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Usually, yes. Turning off 5G by selecting LTE changes your phone’s preferred mobile network; it does not cancel your phone service. You can still make and receive calls and texts if your phone, SIM, and carrier support calls over LTE (VoLTE) and the feature is available on your network. Wi-Fi Calling may also help when cellular coverage is unavailable, if your carrier and device support it.

What happens when you turn off 5G?

On a compatible phone, choosing LTE tells it to use 4G rather than 5G for its mobile connection. It does not, by itself, disable your phone number or stop your carrier service. Apple documents an LTE option for supported iPhone 12 or later models with a 5G plan, though the choices vary by model, carrier, and region: Apple’s guide to 5G settings.

Voice service is a separate consideration. If calls are carried over LTE using VoLTE, setting the phone to LTE can still leave calls and texts available. Where 5G voice (also called VoNR) is supported, changing to LTE means a call may instead use 4G Calling/VoLTE. O2 UK distinguishes 5G Calling from 4G Calling in its 5G Calling guidance.

What calls and texts need to keep working?

LTE calls depend on VoLTE

VoLTE means Voice over LTE. Google says it enables phone calls, text messages, and emergency services over 4G rather than older network technologies. Whether it appears as a setting, and whether it is enabled by default, can depend on operator settings. On a Pixel, Google lists the path as Settings > Network and Internet > SIMs; the exact controls and labels can differ on other Android phones. See Google Pixel Help’s VoLTE guidance.

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Your carrier and SIM must be compatible

A phone’s LTE setting cannot make an unsupported device or SIM work on a carrier’s network. Videotron, for example, says that after 3G service is phased out, calls and texts use LTE through VoLTE, and warns that an incompatible device or SIM may not access partner networks. That is Videotron-specific guidance, not a guarantee about every carrier or country. Videotron also notes that VoLTE calls can work with mobile data switched off in device settings; mobile data and LTE voice are not the same thing. Check your own carrier’s compatibility and provisioning requirements: Videotron’s VoLTE information.

Wi-Fi Calling may be another route

If cellular coverage is weak or unavailable, Wi-Fi Calling can carry calls over a Wi-Fi connection when the carrier and device support it and it has been set up. Text support is not universal: O2 says Wi-Fi Calling can support calls and texts but limits text support to selected devices. Verizon also requires compatible service and activation for calls and texts over Wi-Fi. Check the relevant carrier instructions for your line and phone: O2 Wi-Fi and 4G Calling and Verizon Wi-Fi Calling FAQs.

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How to turn off 5G

On a supported iPhone

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap Cellular, then Cellular Data Options.
  3. Tap Voice & Data, then select LTE.

Apple says this turns off 5G on eligible iPhones. The menu may not appear exactly this way—or at all—on every model, carrier, or region.

On Android

Android menu names vary by manufacturer, model, software, and carrier. Look in your SIM or mobile-network settings for a preferred network type and choose LTE/4G if the option is available. Do not assume that the Pixel VoLTE menu path is a universal Android path; Google documents it specifically for Pixel phones and notes that operator settings affect VoLTE availability.

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If calls or texts stop working

  1. Confirm what changed. Check whether the phone is set to LTE and whether the issue affects calls, SMS texts, or both.
  2. Check VoLTE with your carrier. Ask whether your exact phone model and SIM are supported, whether VoLTE/4G Calling is provisioned for your line, and whether it is enabled. A menu switch alone cannot resolve a carrier compatibility issue.
  3. Check coverage and Wi-Fi Calling. If cellular coverage is the problem, see whether your carrier and device support Wi-Fi Calling and follow the carrier’s setup steps. Verify text support separately if receiving or sending texts matters.
  4. Use the carrier’s device-specific instructions. Settings and defaults differ, so consult your phone maker and carrier before assuming a missing control means the feature is unsupported.

There is no single setting that guarantees calls and texts everywhere: service still depends on a compatible device and SIM, carrier support, and a usable cellular or supported Wi-Fi connection.

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