The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 slow internet issue can be caused by several factors. It can be caused by a software glitch, a setting issue, or bandwidth problems. You will need to perform a series of troubleshooting steps to fix this.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is one of the latest folding phone models released by the South Korean company this year. It is one of the best, if not the best folding phone model available in the market today which features a durable design, dual 120 Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, S Pen support, and improved multitasking features.
Fixing the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 slow internet issue
One of the common problems that many users of might experience with their Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is when browsing the internet, watching YouTube videos, or even scrolling through social media feed the experience seems to be slow. This can happen when the phone is connected to Wi Fi or if using a mobile data subscription.
We have divided this troubleshooting guide into two sections. The first is when the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is connected to a Wi-Fi network and the second is when it is using your mobile data subscription. Both conditions are the same problem yet on different connections.
Galaxy Z Fold 3 internet speed is slow when connected to Wi-Fi network
Most of the time your phone will be connected to the internet using a Wi-Fi network since this provides a faster speed and does not use up a lot of your phone’s battery life.
There are times when a connectivity problem arises when your phone is on a Wi-Fi network. Here are the possible solutions you can do to fix this.
Reminder: Always make sure to check if other devices connected to the network are also experiencing a slow connection. This will indicate that there is an ongoing problem with your Internet Service Provider. If this is the case then you should contact your ISP regarding this matter.
Solution 1: Toggle the Wi-Fi switch of your phone
If your device is connected to network that does not have any issues at all and you have verified that other devices connected to it have a fast internet speed then there’s a possibility that this issue is caused by a minor glitch.
The easiest way to fix this is to turn off the Wi-Fi switch of the Z Fold 3 then turn it back on again.
- Swipe down from the top of the home screen.
- Search for the Wi-Fi icon then tap on it to disable it.
- Wait for a few seconds then tap on it again to reconnect to the network.
Once the Z Fold 3 is connected to the network try to run a speed test using any of the speed test apps form the Google Play Store or you can simply run the test from your phone browser by visiting any of the popular speed test websites.
Solution 2: Restart the phone and the router
Sometimes all you need to do is to refresh your router and phone in order to improve the connection speed. You can do this by turning off both devices then turning them back on again.
- Unplug power cord of the router from the outlet.
- Press and hold the Volume Down button and the Power key of your Galaxy Z Fold 3 for 10 seconds.
- When you see the Samsung logo on the screen release both keys and allow the phone to continue the boot process.
- Plug back the power cord of the router to turn it on.
- Wait for the router to broadcast its signal then let the Galaxy Z Fold 3 reconnect to the network.
Once your Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is connected to the network try to check if the internet speed has improved by running a speed test.
Solution 3: Re-establish the Wi-Fi connection
There’s a possibility that the problem is caused by a misconfigured WiFi network setting on your phone. You can reset the settings to default by forgetting the WiFi connection then connecting to it again.
- Swipe down from the top of the home screen.
- Tap and hold on the WiFi icon to open its Settings.
- Tap the gear icon next to the network your phone is connected to.
- Tap Forget at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
- Tap the network you want your phone to connect and enter the password.
- Tap Connect to reconnect the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 to the network.
When your phone has reconnected to the network try running a speed test to check if the internet speed has improved.
Solution 4: Reset network settings on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
The reset network settings procedure will reset the cellular, Bluetooth and WiFi network settings of your Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 which will then be restored to their default values.
This usually helps fix connectivity issues that you might be experiencing with your phone.
- Open the Settings app on your Galaxy Z Fold 3.
- Scroll down to and tap General management.
- Tap Reset to view the reset options.
- Tap Reset network settings.
- Tap Reset settings and if prompted, enter your security lock.
- Tap Reset to proceed with the network settings reset.
Once the reset network settings is complete try to connect your phone to the WiFi network then run a speed test again.
Solution 5: Perform a factory reset on your Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
In case the issue persists even after performing the troubleshooting steps we have listed above then one of the possible solutions you should consider is a factory reset.
This procedure erases your personal data and installed apps stored in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. Any corrupted data stored in the operating system which could be causing this problem will be completely removed as the phone is brought back to its default settings.
Before proceeding with this procedure it is recommended that you backup your Galaxy Z Fold 3 data. Any photos, files, contact lists, or notes just to name a few that you have saved in your phone will be deleted so make sure to make a backup copy of these.
- Turn off your Samsung Galaxy device.
- Simultaneously press and hold the Volume up and side buttons until the device vibrates and the Android Recovery screen appears then release all buttons. Allow up to 30 seconds for the recovery screen to appear.
