How to turn off LTE on iPhone iOS 15

No, YOU ARE WRONG, as has been explained over and over and over and over and over in the 13 pages of this thread. Your carrier has COMPLETE CONTROL over the cellular settings on your phone. The carrier provides a Carrier Settings file to Apple for inclusion with each release that defines the network services that are accessible from the phone. The carrier can even update the settings remotely between scheduled updates that can change those settings. And it’s irrelevant anyway, because starting in late March this year all US carriers started shutting down all networks except for LTE and 5G. AT&T was the first; if you are on AT&T your only voice option is VoLTE, and phones that don’t support VoLTE (all iPhones older than the iPhone 6) will no longer work on the AT&T network. T-Mobile will make the switch in June, and Verizon by the end of the year.

I’m with T-Mobile and updated my phone in April. This option was removed with the update. It wasn’t removed just this month (June). Think again. Your information is wrong. Like the rest of them who think was a carrier doing.

Apple did NOT do this. All of the US carriers are shutting down 3G this year. T-Mobile started decommissioning their 3G network a couple of months ago, and it will be completely gone by July 1. AT&T finished the shutdown in April, Sprint last January, and Verizon will shut down 3G by December 31. Verizon is up the longest because it is the primary carrier for emergency services in the US, and they agreed to keep it up a year longer than planned so emergency service providers will have time to update their systems.

Carriers around the world are also shutting down 3G because they need the spectrum for 5G.

Audio_junky wrote:

I have T-Mobile and the same issue has happened to me. Are the carriers working in tandem to remove this option? I doubt it. Apple did this.

Are all of the carriers colluding in some illegal fashion? No. However, they are all recognizing that the future lies in faster networks and maintaining the older slower ones is not cost-effective. Also, in some cases, they are required to return certain parts of the spectrum when they activate newer ones.

We call it capitalism.

I think I understand the situation to be that It’s electronic software that the carriers push through to your phone via the iOS update. So it can’t be separated unless the carriers do something electronic (coding in the software) to change it, which they won’t, because of

the forced obsolescence of older devices and the “better” rollout of 5G, when even forced LTE gives me (in the busiest metropolitan area in Idaho) WORSE SIGNAL AND DATA SPEEDS than a week ago when I still had my phone (older iOS) forced to stay on the so-called 4G (which is apparently 3G plus enhancements) on AT&T because the settings in the old iOS allowed that.

I.e., the phone carriers hadn’t put in code yet to take away that option with the newer iOS.

its similar to WiFi calling/texting features or ability to use the phone as an internet hotspot for other devices... the phone won’t show or allow those as options if the carrier pushes programming that turns off or disallows those capabilities... the phone itself was designed that it CAN but only if the carrier programming allows it.

more controlling bologna.

good thing I know this isn’t all there is and am working myself “backward” out of the need for a cellular phone and back to a simpler life where I can walk away and not be concerned about something getting shut off or hacked because I left it unattended for too long.

It is an electronic file that you can see what version you have under Settings > General > About > Carrier

If your carrier is AT&T and T-Mobile you are out of luck, it is too late.

If you have Verizon they might do so but I wouldn't count on it.

You are correct that it is an electronic file but it can be pushed out or updated separate from an iOS update.

Changing the Carrier file is NOT what is doing away 3G, as cell service providers are upgrading their hardware on cellular towers and the new equipment does not include radios for 3G in any form. There is not unlimited bandwidth out there to operate all the various formats at one time. If you were old enough you would also remember shutting down the analog system and 2G. Along with dial phones, carburetors, etc.

This is total bull. Why carrier has control over my phone settings? I should be able to use WHATEVER i want since i bought the phone. Carrier can support my mode or they can remive support and i need to change 2g/3g/lte/5g settings, but they should not be able to control it. Android lets you decide, apple decides for you - total bull. I will switch to android since they let you use your PURCHASED device like you want it, not like they want it

ivo169 wrote:

This is total bull. Why carrier has control over my phone settings? I should be able to use WHATEVER i want since i bought the phone.

The carrier controls what network is available. They are choosing (for both business and regulatory reasons) to shut down the older networks. So, even if you could change the settings to 3G, all that would happen is that your phone wouldn't work.

Hi deggie

You are including things that have nothing to do with each other and I am old enough to remember all of the above.

“Dial phones,” which I take to mean land lines, are still very much available, albeit are ridiculously overpriced for monthly service (my relative with vision issues still has one), and carburetors weren’t just outlawed or purposely done away with 100% even though they’re largely not in most vehicles anymore due to forced obsolescence, just like the phones…

and so many of the gps/ navigation systems in cars, mostly unsupported by the vehicle makers who knew this and apparently didn’t care.

