Are you wondering why your cellular data connection is so slow? It can be extremely frustrating to work with slow data connections on your phone, regardless of whether it is an iPhone or Android. It’s easy for people to become frustrated when they don’t get the service they expect.
Most times, slow data connections are temporary due to network congestion or your location. Sometimes, however, the slow data connection can last for hours or even days. Try these steps before calling your mobile carrier’s technical assistance to resolve your slow mobile data.
1. Restart Your Phone
Although it may sound like a cliché solution, this can often work. If your phone hasn’t been turned off for a while, restarting it should resolve slow cellular data speeds. You can also try by putting your phone into airplane mode. A complete restart is always a good idea.
It is easy to restart your phone. These steps will help you to restart your phone.
- If your iPhone does not have a Home button, hold down the side buttons and the Volume up or Vol Down buttons until Slide for Power Off appears. To turn your iPhone back on, hold the side buttons.
- You can hold the side buttons on iPhones with Home buttons, or on older iPhones, until Slide To Power Off appears.
- You can hold the power button until all the power options are displayed on your screen. Then, tap restart. To restart your phone, hold the Power button again if you don’t see Start.
It doesn’t matter what device you have, it is a good idea for your phone to be turned off for a while before turning it on again.
2. You can move to another location
Slow LTE and 5G can be caused by many physical factors. Weather, network congestion and even solar activity are all possible causes of slow LTE or 5G. These include weather, network congestion, and even solar activity.
You may experience poor reception if you are in remote areas or surrounded by mountains, valleys, and hills. If the terrain around you is too extreme, it’s best to find a more level location.
This is true even if you are inside buildings. If you are in a densely populated area, and your device has full bars, why does your data slow down when you go into certain buildings? Your data signal can be negatively affected if you are underground or in concrete structures like a basement.
Try moving to another location if you are experiencing data speed issues that started in one place. It may be necessary to move out of the area you are currently in, or to drive further away. This is a great way to diagnose speed issues, even though it may not be convenient.
If you need tech support, this is something they will likely ask you to complete. The current network technology is not able to cover all areas. This means that location is still important. We’ll likely see fewer dead zones as 5G becomes more popular.
3. Disable network-heavy apps and update
Sometimes, a problematic app can eat into your data connection and cause problems. This could leave less bandwidth for other apps or slow down everything. You’ll need to investigate to determine if there is anything that is consuming your bandwidth. You can either disable or uninstall the app from accessing your cellular data connection if you suspect something is wrong.
If your iPhone’s internet connection is slow, visit Settings > Mobile and use the list to block any app from accessing your cellular data connection.
This setting can be found on Android at Settings>>> Network & internet > Mobile network ( Sims for Android 12) App data usage. To stop an app from using background data, tap the app and then slide the Background Data slider away.
App updates should be checked regularly. Developers of apps release updates all the time to fix bugs. This could include fixing slow network performance or excessive bandwidth use.
If you need assistance, How to Update Apps on iPhone or How to Update Android Apps are the best resources.
4. Low Data Mode or Data Saver can be disabled
Both Android and iPhone have data-saving modes that can be used to cut down on your data usage. These modes are useful if you only have limited data. However, if they are enabled by mistake, they can make your mobile connection seem slower than it really is. To see if things feel faster, disable these modes.
Head to Settings > Internet & Network > Data Saver. You’ll find the Low data mode setting under Settings> Cellular > Cellular Data Options> Data Mode if you have an iPhone.
These settings can be turned off if you are concerned about the amount of data you are using. This setting should allow you to see if your mobile data is slowing down or not. This setting cuts corners like not loading images until they are tapped or pausing background sync until an app is opened.
5. Keep Your Data Capacity in Mind
You probably have a data cap that can range from a few gigabytes to several hundred gigabytes. Your mobile carrier may slow down your connection if you exceed that limit.
Even people on “unlimited” plans may experience “deprioritization” or throttling during network congestion. This is especially true if they reach a certain limit. Slow mobile internet might be due to this. You will have to either wait for your bill cycle to reset or buy additional high-speed internet if you’ve exhausted your allowance.
It is a good idea know how much data your phone can handle before your provider throttles you to a slower connection. Check your account via the company’s website or mobile app if you aren’t sure. This will display how much high-speed internet data you have per month and how much of it you’ve used up to now.