- From the Android Recovery screen, select Wipe data/factory reset. You can use the volume buttons to cycle through the available options and the side key to select.
- Select Factory data reset. Allow several seconds for the factory data reset to complete.
- Select Reboot system now. Allow several minutes for the reboot process to complete.
- Set up your Android device.
Once the reset is complete try running a speed test to check if the wifi connection problem has been fixed.
Galaxy Z Fold 3 internet speed is slow when connected using mobile data
If your phone is not within range of a WiFi network then it will be using your mobile data subscription to connect to the internet.
If you are on a carrier such as T Mobile then you are going to enjoy 5G connectivity speeds in most areas. There are however areas where T Mobile does not have a 5G signal in which case your phone might switch back to a 4G or 3G connection which is quite slow.
There are several factors that can affect the mobile data speed that your phone is getting. This can be due to location, number of users using the same cellular tower your phone is connected to, or even your phone settings.
Here are the possible solutions to this issue.
Solution 1: Make sure to choose the 5G network mode
You will need to make sure that your phone network mode setting is set to 5G as this offers a much faster speed.
3G signal: Average speed of 7 Mbps
4G signal: Average speeds of 50 Mbps
5G signal: Average speed of 400 Mbps
- From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
- Tap Settings
- Tap Connections
- Tap Mobile networks
- Tap Network mode then select 5G/LTE/3G/2G (auto connect)
If your phone is within range of a 5G network then it will connect to it and you will get a much faster internet speed.
Solution 2: Toggle Airplane Mode on your Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
When the airplane mode of your phone is activated network voice and data services won’t work, but Wi-Fi can be used. This is a great way of resetting your phone connection to the mobile network as this can usually fix slow mobile internet issues.
Airplane Mode
- From a Home screen, swipe up from the center of the display to access the apps screen.
- Tap on Settings
- Tap on Connections.
- Tap the Airplane mode switch to turn on
- Tap the Airplane Mode switch after a few seconds to turn it off.
Once your phone has re-established its cellular data connection try running a speed test to check if the issue has been fixed.
Solution 3: Reset the network settings of your Samsung phone
This procedure will reset the cellular, Bluetooth and WiFi network settings of your Samsung phone which will then be restored to their default values.
This usually helps fix connectivity issues that you might be experiencing with your phone.
Reset network settings
- Open the Settings app on your Galaxy Z Fold 3.
- Scroll down to and tap General management.
- Tap Reset to view the reset options.
- Tap Reset network settings.
- Tap Reset settings and if prompted, enter your security lock.
- Tap Reset to proceed with the network settings reset.
Once the reset network settings is complete try run a speed test.
Solution 4: Re-establish connection to your carrier by removing the SIM card
One best way to fix this problem is by resetting the connection between the phone and your carrier. you can do this by turning off the phone and removing the SIM card. Wait for a few seconds before inserting the SIM card again then turn on the phone.
Once your phone connects to the cellular network try running a speed test.
Solution 5: Perform a factory reset
If persists then you should consider doing a factory reset.
Since this procedure erases your personal data and installed apps it’s best to backup your phone data. Any photos, files, contact lists, or notes just to name a few that you have saved in your phone will be deleted so make sure to make a backup copy of these.
To perform the reset just follow Solution 5 on the slow internet on Wi-Fi section above.
Once the reset is complete try running a speed test.
Other troubleshooting steps you should consider for slow internet on WiFi and mobile data connections
There are other factors that can contribute to the slow internet connection issue you are experiencing with your phone.
Your phone is not running on the latest software update
Samsung will usually release a software update to their Android smartphones in order to improve its performance and get rid of certain bugs.
It’s always best to make sure that your phone is running on the latest software updates.
Once your phone is running on the latest version it should be working properly.
A third party app is causing the problem
There’s a possibility that an app you downloaded is using most of the connection bandwidth resulting in your slow internet speed experience. This app might be downloading a large amount of app data.
This is usually followed by battery drain issues owing to the app using up resources on its background activity.
To check if a third party app is causing this problem you should start the phone in Safe Mode.
- Press and hold the Power button and Volume down button (right edge) until the ‘Power off’ prompt appears on the screen then release.
- Touch and hold Power off until the ‘Safe mode’ prompt appears then release.
- To confirm, tap Safe mode.
If the issue does not occur in this mode then it is most likely caused by downloaded app. Find out what app this is and uninstall it.
Network issue
Sometimes the problem is already not on our end but on the network. Your carrier might be experiencing a network issue or your ISP might also be experiencing the same.
If this is the case you need to contact your carrier or ISP regarding this matter.