Google recently unveiled their latest flagship series smartphones, the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, and the highlight of the launch was the promised software support of 7 years for both devices. This includes Android OS update support for five years and security updates for the final two years. This was a substantial new addition for Pixel smartphones as most smartphones have only started providing support for five years on their flagship devices. Google is going a bit further in its approach to customer support.
Both these smartphones are released with the latest version of Android, Android 14, and for people wanting the newest software and device, the Pixel 8 series is a compelling offer. But these devices are not entirely free of faults. Recently, some users have pointed out they are struggling with the 5G connectivity on their Pixel 8 series smartphone. This is unusual as Pixel 8 smartphones support all 5G bands. It could be a device-specific issue for most users, as many Pixel 8 smartphone users do not report this. Only a handful of users reported this problem. Well, whatever the case, if you are one of these troubled Pixel 8 users, this article should help you out. Here, we have listed all standard solutions you can try to resolve this problem. So, without any further ado, let’s get into it.
How to Fix If Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro Not Showing 5G Network?
All the solutions are in no specific order. Try one solution after another until you find the one that works for you.
Restart your phone:
A simple fix that you can try is a restart. Most software issues can be fixed with a single restart of most electronic devices. And an Android phone is no exception.
- Press and hold the Volume up + power button.
- You will see a restart button pop up on your screen. Tap on it and wait till the phone restarts itself.
Try the next solution if the restart does not solve the 5G network issue on your Pixel 8 smartphone.
Weak signal strength:
Check the network bars at the top right corner of your screen. If you see fragile signal strength, then that is the cause of your problems. In case of weak signal strength, you cannot do anything from your end to resolve it. The only way to improve network strength is to move to a location where the network strength is better. Sometimes, a few meters is enough to grab a good signal strength, but sometimes it takes more. It all depends on the location that you are currently at. Suppose you are in a remote area away from 5G network towers. Your smartphone will struggle to grab proper 5G signal strength in that case.
Try the next solution if you do not have weak 5G signal strength.
Enable and Disable Airplane mode:
This is an old trick with smartphones and mobile networks or data. People use this trick even when there is an issue with the mobile Network.
You must pull down your notification bar and open the quick settings menu. There, you will find the shortcut to turn on flight mode. Tap on it to enable flight mode. Then, please wait for a few minutes and turn it off.
After disabling flight mode, check whether you still encounter the 5G network not showing issue on your Pixel 8 smartphone. If it is still there, move on to the next solution.
Reinsert SIM card:
Sometimes, the physical SIM card inside your smartphone’s SIM slot deals with some wear and tear over time. It can happen even if the SIM card is always inside your smartphone. And mostly, it happens due to the heat generated from the smartphone’s processor. However, it is an improbable scenario. But just to be sure, take out your SIM card and check whether everything is right with it or not. You should also rub it with a cloth and place it back again.
If the card is physically damaged, visit your nearest ISP provider’s office and get the card replaced. The step-by-step procedure for this would be:
- Turn off your smartphone by pressing and holding the power and Volume up buttons and choosing the power off option.
- Then, use your SIM ejector pin to pull out the SIM tray.
- Take your SIM card from the slot, place it again, and then return the SIM tray to the phone.
Now check whether you still encounter the 5G network not showing issue on your Pixel 8 smartphone. If it is still there, move on to the next solution.
Allow Roaming services:
Suppose you are in a region not your default location per your service provider. In that case, the service provider will enable roaming on your connection. But Android smartphones need to have roaming services turned on to ensure they can accommodate this change.
- Open your phone’s Settings app.
- Scroll to the Network & internet option. Once you see it, tap on it.
- Then select your SIM.
- Now turn on the toggle for Data roaming. If you see a prompt asking for permission, tap on OK.
Now check whether you still encounter the 5G network not showing issue on your Pixel 8 smartphone. If it is still there, move on to the next solution.
Update Android:
If you are using an early build of Android 14 on your Pixel 8 device, there is a possibility that it could be buggy. So, you need to check for any new updates for your smartphone, and if you see an update, install it on your phone.
- Open your phone’s Settings app.
- Scroll to the bottom and find the option System. Once you see it, tap on it.
- Now tap on the System Update option.
- The software or system update page will show up on your screen. Here, tap on Check for updates. If there is any update pending, you will see it here. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the pending update.
- Once you have installed the latest build of Android 14 on your Pixel 8 smartphone, restart your device and try using the Network again.
Try the next solution if you still do not see a 5G network on your Pixel 8 device.
