Can't switch phone from 4g/LTE to 3g after update

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Can't switch phone from 4g/LTE to 3g after update

My iPhone 8 received the update 15. 4. 1 just recently and since then there doesn't appear to be any way to switch my phone from 3g to 4g/LTE. Prior to the update I could go into settings, then cellular, then cellular data options, then voice & data and select what I wanted. Now there is no "voice & data" option so I can't change this setting anymore. I realize that 3g is going away so maybe that's why this option was removed but on my carrier Verizon 3g is not going away until December 31, 2022.

My problem has been when I am home I get a very marginal signal in 4g where the call quality isn't the best (1 or 2 bars) which causes the person I'm talking to voice to go in and out. I tried switching my phone to "Wi-Fi Calling" but that only kicks in if the signal gets really bad there wasn't anyway for me to force my phone to actually use "Wi-Fi Calling" unless I changed my phone to 3g and then the signal would be so bad it would actually use my Wi-Fi and then I would change back to 4g/LTE when I was away from home. This was the only way I could get good call quality when I was at home but now it's not showing anyway to change this setting.

So my questions are:

1.) Is there some alternate way to switch from 3g to 4g/LTE or vice versa on my iPhone after this update?

2.) Or is there some other way to force my phone to actually use my Wi-Fi for calling when I am at home? (again I have the Wi-Fi Calling enabled my phone just doesn't use it with my marginal signal).

3.) Since I was at home and my iPhone was in 3g mode when the update took place is my phone stuck in 3g mode now?

iPhone 8, iOS 15

Posted on Apr 17, 2022 5:55 PM

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Answer 1

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Lawrence Finch

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228,768 points

Apr 17, 2022 6:03 PM in response to mtn113

Even though Verizon is not shutting down 3G until later this year for older devices, they have already disabled access to 3G on any device that supports LTE through a carrier update sent along with iOS 15.4 and later.

It should use Wi-Fi calling if that is enabled; if it doesn’t, contact Verizon tech support (call them; there are no techs in Verizon stores anymore).

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Answer 2

mtn113 Author

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4 points

Apr 17, 2022 7:36 PM in response to mtn113

It seems that if I turn airplane mode on my phone and then leave it there and then turn on Wi-Fi my phone is forced to use Wi-Fi calling so that is what I will do when I'm home and then turn off airplane mode when I'm not home. Not the ideal way for things to be but it should work for me in my situation to get better call quality.

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Answer 3

mtn113 Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 17, 2022 6:33 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

Ok thanks. I wasn't really using 3g it was just a way to force my phone to use the WiFi calling feature that would give me better call quality than 4g in my home location. I saw another thread that somebody had the same issue and they would turn on airplane mode when they came home then wait 5 seconds then turn airplane mode back off and the phone would change itself to WiFi Calling and remain there till they left their home again. My first attempt doing that didn't work for me but I will try some more experimentation with it and see if I can find a way to get it to work for me.

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Answer 4

Apr 17, 2022 6:21 PM in response to mtn113

It’s not just Verizon; AT&T and Sprint already shut down their 3G network as of March 1, T-Mobile will in July. By the end of the year there will be no 3G almost anywhere in the world. Verizon is only leaving up basic service because a lot of security systems and first responder systems still use it.

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Answer 5

mtn113 Author

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4 points

Apr 17, 2022 6:12 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

Ok thanks so much for the info.

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Can't switch phone from 4g/LTE to 3g after update

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