Sometimes, for completely inexplicable reasons, the Internet speed on an Android smartphone can drop – this is unpleasant if you have to use the mobile network constantly or very often. But, fortunately, there are several very simple tricks that can significantly improve the Internet performance on your smartphone in five minutes – and for this you do not need to download third-party software that supposedly speeds up the Internet connection ten times, or engage in other strange and very complex manipulations . All the necessary functions are already built into the device’s operating system.
Switch from 4G LTE to 3G
In certain situations, to speed up the Internet on an Android smartphone, you need to correctly configure the connection to the cellular network. To do this, just go to the appropriate settings section and switch from the 4G LTE network to 3G. Yes, of course, the fourth generation network is faster than the default third generation network, but in case of poor 4G LTE coverage, there is a chance that 3G will work more stable and reliable, providing higher connection speeds. This can be especially useful in small towns or villages where there are no modern communication towers yet, or on the road (by train or car).
- Settings → Wireless & networks → Mobile network → Preferred network mode
Activate airplane mode
A very simple, but really useful method is to switch to airplane mode – in case of low Internet connection speed, you should activate this function two or three times, and then check the Internet operation. The fact is that in rare scenarios, a smartphone can connect to a cell network tower that is located at a great distance from the gadget, so the Internet speed will be lower than if it works from a nearby tower. After turning off airplane mode, the smartphone will automatically search for the nearest communication tower and in specific situations this can really help.
Activate data saving mode
It is extremely useful in case of low Internet connection speed to activate the traffic saving mode (in the system settings of the device or in the browser) – in this case, the application will not automatically download images, videos and other optional content, which allows pages to load faster. Moreover, if the mode is already activated, you can try disabling it on the contrary – this may also help. And, of course, it is worth installing an ad blocker, because in this case the browser will not load advertising banners, images and other unnecessary content, maintaining speed for the necessary things. These solutions will be most noticeable at very low connection speeds.
Disable power hungry apps
It’s probably no secret that some applications consume traffic even when running in the background – this is necessary, for example, to synchronize content between a PC and a smartphone. Accordingly, if the user needs to get maximum Internet speed for certain tasks, then these applications should be disabled (at least for a while). Fortunately, you can find the most power-hungry applications in just a few clicks.
- Settings → Network and Internet → Data transfer → More details.
In this list, you should look at the applications that consume the largest amount of traffic, and then click on the desired software to configure its Internet consumption (you can set a limit for consumed traffic in MB or GB so that the software does not go beyond what is allowed).
Reset network settings
Sometimes, when setting up an Internet connection via cellular communication, errors and glitches may occur – this happens rarely, but it does happen, especially when changing carriers. If in this scenario the Internet does not work at all or works very poorly, then it is worth resetting the network settings so that the system updates them – this may solve the problem. To do this, just follow a few simple steps.
- Settings → System → Advanced settings → Reset settings → Reset network settings.
After the action is completed, the device will receive new settings from the cellular operator and this can have a positive effect on Internet speed.
