Why your phone keeps switching from 5G to 4G
Switching between 5G, 4G and 4G+ is almost always normal, not a fault. What triggers each switch, why 4G+ is not a halfway state, and the one pattern that is.
Guides
Answers to the questions our apps get asked
Our diagnostic apps tell you what your phone is doing. These guides explain why, and what to do about it — written from what we see across hundreds of thousands of devices.
How to check whether your phone supports 5G
5G support is not one capability — it is a list of bands, an architecture, and a carrier's approval of your exact model. Here is how to check each, and why the box saying 5G is not enough.
How to enable 5G — and why it may not appear at all
The 5G setting on Android, and the three separate things that must all be true before it shows up — device bands, carrier provisioning, and whether 5G has actually reached your area.
How to enable VoLTE — and what to do when the option is missing
Where the VoLTE switch lives on Android, what the setting is called on each network, and why a missing toggle is a carrier decision rather than something you can fix in settings.
What the network icons mean — E, G, H+, 4G, LTE, VoLTE and 5G
The letters next to your signal bars tell you which generation of network is carrying your data. Here is what each one means, roughly how fast it is, and why seeing E instead of 4G is usually coverage rather than a fault.
How to play tic tac toe online with a friend
Four ways to play a real person rather than a computer — room codes, pass-and-play, browser links and messaging apps — and what each one costs you in setup or privacy.
How to never lose at tic tac toe — the complete strategy
Tic tac toe is a solved game. Play correctly and you cannot lose, ever. Here is the full strategy for both players, including the traps that beat people who think they already know it.
Tic tac toe variants that are actually worth playing
Standard tic tac toe is a guaranteed draw between competent players. These variants — sliding pieces, misère, Ultimate, Gomoku and others — reopen the game by changing the board, the win condition, or whether pieces stay put.
VoLTE stopped working after a software update
Updates replace the carrier configuration that tells Android VoLTE is allowed on your network. When that configuration changes or your device drops off the approved list, VoLTE disappears — and no setting brings it back.
Is VoLTE the same as 4G? No — and the difference matters
4G is how your data travels. VoLTE is how your calls travel. You can have one without the other, which is exactly why a phone with full 4G signal can still fail to make a call.
No 5G in your area? How to tell whose fault it is
Three separate things have to be true before 5G appears — coverage where you stand, a phone with the right bands, and a plan that includes it. Here is how to work out which one is missing.
“Emergency calls only” — what it means and how to fix it
The phone has found a network but that network will not accept your SIM. That narrows the cause considerably — and rules out most of what people try first.
eSIM vs physical SIM — what actually changes
An eSIM is the same SIM, soldered in and provisioned over the air. That single difference is what makes it better for travel and worse when you break your phone.
IMS registration status — what not registered means
IMS not registered nearly always means your carrier has not provisioned the service, or has not approved your exact handset — not a settings problem.
Wi-Fi calling not working? Here is what to check
VoWiFi shares its registration with VoLTE, needs an emergency address on file, and is blocked by more networks than people expect. The checks that actually narrow it down.
5G bands explained — n78, n41, n71 and why they decide your speed
Which 5G bands your phone supports matters more than whether it supports 5G at all. A reference to the bands in common use, what each is good for, and why imported handsets so often disappoint.
Why 5G drains your battery, and what to do about it
Non-standalone 5G runs two radios at once, and weak signal costs more power than fast signal saves. Here is what is actually consuming the charge and which settings are worth changing.
5G NSA vs SA — what the difference actually means for you
Non-standalone 5G rides on a 4G network. Standalone 5G runs on its own core. That one architectural difference explains latency, battery life, and why your 5G sometimes feels no faster than LTE.
Your phone says 5G but the speed is slow — here is why
A 5G icon tells you almost nothing about the speed you will get. Band, bandwidth, congestion, plan priority and thermal throttling all matter more, and most of them are invisible from the status bar.
How to check whether your phone supports VoLTE
Four ways to verify VoLTE support before you buy, import or switch carriers — and why the manufacturer's spec sheet is the least reliable of them.
Dual SIM and VoLTE — what actually works
Two SIMs, two carriers, and a phone with one radio it has to share. Why VoLTE often works on one SIM but not the other, and what DSDS really means for calls.
Why VoLTE stops working, and how to actually fix it
VoLTE needs four separate things to line up — device support, carrier provisioning, a whitelisted model, and IMS registration. Here is how to tell which one is broken.
VoLTE vs VoWiFi vs VoNR — the difference, plainly
Three ways your phone can carry a call over data instead of a legacy voice circuit. They share the same core, which is why they usually break together — and why fixing one often fixes the rest.
Got something that needs building?
Android, iOS, or a Play Store problem you can't get past. Tell us what you're working on and we'll tell you straight whether we're the right fit.