But carburetors still work if you have one in your vehicle, and you can still find people that can work on them even if in some ways they’re more of a hassle than the electronic crap, partly because they usually burn more fuel, etc.

and in fact I can IN FACT apparently still use a 3G phone.

In my area.

Just when I try calling a number with it, it tries connecting me to something that will (apparently) sell me 10 minutes of call time for $10.

because anyone actually sells airtime like that any more that’s so exorbitantly-priced like we’re still in the era when such a phone was made, mid 2008-2012ish. Uggg

so it’s just one more apparent greed factor, although of course 3G and 4G (that isn’t true 4G (LTE)) has been shut down already, as claimed, in some more populated places such as when I was traveling in SoCal and the so-called 4G setting didn’t work on my unupdated iphone that still has or had that option, and it would only do basic phone things like calls and texts with LTE turned on.

That’s not the case with the area I live in and it’s frustrating that some people seem to think getting rid of EVERYTHING that isn’t “modern” is fine but when the electronic crap is all fried for whatever reason, the “obsolete” things that are strictly mechanical like carburetors and old-fashioned bicycles still work. Yes, now I’ve introduced another thing that has nothing to do with what else had been already talked about.

the land lines have become mostly electronic as well, so they’re probably no longer the reliable communication source they once were that would work EVEN WHEN THE ELECTRICITY WASN’T WORKING, which is probably part of the pushed/attempted enslavement (yes it’s that person lol, at least to get someone to think about what they allow themselves to be enslaved to) of nearly everyone on earth to a tracking/ distraction device.

The thing that really sticks in my craw is that a 4G/LTE capable android phone has been put on the “no longer approved list” because it works on sprint, which is still being or has been shut down, even though Verizon is also a CDMA company that it might work in, isn’t it still?

whatever.

It’s become no longer a useful communication device and is simply one more way they monetize your every move so I’m getting to the point where I don’t care anymore. Nobody will be able to get a hold of me. Don’t call me, I’ll call you. Or not.

Maybe I’ll mail you a letter to let you know I’m still alive. Or pop into a library and post a reply.

Most of you probably aren’t aware of real mountains but there are places in mountain areas where there is no Wi-Fi, there is no Internet, there is no digital whatever. All there is is a landline if you wanna call somebody. The towers can’t get around mountains to send the signal through.

Thank God in some cases. Digital overload is a thing.

and may the Lord bless you all in His own way.

I agree with Reiarkmur. Build a device with some set of features and let people decide what feature (in this case network mode) they will use. If carrier doesnt support it ofcourse its my fault for selecting wrong mode or carrier. But dont change my device that i bought just because someone decided that 4g is better for me than 2g - for me, it isnt! Now i have 33% less battery time because some update removed feature for my pleasure - in this case, frustration

ivo169 wrote:

I agree with Reiarkmur. Build a device with some set of features and let people decide what feature (in this case network mode) they will use. If carrier doesnt support it ofcourse its my fault for selecting wrong mode or carrier. But dont change my device that i bought just because someone decided that 4g is better for me than 2g - for me, it isnt! Now i have 33% less battery time because some update removed feature for my pleasure - in this case, frustration

The option was removed because the network was removed. You would be in exactly the same position if the option was still there. You'd pick it, you're phone wouldn't connect and you'd have to change to a different setting that would allow you to connect to a network that actually exists.

And, by the way, you don't own the software on the phone, you only license it.

Well, not true. Network 2g is still there ( non updated iphones can use it and all other phones also), its just not there anymore for me - because i updated my phone (sadge). And network will still be there for X years since its used for M2M comms (not so data heavy as smartphone users)

ivo169 wrote:

Exactly. On updated iphone not, on all the rest its free for all.

Yes, because the carrier is pushing out carrier updates with the iOS updates. They may, eventually, push out the carrier updates independently of the iOS updates.

I have an unlocked iPhone 13 mini that I used with a SIM card from another country. Meaning, when I’m using it in the US, is on roaming. Been using this setup for months! Suddenly, I noticed my battery drains so fast and I have no network signal. So I switched the SIM card to my iPhone 13 Pro, but still nothing. It couldn’t be both my iPhones are busted, is it? Well, can no longer roam after the iOS update! It has nothing to do with AT&T or T-mobile or any carrier for that matter because I’m not using a US carrier issued SIM.

Solution, I used my SIM card with my Samsung Galaxy Z flip 3. I can select 3G/2G and register my SIM with T-mobile manually. Problem solved.