Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a situation where mobile internet speeds drop and the connection icon constantly jumps between 3G, 4G and LTE. This is not just a visual defect, but a signal that the automatic modem settings are not able to cope with switching between towers in your area. The solution to the problem is often manually changing the “Preferred Network Type” parameter in the hidden engineering menu or standard system settings.
Choosing the right communication standard directly affects the quality of voice calls and page loading speed. In today's world, most users tend to get the maximum speed, but in the conditions of poor coverage, the race for 5G or LTE can lead to the complete disappearance of the signal. Understanding the difference between the modes of operation of the radio module will allow you to adapt the device to specific operating conditions.
In this article, we will look at where to find these settings, how different communication standards differ, and when to force switching to older but stable protocols. You will learn to manage network priorities so that your Xiaomi always stays connected, whether you are in the center of a metropolis or out of town.
Where to find network type settings in MIUI
Finding the right menu may vary depending on the shell version MIUI You can use HyperOS, or the region where you're going to launch your smartphone, and the standard path that works most of the time is in the basic settings section, and you have to open the Settings app, go to the settings section «SIM-Maps and mobile networks and choose an active SIM card.
It is here, in the "Preferred Network Type" subsection, that the user sees a list of available options, but often this list is limited to basic options like "Prefer LTE" or "3G/2G." To access the full engineering menu, where all the technical capabilities of the modem are hidden, a special code is used.
Open the Phone app and dial the combination ##4636##. If the code is entered correctly, the system will automatically switch you to the Test menu. Here you need to select Phone Information. In the list that opens, find the drop-down menu "Configure preferred network type."
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If ##4636### doesn’t work, try installing Activity Launcher from Google Play, which lets you unlock hidden activity, including the engineering test menu.
Note that in some firmware versions, access to the engineering menu may be limited by the manufacturer, in which case the change of priorities is possible only through the standard settings menu, which offers less flexible, but more secure functionality for the average user.
Decoding of abbreviations and communication standards
Before making changes, you need to be clear about what's behind the set of letters and numbers on the list of available networks. Confusion between LTE and 4G, and ignorance of NR features often lead to poor choices.
The most common standards you will interact with are:
- 📶 NR (New Radio is the marketing name for the technology. 5G. Selection of regimes with NR It provides maximum speed, but discharges the battery much faster.
- 📶 LTE (Long Term Evolution is the 4th generation standard that is the gold standard for today’s mobile internet.
- 📶 WCDMA — networking 3G. It is used where the coating is 4G Absent or too weak for stable employment.
- 📶 GSM — base-standard 2G. Provides only voice communication and very slow Internet (EDGE/GPRS), It has the largest radius of coverage.
In the engineering menu, you will see complex combinations, such as NR/LTE/GSM/WCDMA. This means that the phone will try to connect to 5G, if there is no signal – it will fall on 4G, then on 3G and at worst on 2G. Choosing LTE Only mode will force the phone to ignore all other standards, even if the 4G signal disappears completely.
Why does 5G put down a battery so quickly?
It’s important to note that support for specific frequencies depends not only on the software settings, but also on the hardware stuffing of your Xiaomi. If a smartphone does not have a 5G module, then no settings will force it to catch the next generation of networks.
What mode to choose for maximum speed
If your main goal is to get the maximum speed of downloads and uploads, then the choice is obvious. You need to prefer modes that support the most modern data standards. NR (5G) or LTE (4G).
But maximum speed is a relative concept. In a city where towers are dense, automatic NR/LTE/WCDMA/GSM works fine. But if you're at the edge of coverage, the phone can waste time trying to catch fast but unstable 5G instead of keeping 4G stable.
For most users, LTE/WCDMA/GSM (auto connect) is the best choice. It provides high 4G speeds, but allows 3G Fallback for voice calls in case of VoLTE problems. If your carrier supports voice over 4G (VoLTE), then you can safely choose modes with LTE priority.
