AT&T Is Shutting Down 3G | iPhone 5s Owners and More Will Lose Service

AT&T recently announced that it’s going to shut down its 3G service on February 22, 2022. This means that some older devices will no longer work after that date, including the iPhone 5s and earlier models.

AT&T confirmed that it’d stop supporting 3G in order to make room for better 5G connectivity to modern devices. This action will drop support for most 3G devices and even some 4G devices as well. 

This means that these devices won’t be able to make phone calls or send texts, but, fortunately, they’ll still be able to call emergency numbers and use data services. If you’re rocking an older device, you’ll need to act quickly before you lose service.

This change isn’t exclusive to AT&T. All major companies like T-Mobile and Verizon have already announced that they’ll drop 3G support in March and December 2022, respectively, to focus on 5G.

How Do I Know If My AT&T Device Will Work After February?

Many people in the U.S. might not be able to use their smartphones and other 3G devices in just a few days. If you’re not sure if you’re going to be one of those people, you’ll need to check if your device will be safe or not.

• AT&T shared a helpful list of the devices that are tested and approved for the new AT&T network.
• All you need to do is go to your device settings and verify your device’s model. iPhone 6 models and newer are safe.
• If the model is on the list, that means that it’ll still work after the company gets rid of 3G this month. 

AT&T also confirmed it’ll no longer activate devices that don’t support HD Voice since they won’t be compatible to work after 3G shuts down. 

What Can I Do If My Phone Will No Longer Work?

If your device will no longer work after this month, you’ll need to upgrade your AT&T phone as soon as possible. You can upgrade your phone online or make an appointment in one of AT&T’s stores to get your replacement.

If you don’t want to replace your phone at this moment, you should still make sure you cancel any AT&T lines you don’t use.