If you are looking to reduce your data usage, hen, check out our tips for cutting down on mobile data usage.
6. Disconnect from Your VPN
While VPNs may provide extra privacy and allow you to bypass geo-restrictions (and can even speed up your mobile data speeds), a VPN connection can slow down your mobile internet speed due to the increased overhead. If your phone is connected via VPN and you want to speed up your data, disconnect from the VPN first.
Most likely, you will notice an immediate improvement once you disconnect. You can fix the problem by re-connecting to your VPN.
Are you not yet using a VPN? We recommend ExpressVPN as it is reliable and effective. CyberGhost can be a great value-conscious alternative if it’s too costly.
7. Look out for network outages
Mobile carriers are proud to claim their reliability but outages do happen. These outages can cause reduced speeds and even lost connections. After all of the above, if you still experience slow mobile data, it is a good idea check with your carrier to see if there are any outages.
It’s possible to conduct some research if you have Wi-Fi. You can check Downdetector. If the problem is widespread, others will likely have reported it. If there is a significant increase in reports regarding outages with your carrier you can look at the heatmap to determine which areas are affected.
Social media is also available. Twitter is a great place to look into connection issues as people often tweet about their problems. You can also contact your mobile carrier’s support Twitter address to receive a quick response.
You can also do other things while you wait instead of spending time calling support.
8. Reset your phone’s network settings
Although it is a common way to fix slow mobile data connections, it is also a more serious step. This will reset all networking settings to their default. This will also remove your Wi-Fi access point, Bluetooth devices, etc. These aren’t necessarily lost. However, you will need to reconnect to your Wi-Fi networks saved and re-pair Bluetooth devices later.
Open Settings > General > Transfer iPhone or Reset iPhone > Reset > Network Settings. If you have a passcode, your phone will ask you to enter it. The operation will then be restarted.
An Android phone will have the option to reset network settings at Settings>>> System > Advanced > Reset options> Reset Wi-Fi mobile and Bluetooth. This location may vary depending on the Android version and manufacturer of your phone. If you are unable to find the “reset” option in the Settings search bar, try searching for it in there.
Resetting network settings on Android phones usually doesn’t require that you restart the phone. It’s a good idea to restart the device.
9. Removing and reinserting your SIM card
You can also try to remove your SIM card and then insert it again. This will resolve any issues that may be affecting the connection between your phone and your carrier.
The location of your SIM card varies from one device to the next. The SIM card slot on older iPhones is located below the side button, at the right edge of your phone. The SIM slot is located on the left side for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 series.
It can be found on Android phones either sideways, topside, bottom or behind the back cover, if you have a removable battery. If you don’t know your model phone, Google it or refer to the manual.
The SIM is placed in a small tray which will open. You can remove some SIM trays using your fingernail. Some may need you to use a small tool that is usually included in your phone box. You can use a paper clip to bend or the back of an earring if you don’t have it handy.
You should turn off your phone before you pull your SIM card. This is not a big deal but it will help prevent any damage. It’s easy to lose your SIM if you are sitting down at a table. It’s not something you want to leave in the grass.
You can replace the SIM card if pulling it doesn’t work. If the issue is still not resolved, you will need to visit one of your carrier’s stores. You may receive a new SIM by mail from your carrier.
You may not be able access the fastest mobile data standards if your phone is older. See the comparison of 4G LTE to 5G to see what you can expect. Although 5G is the fastest and most advanced data type, LTE should suffice to do nearly everything you want.
10. Get support from your carrier
If you are still experiencing slow data, it is time to contact tech support. You can contact your mobile carrier via its support number. This number is available through the mobile app, or by doing a quick Google search.
Remember that the technician may ask you to repeat some of these steps. Although you might be tempted to decline because you have already completed them, it is the job of the technician to review a list and determine what steps work.
Although you can explain what you have done in the past, it is worth following their instructions to ensure you did not miss any.
Why is my phone internet slow? Now you know
You should be able to speed up your mobile data without calling your carrier. If this doesn’t work, your provider might be causing the problem. If you don’t have any other options, it is a good idea call.
Slow data connections are only one part of the problem. You should also investigate further if your phone has a slow Wi-Fi connection.
