Why Does 5G Keep Switching to 4G ? I Fixed It by Locking My Phone to 5G

Introduction

Having a 5G smartphone does not always mean that your phone will remain connected to 5G all the time.

I experienced this myself. My phone would show a 5G connection, but after some time it would automatically move back to 4G. Sometimes the change was temporary, while at other times it became noticeable when I was streaming content or using mobile data continuously. The problem became more frustrating because I was using a 5G connection for activities where a stable connection mattered to me. I wanted to understand why a phone with 5G support was repeatedly returning to 4G and whether there was a practical way to keep it connected to 5G. During my research and testing, I came across an important concept: 5G NR Only, often called 5G Only.

Why Does a 5G Phone Switch Back to 4G ?

Your smartphone is designed to maintain connectivity, not simply to remain on the newest network technology available. When 5G becomes weak, unavailable, congested, or unsuitable for the current connection, the phone can fall back to 4G LTE to maintain service.

5G Signal Strength

5G coverage can vary significantly depending on your location, building structure, distance from the cell site, spectrum being used, and other radio conditions.

Indoor Reception

Walls, concrete structures and other physical obstacles can affect radio signals. A phone can move between 5G and 4G as network conditions change.

Automatic Network Selection

By default, smartphones generally use an automatic network-selection strategy. If 5G becomes unsuitable, the phone may select 4G instead of allowing the connection to become unstable or disappear completely.

The Important Difference: 5G SA vs NSA

Not every 5G network is built in exactly the same way. There are two major deployment architectures: 5G NSA (Non-Standalone) and 5G SA (Standalone). 5G NSA uses 5G New Radio together with existing 4G LTE infrastructure and, in common deployments, the existing 4G core. 5G SA uses 5G New Radio with a dedicated 5G core. This distinction matters when discussing whether a device can practically remain on NR Only.

Think of NSA as 5G working alongside 4G, while SA is a fully 5G-native architecture. In NSA, 4G remains the anchor for important network control functions. In SA, 5G connects directly to a 5G core without depending on a 4G anchor.

Visual Comparison

5G NSA vs 5G SA Signal & Core Flow

What Is 5G NSA ?

NSA means Non-Standalone. In a simplified explanation, the 5G radio layer works alongside existing 4G LTE infrastructure. This approach allowed operators to introduce 5G without immediately replacing the entire 4G network infrastructure. In an NSA deployment, LTE and 5G NR can work together as part of the overall connection.

What Is 5G SA ?

SA means Standalone. Here, the 5G network uses a dedicated 5G core along with 5G New Radio. This allows the network to use capabilities designed specifically for 5G, including lower-latency services, network slicing and other advanced 5G capabilities.

Jio, Airtel and Vi: The Indian 5G Context

My testing and experience discussed in this article are based on India, so the examples below are specifically about Indian telecom operators. Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited operates Jio's mobile network. Jio describes its True 5G network as a Standalone 5G architecture. Airtel is the consumer brand of Bharti Airtel Limited. Airtel's initial 5G deployment used Non-Standalone technology, while its network has also evolved toward SA/NSA capabilities. Vi is the telecom brand of Vodafone Idea Limited, formed through the merger of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular. Vi's current 5G rollout uses NSA architecture.

So, What Exactly Is NR Only ?

NR stands for New Radio, the radio-access technology used by 5G. When you select NR Only, you are essentially telling the phone to use the 5G NR radio mode rather than automatically switching between multiple generations of mobile networks. This is different from 5G Preferred or Automatic, where the phone can move between 5G and 4G depending on conditions.

How I Fixed My 5G-to-4G Switching Problem

I discovered that my phone could be put into NR Only mode. Once I enabled it, my phone stopped automatically moving between 5G and 4G in the way it previously had. For my particular usage, this made a noticeable difference. I was able to maintain a 5G connection instead of repeatedly watching the phone fall back to 4G. However, I would not recommend treating this as a universal best 5G setting. It worked for my device, my SIM, my network and my location.

How to Enable NR Only Without Installing an App

On many Android phones, you can try opening the Android testing menu by entering:

*#*#4636#*#*

If your device supports this testing code, it may automatically open the Testing / Phone Information menu. Depending on the Android implementation, you may find an option such as Preferred Network Type. If NR Only is available, selecting it can force the phone toward 5G NR. This code is not guaranteed to work on every Android phone. Manufacturers can modify, restrict or remove these testing menus.

I am including a screen recording with this article showing the complete process:

Want an Easier Method? Use NetMonster

If you do not want to enter the testing code manually every time, another option is to use a network-monitoring application such as NetMonster, provided the required functionality is available on your particular device. I personally chose this route because repeatedly entering the code was inconvenient. I also wanted a more convenient way to access the network-setting workflow. A separate screen recording will demonstrate the process through the application.

My Experience With Jio 5G

My primary practical experience with NR Only was with Jio in India. After enabling NR Only, I was able to maintain a continuous 5G connection in my testing environment. For me, this solved the original problem: 5G → 4G → 5G → 4G was no longer happening in the same way. This was particularly useful while consuming content continuously.