It's worth remembering that real speed depends on the load of the carrier tower. Even if you choose 5G priority, but on the 500-user tower, the speed can be lower than on the free 4G tower. So blindly switching to the "newest" standard does not always give the expected result.
Network settings to save battery power
Mobile internet is one of the main consumers of power in a smartphone. Constant network search, switching between standards and working in areas of uncertain reception can reduce Xiaomi battery life by 30-40%. If you need to maximize the life of the device, network settings play a critical role.
The main enemy of the battery is search mode, and when the phone is in an area where the 5G or 4G signal is weak, it increases the transmitter power and constantly scans the ether, which causes the housing to heat up and discharge quickly, in such situations, it is advisable to force the switch to 3G (WCDMA) or even 2G (GSM).
WCDMA Only or GSM Only mode significantly reduces power consumption, since the protocols of these standards are less demanding on the CPU and radio. Of course, the Internet speed will drop, but for background synchronization of messengers or waiting for an important call this may be enough.
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To maximize power savings in the low-reception zone, force 3G Only or 2G Only mode to stop the phone from constantly trying to find a fast but inaccessible 4G/5G signal.
You should also turn off the 5G feature if you don’t use it through the normal settings menu, and even if you don’t switch to the engineering menu by simply banning 5G in standard settings, you’ll already save a significant amount of power.
Solving the problems with constant switching of 3G/4G
One of the most annoying problems is when the network indicator is constantly blinking, switching between 3G and 4G. This happens when the 4G signal level drops below a certain threshold and the phone resets the connection to 3G, after which the 4G signal reappears and the cycle repeats, this behavior not only interferes with Internet use, but also kills the battery.
In this case, the (most effective) method is to lock the phone to one standard. If 4G catches but is unstable in your locality, try LTE Only mode. This will keep the phone holding onto the 4G tower to the last, even if the speed drops to a minimum, but the connection does not break.
If there is no 4G at all, and the phone is constantly “jumping” between 2G and 3G, it makes sense to lock in WCDMA Only mode (only 3G), which will provide a stable, albeit not fast, communication channel without constant reconnection.
☑️ Diagnosing network problems
⚠️ Attention: When choosing a regime LTE Only or 3G Only you may lose the ability to receive incoming voice calls if your operator does not support VoLTE (Voice over) technology. LTE) or Vo3G. In such cases, the caller will hear “subscriber unavailable” until you return the automatic mode.
Network mode comparison table
To make it easier to choose the right mode, use a comparison table that will help you quickly navigate which option to choose depending on your current task and environmental conditions.
| Mode (Example) | Speed. | Stability | Battery consumption | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NR/LTE/WCDMA | Maximum | Medium | High-pitched | City, center, games |
| LTE Only | Tall. | High (if there is a signal) | Medium. | 4G fix, modem |
| WCDMA Only | Low. | Tall. | Low. | The village, the economy |
| GSM Only | Very low. | Maximum | Minimum | Just bells, silence. |
As you can see from the table, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and every use case -- whether it's streaming a 4K video or waiting for a call in the woods -- needs a different approach to configuring your preferred network type.
How to return standard network settings
After experimenting with the engineering menu, it is often necessary to return everything as it was, if you forget what mode was originally, or if after your changes the phone stopped seeing the network at all, you need to perform a reset.
The easiest way is to restart the device. In most cases, Xiaomi, when starting the system, independently determines the optimal modem settings based on the inserted modem. SIM-If a simple reboot didn't work, go back to the menu ##4636## and select a point LTE/WCDMA/GSM (Auto connect.This is the standard mode for most modern smartphones.
You can also do a full network reset. Go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile networks and Bluetooth. This operation will not delete your personal data (photos, contacts), but will return all network settings to factory values.
⚠️ Note: After resetting your network settings, you will need to re-enter passwords from all saved Wi-Fi networks and re-address Bluetooth devices such as headphones or watches.
In rare cases, when a software failure blocks the modem, it may be necessary to flash the device or reset to factory settings (Hard Reset), but these are extreme measures that should be resorted to only when the communication is completely inoperable.