Reset Network Settings:
Much like how we can reset our phone’s settings, we can also reset our phone’s network settings.
- Open your phone’s settings.
- Scroll and find the option System. Once you find it, tap on it.
- Inside the System menu, tap on Reset Options.
- Then select Reset Mobile Network Settings.
- A pop-up will show up asking for your phone’s PIN or password.
- Enter it and then tap on Reset.
After the Reset is complete, check the network status on your Pixel 8 smartphone. If you are still not seeing any 5G network, move on to the next solution.
Manually search for network operator:
Smartphones have a feature or option to select the network operator for their connection manually. This is usually set to automatic, and the phone automatically connects to the Network as per the SIM card or connection present in the smartphone. But sometimes, this intuitive functionality does not work. In such a scenario, you must turn off the automatic network selection and manually select your preferred Network from a list.
- Open your phone’s settings.
- Scroll and find the option Network and Internet. Once you find it, tap on it.
- Select SIMs.
- Scroll down and disable Automatically select Network.
- Wait until the phone scans for all the available networks and shows you the list. Once you see your operator on that list, tap on it, and your Network should be restored if you select your default existing service provider.
Now, check the network status on your Pixel 8 smartphone. If you are still not seeing any 5G network, move on to the next solution.
Change network type:
We must choose between 2G/3G/4G/5G when using our connection. Select the 5G option to get the required 5G network.
- Open your phone’s settings.
- Scroll and find the option Network and Internet. Once you find it, tap on it.
- Select SIMs.
- Select your service provider name here.
- Then scroll and find the option Preferred network type.
- Tap on it and select the network type as 5G here.
Now, check the network status on your Pixel 8 smartphone. If you are still not seeing any 5G network, move on to the next solution.
Wipe Cache:
A corrupted cache can lead to smartphone issues, including the 5G network not showing up issue. So, you must clear up your cache partition entirely and check if that fixes your network issue.
- Turn off your smartphone.
- Connect the device to your PC via a USB cable.
- Press and hold the Volume Up and Power button.
- Let go of the buttons when Android Recovery shows up on the screen.
- Use the volume buttons on your phone and navigate the Wipe Cache Partition option in the recovery menu.
- Once you are there, press the Power button to select it.
- Confirm your action by choosing Yes in the following menu. Again, use the volume buttons and the power button to perform the selection.
- Then, your smartphone will prompt for a system reboot. Press the power button to confirm the action.
Now, check the network status on your Pixel 8 smartphone. If you are still not seeing any 5G network, move on to the next solution.
Factory Reset:
Factory Reset will reset everything on your smartphone to its original form, with everything set to default. The 5G network issue could be fixed with a factory reset as well if the issue’s cause is a software-related inconsistency within the device. However, you must create a backup of everything necessary on your smartphone. A factory reset will clear out all your internal storage.
- Open your phone’s settings.
- Scroll and find the option System. Once you find it, tap on it.
- Inside the System menu, tap on Reset Options.
- Tap on Erase all data (factory reset).
- Scroll down and tap on Reset.
- Enter your security PIN to confirm your identity.
- Then tap on Erase all data.
- The phone will then restart itself. You have to wait till the reboot process is complete. It will undoubtedly take a while.
After the restart, check the network status on your Pixel 8 smartphone. If you are still not seeing any 5G network, move on to the next solution.
Wait for the next stable version of Android 14 or downgrade to an older build:
The problem with early stable builds is that they are often filled with bugs. So, the 5G network not showing problem on your Pixel 8 or 8 Pro smartphone could be because you are using an early stable build. So, one thing you can do to fix this is to wait until your smartphone manufacturer officially releases the next sturdy build of Android 14 and then install it on your smartphone.
Suppose you started encountering the 5G network issue after a recent update. In that case, an ideal solution is to downgrade to the previous build of Android that was available for your Pixel 8 series smartphone. Just get the last build of Android 14 for your smartphone as provided by Google on their website, and then manually install it.
Now, check the network status on your Pixel 8 smartphone. If you are still not seeing any 5G network, move on to the next solution.
Contact your service provider:
Since you have tried everything you can from your end, but it is still not helping, it is time you contact your service provider. You can get your service provider via call and inform them about your issue. They should provide you with a solution for sure.
So these are all the solutions one can try to fix the Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro not showing a 5G network issue. If you have any questions or queries about this guide, comment below, and we will reply. Also, check out our other articles on iPhone tips and tricks, Android tips and tricks, PC tips and tricks, and much more for more helpful information.