Why This Was Useful for My Usage

The practical benefits for me were more consistent 5G connectivity, better use of my eligible 5G plan and better streaming continuity. The point is not that 5G is always faster than 4G in every location. The point is that I wanted to avoid unnecessary switching when a usable 5G connection was already available.

But There Is a Cost: Battery Consumption

NR Only is not a magic upgrade. One of the biggest disadvantages I noticed is battery consumption. When you force a phone to remain on 5G, especially where the 5G signal is weak, the modem may have to work harder to maintain that connection. You may experience faster battery drain, unstable connectivity, difficulty making calls depending on device/operator support, or complete loss of network.

The Airtel Test: What Happened to Me ?

I also tested NR Only with Airtel, India's Bharti Airtel mobile network. I tried NR Only on two different Airtel phones. In both cases, when I attempted to force the network into NR Only, the mobile network disappeared completely.

My wording is intentionally limited to my testing: I tested NR Only on two Airtel phones, and in both cases the mobile network disappeared completely.

I am not claiming that NR Only can never work on Airtel on every phone, everywhere. That would require much broader testing across devices, software versions, locations and network configurations.

Airtel's initial 5G deployment was based on NSA architecture, which makes the interaction between LTE and 5G NR relevant when considering forced NR-only operation.

What About Vodafone Idea (Vi) ?

Vi is another major Indian telecom operator, and its 5G deployment is based on NSA architecture. This is important because NSA is designed around the interaction between LTE and 5G NR. Therefore, a user should not assume that if NR Only worked on one 5G network, it must work on every 5G network. My testing in this article is primarily about my Indian setup and experience, not a universal compatibility test for every operator.

Why Your Phone Normally Switches Back to 4G

A phone may move back to 4G because 5G signal becomes weak, LTE becomes more reliable, and the phone changes network so the connection continues. That is not necessarily a bug. Automatic fallback is one reason your phone can continue providing connectivity when 5G coverage becomes unsuitable.

Should Everyone Use NR Only ?

No. I would not recommend enabling NR Only just because the option exists. It can make sense when you have reliable 5G coverage, your operator supports the required 5G architecture, your phone handles the mode correctly, you mainly need data, and you are comfortable with higher battery consumption. It may be a bad idea when 5G coverage is weak, you frequently move between areas, you depend heavily on voice calls, your operator/device expects LTE, or the phone loses network completely after enabling it.

NR Only is a tool, not a universal solution.

What If the Network Disappears ?

If you enable NR Only and suddenly see No Service, Emergency Calls Only or No Network, do not panic.

Go back to the same network settings and select the normal automatic/preferred network mode, such as a setting that allows 5G/LTE according to your phone's available options.

The exact wording varies between devices. This is another reason why I will include the screen recording in this article.

My Final Experience

After testing this myself, my conclusion is simple.

5G switching to 4G is not automatically a problem. Sometimes the phone is simply doing what it was designed to do—maintaining a usable connection.

But if you are in an area where 5G is available and stable, and your operator and phone support it properly, NR Only can be a useful option for specific situations.

For me, using it with Jio made a real difference. I was able to keep my phone connected to 5G and avoid the repeated 5G-to-4G switching that originally frustrated me.

At the same time, my Airtel testing showed the opposite result: on two phones, forcing NR Only caused the mobile network to disappear completely.

That difference itself taught me something important: network settings cannot be separated from network architecture, device compatibility and local coverage.

One Last Thing: Don't Treat NR Only as a Universal Hack

Do not blindly force your phone to 5G. Understand your network first. 5G SA and 5G NSA are not the same architecture. A standalone 5G network is designed differently from an NSA network that uses LTE infrastructure alongside 5G NR. My solution worked for my particular setup. It may work differently for yours. That is exactly why I recommend understanding what you are changing before changing it.

Watch the Practical Demonstration

I will include two screen recordings with this article.

Video 1 — Enabling NR Only Without an App: The recording will show the complete process using *#*#4636#*#* from opening the testing menu to selecting the available NR-only option.

Video 2 — Using NetMonster: The second recording will demonstrate how I used NetMonster for a more convenient way of accessing the network-setting workflow.

These videos are not just extra decoration. They are there because network settings are much easier to understand when you can see the actual phone screen and the exact sequence of steps.

Final Takeaway

My 5G problem started with a simple question: “Why does my 5G phone keep switching to 4G?”

The answer turned out to involve signal strength, automatic network selection, coverage and—most importantly—the difference between 5G SA and 5G NSA. I eventually found NR Only and tested it myself.

On my Jio connection, it gave me the result I was looking for. On two Airtel phones, however, forcing NR Only caused the network to disappear. So, rather than saying “NR Only is the best 5G setting,” my conclusion is different:

NR Only can be useful when your phone, operator, network architecture and coverage are compatible with it. But when they are not, the same setting can turn a working connection into no connection at all.