You might have observed that your phone’s network bar displays 1x suddenly when making a call. The problem is not serious. It merely means you have a network issue at that time.
You may often experience this issue when you purchase a new phone. Your phone settings are set to default initially, and some settings hinder your phone’s ability to call and use the internet simultaneously.
So, to solve the problem, you should look at the network settings on your device.
What Does 1X On My Android Phone Mean?
People often complain about getting a 1x network signal despite having a 4G enabled phone and SIM. It is quite frustrating because the 1x network is too slow compared to 4G.
If your Android phone’s network status is showing 1x, your phone has lost connectivity to internet services at that time.
The 1x network status is also known as the 2G network, and it is the oldest level of internet technology. Also, it was used in days when internet speed was still being researched and developed. So, the technology delivers the slowest internet experience you can ever have.
Today, the 1x technology has been replaced by 4G and 5G networks.
If your Android gets a 1x sign on the network bar, you need to re-connect your phone to an LTE service.
Why Does My Phone Drop To 1X When I Make A Call?
Some people claim to see the 1x service as soon as they attempt to make a call. Now the question is, why does this happen?
It is a common problem since the 4G technology mainly supports data or internet services, and at the same time, 1x technology is primarily still being used for calls. In many parts of the world, telecommunication companies have not adapted to 4G for calls. They retain their systems for voice calls that run on a 2G network. So, that is why your phone makes a switch when you want to make a voice call.
Every phone typically has a call feature set to automatic, and your phone processes all the voice calls through the 1x network.
However, if your phone has to transfer image data and voice, you use an HD calling service. Your phone won’t shift its network connectivity to 1x because of the HD media content involved in such a situation.
One thing to keep in mind is that you can not browse the internet while making a call. When your network signal quality drops to 1x, it is impossible to browse at such a speed.
So, in short, the situation is very common. It is not even a problem, and it is merely a feature to transfer bits of data over the network.
Now, is there any solution? People often want to surf and call simultaneously, and to do so, you can change your phone settings.
How Can I Stop My Phone From Going To 1X?
As described above, your phone’s network changes to 1x due to its default call setting.
It is merely because of the voice call it has to process. You can make changes to the settings using straightforward steps.
First of all, go to your Android setting. Here you can search ”Mobile Networks’Networks’ settings. You need to activate this feature to stop your phone’s network quality from dropping to 1x.
Your phone probably goes to 1x because you have not changed your mobile networks settings. You can activate the feature in the settings and set the calls and data permanently on 4G.
Now, your phone will not go to 1x when you make a call. With this feature, you can easily use your data while making a phone call.
Solution For iPhone
When using the iPhone, some people may experience the same issue. Your network quality can also go to 1x when making a voice call. However, the solution is a bit different.
You can fix the issue quickly.
The first solution is this go-to mobile data, navigating to mobile data options and selecting LTE. This means your network quality remains on LTE permanently.
Alternatively, you can follow these steps to troubleshoot the problem- Go to the general settings on the iPhone.
Search for the reset option under general settings, and click Reset.
The option will reset your network-related settings, including internet and wifi settings. The option will wipe out all your connectivity history.
However, it would be best to write down your wifi password before resetting your settings. It is essential because your wifi connection will reset, and hence, you will need to establish the wifi connection again.
You do not need to worry about anything else on your phone. No contacts, call logs or message history would be affected by this action.
It is the best solution for iPhone users. There is a high probability this action will fix your problem related to your phone’s network switching to 1x.
Related Questions
People also ask the following questions about their connectivity issues. Most of the problems are not significant concerns, and you can solve them independently.
- Why do I lose a 4G network connection when on a voice call?
Your voice call and internet connection settings are separate on your mobile, and your phone processes both types of data differently over the same network.
Your internet connection will automatically turn off when you get on a call because the voice call is running on the 1x network and not the 4G network. It does not matter if you make or receive a call. You will lose your internet connection during that phone call, except you have adjusted the phone’s settings.
- Is there any way I can use data while on call?
VoLTE is a solution to the problem. You often have to browse the internet during a call.
As your signal quality drops to 1x, it becomes challenging to do so. Hence, the new technology VoLTE was introduced to solve that problem.
The complete form of VoLTE is Voice Over LTE. The technology allows you to use the internet while having a voice call conversation.
Voice Over LTE allows you to have data and voice communication simultaneously.
However, there are certain things you need to ensure before using the feature.
First of all, not all mobile phones support VoLTE. So, you must have a device that supports the service.
After this, your sim card should also be capable of working with VoLTE. Similar to phones, not every sim card supports Voice Over LTE. Hence, ensure that you have such a service provider.
Thirdly, your phone must be getting LTE/4G signals. What does this mean? It means that VoLTE might not work in rural areas.
The areas that do not have strong connections can not support VoLTE. Hence, your mobile should be getting a strong LTE/4G connection.
There are multiple benefits of using VoLTE service. The first is convenience. You will be able to browse the internet and make a voice call simultaneously.
Summary
Your phone can go to 1x while calling merely because you have not adjusted the settings on your device to remain permanently on 4G/LTE.
In default mode, your phone turns off the internet connection during a voice call, and it is because your phone only has to deliver voice telecommunication signals over the link. However, if you want to connect a video call or surf the internet, you can change the settings to be permanently on the 4G network.
Now, your phone will not go to the 1x connection while making a call. However, some telecommunication companies have established settings that all voice calls must be on 1x. In that case, there is not much you can do.
