone 5 is a joke, battery doesn’t even get to 1pm after being charged all night, absolute joke

  11. muvotx

    11/16/2013 at 11:35 am

    I have been on a 5c, with Verizon on a 2G shared data plan since 11/8. My 5c was RAMPANTLY using cellular data with the LTE function on. Not sure if it was cell-tower pings or just what… but my phone was using cellular data 24/7, all hours through the night. Despite being on my wifi for 100% of the time, and completely closing out apps when not being used. I have no way of knowing if the data usage was from apps running wild despite being closed out, or the LTE function… I think its the latter. After deactivating LTE my data usage nearly matches that of my wife on her 4s.

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