Why is my internet so slow on my phone? If you find yourself constantly holding your phone in frustration and asking this question, then there could be a problem.
Smartphones are the main ways half of the humans on Earth connect to the internet. And this is directly dependent on having a fast internet connection.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. Some days you will notice that your internet connection is so slow that you can’t even load a Google search result page.
When this happens, the question is, what will you do about it?
This article will show possible reasons why your phone’s internet is slow and what you can do to fix the problem.
Table of Contents
Why is my Internet so Slow On My Phone
Here are a few reasons why your phone’s internet is slow.
#1. You’re Connected to a Slow Network
One of the major reasons your internet connection is slow is simply because you are connected to a slow network.
At home, your speeds will reduce when other apps and devices are hogging your bandwidth. Streaming movies, downloading video games, or installing operating system updates will all cause a slowdown in your general internet use.
While on public Wi-Fi, your internet speed can vary. Especially when you’re not paying for it, you shouldn’t rely on getting superfast service.
#2. Poor Router Position
Another reason your phone Wi-Fi is slow is that your router is positioned in the wrong place.
A Wi-Fi signal has a range of up to 230 feet, and the further it travels the slower it gets. It can be blocked by large physical objects, like walls, floors, and doors.
So if you’re far from the router, like in the furthest bedroom in your house, or even outside, the speeds you get may be a lot slower than you’d expect.
#3. Poor 4G Coverage
Sometimes, slow internet on your phone is not about slow Wi-Fi. When you use mobile data, you’d expect your 4G connection to be fast, but it isn’t
There are so many things that can affect your phone signal. You’d observe that in crowded places like an event or concert, your connection will be bad because there are lots of people trying to connect to the same cell tower.
Other things can be your distance to the nearest tower. Even the weather can affect your 4G connection, and you’ll find yourself back to the slow 3G connection.
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#4. Slow VPN
Another reason you may be battling with a slow connection is that you are connected to a slow VPN.
Lots of free VPN apps are known to give a terrible performance. So, if you’re using one and getting slow internet speeds, try disabling it temporarily to see if there’s a change.
#5. Congested Wi-Fi
Congestion on your router can make your internet connection slow. Routers broadcast their signals on a specified channel, but if there are others who have their routers set to the same channel, it can become congested and degrade the performance for everyone.
This is common in apartment blocks, where you have a lot of routers together in a small area.
#6. Wi-Fi Noise
Do you know that your Wi-Fi is susceptible to noise from other appliances in your home?
Things like microwaves, wireless doorbells, and cordless phones can interfere with the signal from a router running on the 2.4GHz band.
Most modern routers can work on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. The latter is a lot less prone to interference. If you’ve got a good recent router that supports this, you can use the router’s settings to make the change.
However, before you do it, you need to make sure all your connected devices support 5GHz, or they’ll no longer be able to connect.
Conversely, if you’re sticking with the 2.4GHz, then you need to ensure that you don’t have other devices near you that can interfere with your router.
#7. Your Phone is Slow
Finally, your slow internet connection can just be a sign of a slow phone. You could have a super-fast Wi-Fi connection, as well as a good mobile connection, but your phone is too slow to keep up the pace.
Some apps can lag your phone. So even when you have a good internet connection, you wouldn’t know because your phone is just slow.
Additionally, too many apps downloading and syncing in the background can hog much of your available bandwidth.
So, if you experience this, you might want to consider buying a new smartphone.
Having established the possible reasons why the internet is so slow on your phone, let’s talk about possible solutions to fix the problem.
How To Speed Up Slow Internet Connection On Your Phone
Here are a few steps you can take to speed up the internet connection on your phone.
#1. Restart Your Phone
Yeah! When I first heard this, I had the same reaction. But as cliche as it may sound, it actually works.
Restarting your phone can fix your slow internet problems, especially if you haven’t turned it off in a while.
Here’s how to restart your phone:
- On an iPhone X or newer, press and hold the side button and either volume up or volume down until Slide to Power Off appears. Once you power off your iPhone, hold the side button again to turn it back on.
- On an iPhone 8 or earlier, simply hold the side button (on the right side of the phone or the top of older devices) until Slide to Power Off appears on the screen.
- For most Android phones, you just need to long-press the power button until the power options appear on the screen, then tap Restart.
#2. Update and Disable Apps
Sometimes, another reason why your internet connection is slow may be as a result of troublesome apps.
In such a case, you’d want to see if there’s anything that is eating into your speed. If you find something amiss, you can disable the app’s access to your cellular data connection or uninstall it.
