With 4G and 5G connections widely available around the world, it has become rarer for iPhone and Android users to see 3G or even a letter “E” on the signal bar of phones. For those who have been following the transition from dumb phones to smartphones, the “E” symbol in the phone’s status bar is no stranger, as it meant that their device was using the EDGE connection, short for Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution. This predecessor to 3G could theoretically offer a maximum Internet connection speed of 384 Kbps, which, in the world of BlackBerries and weird smartphones of the early 2000s, was very exciting, even if you had to wait several seconds to open a web page that wasn’t optimized for small screens.
In daily use, speeds actually ranged between 130 Kbps and 200 Kbps, which was more than enough to download a basic text email and check the weather forecast. More absurdly, if you think about the first iPhone released in 2007, it only supported EDGE connectivity. Its successor, the 2008 iPhone 3G, was the model that supported faster connections.
By today’s standards, having an EDGE connection sounds like the death of the phone. After all, nothing will load properly, you won’t be able to communicate with your friends, upload a photo, stream a song, or use your phone over a cellular connection. If you see that “E” symbol on your phone, here’s what you can do to get 4G and 5G connectivity back.
Here’s how to get back to normal 4G/5G speeds on your phone
If your phone is stuck with an “E” connection, there are some factors to consider. If you’re in an area with poor cell coverage, for example, there’s not much you can do. If you’ve tried the basics of turning Airplane mode on and off afterward, and that hasn’t helped, your best bet is to get Wi-Fi connectivity or keep your phone in Airplane mode. Forcing your phone to search for a stronger 5G signal that isn’t available will drain its battery.
On the other hand, if you generally have 4G/5G connectivity where you are but are still experiencing poor ‘E’ internet, there are a few other things you can try to fix your signal. For example, on iOS, you can go to Settings, choose Cellular, select Cellular Data Options, and make sure Voice & Data is set to 5G or LTE. You can also switch to 3G, wait a few seconds, then force back to 5G/LTE. On Android, go to Network & Internet to see your preferred network type and do the same thing.
You can also try a network reset in the system settings, restart the phone, or call your carrier to make sure it’s not an outage or widespread problem. Once the internet is back up and running, you can run a speed test to make sure everything is working as it should.
