Turn on 4G on Galaxy S3

4G cellular service is a now-common network that was just rolling out when the Samsung Galaxy S3 was released. Because of this, some S3s may have difficulty connecting to 4G networks. You'll need to have a SIM card to connect to the LTE network, as well as a plan that supports 4G. Sometimes 4G may be turned off in your S3's Settings.

Steps

Checking Your Service

  1. Ensure that you are in an area with 4G coverage. 4G coverage is growing by the day, but is still not available in all areas. If your S3 is supposed to be able to connect to 4G networks and you aren't, you may not have a 4G signal.
    • In nearly all cases, your S3 should automatically switch to the 4G signal when it's available.
    • 4G signal is often diminished while inside buildings.
  2. Check your S3 model and carrier. Not all S3 devices can connect to a 4G network. Early S3 models from T-Mobile (SGH-T999) that were released before T-Mobile rolled out 4G LTE will not ever be able to connect to a 4G LTE network. All other S3 devices should be able to connect to modern LTE networks.[1]
  3. Check your cellular service plan. If you aren't paying extra for a 4G connection, you may not be able to access the 4G network. Your S3 may also require a different SIM card if you recently upgraded to a 4G plan.
    • You can't use a SIM from a different carrier than your S3's model unless it has been unlocked. For example, you can't use an AT&T SIM in a Verizon S3 unless the phone has been unlocked for other networks.
    • If you're setting up the S3 for the first time with a new SIM, you may need to activate your 4G LTE service with your carrier. Contact your carrier's customer service department to do this.

Checking Your Settings

  1. Open the Settings app. Your device should automatically connect to 4G networks when in range, but you can double-check your settings to be sure.
    • Note: This process is not possible on Verizon S3 phones. Your device will automatically connect when in range of Verizon's 4G LTE network, and you cannot adjust these settings. If you cannot connect to a Verizon 4G network when you know you should be able to, contact Verizon customer service.
  2. Tap "More networks" or "More." You'll find this in the "Network connections" section of the Settings app.
  3. Tap "Mobile networks." This will display your cellular network settings.
  4. Tap "Network mode." This will display the different networks your S3 can connect to.
  5. Select "LTE / CDMA," "LTE / CDMA / EVDO," or "LTE auto." Any of these options will allow you to connect to your provider's LTE network.[2]
    • If you don't see one of these three options (such as only having GSM options), your S3 is not able to connect to 4G networks.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1996837
  2. ↑ http://support.sprint.com/support/tutorial/Turn-4G-on-or-off-Samsung-Galaxy-Sreg-III-16GB-Certified-Preowned/WScenario_542_40803_771_en_665-dvc8890017prdM
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