If the internet on your iPhone is slow, go to Settings > Cellular to disable any app that has access to your cellular data connection.
On Android, go to Settings > Network & internet > Mobile network > App data usage. Tap an app, then slide the Background data off to prevent that app from using data in the background.
In addition, you can also check for app updates. App developers publish updates to address bugs all the time, so it could be a simple matter of opening the App Store or Google Play and downloading the fix through an update.
#3. Change Your Location
Oftentimes, your location can be a cause of your slow internet connection. If you’re in a remote area, or there are a lot of natural barriers around you (such as hills, mountains, and valleys), they can affect your signal.
The same applies to buildings. If you are in the middle of a heavily populated urban area with full bars, then your data can be slow when you enter certain structures.
So, if you notice you are having slow internet connections in a particular location, you might want to consider moving somewhere else.
You may need to leave the building you’re in or drive a few miles away. Although this may not be a convenient option, it’s a good way to troubleshoot your speed issue.
#4. Disconnect from your VPN
VPNs are used often because they provide anonymity and privacy. But they can also slow down your speeds when using remote servers.
Hence if your phone is connected to a VPN and you are experiencing a slow internet connection, try disconnecting from it.
Chances are you’d notice an immediate improvement as soon as you disconnect from it.
#5. Remove and Insert Your SIM Card Again
Another option you can try is to remove and insert your SIM Card again. This can clear up any underlying issues affecting your phone’s connection to your carrier.
Your SIM card location varies from phone to phone. On iPhones, the SIM card slot is always located on the right edge of the phone, below the side button.
On Android devices, it can be on the side, top, bottom, or even behind the back cover if your phone has a removable battery.
The SIM is usually in a SIM tray that will pop out when removed. You can remove some SIM trays with your fingernails, while others may require a small tool usually provided in the phone box, or the back of an earring.
When pulling your SIM card, it’s good to turn off the phone first. It’s not a huge deal, but will prevent any potential damage. Also, make sure you pull your SIM while sitting at a table or flat surface. It’d prevent you from losing it.
If removing and inserting the SIM doesn’t work, you may want to consider replacing the SIM card.
#6. Disable Data Saver/Low Data Mode
Both Android and iOS are designed with modes that reduce your data usage. These are handy if you have a limited amount of data.
But they can make it seem like your service connection is slow. Try disabling these modes and see if everything moves faster.
To disable data saver mode on Android, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Data Saver. On an iPhone, go to Low Data Mode under Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options.
#7. Maybe it’s a Network Outage?
Have you thought about that? Mobile network providers boast of their reliable network service all the time, but the truth is, we all know that outages happen all the time.
These outages can be the main cause of reduced speeds or even lost connections and no signal.
If you are still experiencing slow mobile data at this point, it’s a good idea to check for outages with your service provider before calling in.
#8. Reset Your Phone’s Network Settings
Finally, resetting your network settings, such as restarting your phone, often fixes a slow mobile data connection.
The problem with this is that you also reset your Wi-Fi access points and Bluetooth devices. Which automatically means that you’d have to reconnect to saved networks and re-pair your Bluetooth devices later.
To reset network settings on an iPhone, open Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. The phone will request your passcode if you have one, then it will restart.
On an Android, go to Settings > System > Advanced > Reset options > Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth.
This varies depending on the type of Android phone you are using. Alternatively, you can search for it in the Settings search bar to find it.
Bottom Line
As you can see, there are several reasons why your internet connection is slow. And alongside these causes are possible solutions to fix your slow internet connection problem.
So, use the methods listed here to solve your internet issue. If you have any questions, kindly let me know in the comments section.
All the best!
FAQs
Your network settings need a reset: Your phone’s network settings may be responsible for your internet slowdown. Sometimes, these settings can get mixed up, which will leave your mobile internet much slower, if it still works at all.
So Why Is My Internet Still Slow On My 4G Phone? If you’ve figured out whether your smartphone can handle 4G yet the internet is still so slow, there are a few reasons why this happens: 1) Too much in your cache. Apps and services slowly build up caches that over time can eat up precious system resources.
Technically. So, why are some 5G connections so slow? The first, and most impactful, the reason is that the far-reaching 5G signals that have powered the vast majority of carrier rollouts in the US – especially from AT&T and, to a lesser extent, T-Mobile – have used low-band carrier frequencies.
It can! The main reason phones slow down over time is because new operating system updates can leave older phones behind.
Even unlimited plan subscribers are subject to throttling and deprioritization, which is why you’ll often see carriers advertise a certain amount of “premium” data before you’ll experience slow service.