Are you experiencing problems with the performance of a WiFi router that you’re connected to? There is nothing more frustrating than this situation.
Further, you may have multiple WiFi connections 📶 and you want to search for a high-speed network connection with the best quality.
In this case, you may want to check the WiFi’s frequency band or how many GHz it has i.e. 2.4GHz or 5GHz. You will receive a high internet speed if the WiFi bandwidth is higher.
So, if you’re also looking for a complete visual guide 😃 on how to check WiFi GHz on Android, just keep reading this guide till the end and follow easy methods.
Table of Contents
How to Check WiFi GHz On Android Using Settings?
First, we’ll use the built-in Android WiFi Settings app to check the network band.
To check WiFi GHz on Android, navigate to the mobile Settings ⚙️ app and then, WiFi 📶 settings. You’ll see all the available networks once you enable WiFi.
WiFi networks with 5G written next to their WiFi name have a 5GHz frequency. On the other hand, WiFi networks that appear with only names (without 5G) have a 2.4 GHz frequency:
In addition, it’s also possible that the WiFi name is followed by the words 2G or 2GHz, which indicates that it’s a 2.4 GHz wireless network.
Otherwise, a simple WiFi name without any extras indicates 2.4 GHz WiFi technology.
This is the easiest way to check the WiFi band (GHz) on android devices by using the WiFi menu.
It is, now, possible for you to quickly check any WiFi connection GHz and connect your android device to the right network.
It’s fine to connect to 2.4GHz WiFi network if your usage is not heavy, such as browsing, editing in Canva, and using social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. as they require a normal internet speed to send direct messages and load feed.
But, if your usage is heavy like video streaming, gaming, or making music beats then, go for 5GHz frequency.
Check WiFi GHz Using Third-Party Apps
By this method, you will be able to detect WiFi frequency if you are unable to do so by using the above method.
Using a third-party app from the play store, we can quickly and easily check WiFi channel frequency or bandwidth without digging into the mobile settings.
I’ve compiled a list of three best and tested apps to help you get all the data about WiFi networks available including checking the GHz of the network.
- NetSpot – WiFi Analyzer
- WiFi Analyzer
- WiFi Signal Meter
Let’s explore these apps individually:
1. NetSpot – WiFi Analyzer
With the NetSpot WiFi analyzer app, you will be able to analyze the WiFi networks, of different routers, available in your area in a matter of seconds.
Along with the bands (2.4GHz or 5GHz WiFi), it’ll also show you the WiFi channel signal strength, security level, channel, and much more.
First, download this app from the play store and launch it.
Select Discover > Allow Access to the location and enable location on your device as well:
You’ll see a list of all the available WiFi networks with their band, whether 5 GHz network or 2.4 GHz:
You can also check other information about the networks by exploring this network analyzer app.
2. WiFi Analyzer (Open-Source)
WiFi Analyzer (open-source) is the second app on this list. This app also provides enough information about the surrounding WiFi networks.
Download this app from the play store and open it.
This app will also require location access, just grant it and navigate to the Access Point tab, located at the bottom of the tab:
All the available surrounding WiFi connections will be displayed. Tap on any WiFi network for which you want to check GHz and it’ll show its frequency:
In the same way, you can check the network band of other WiFi networks as well.
3. WiFi Signal Meter
Last but not the least is WiFi Signal Meter app in this list. Unlike the above apps, this app shows the WiFi frequency in MHz.
Frequency ranging from 2401 to 2484 MHz usually means 2.4GHz. And, 5GHz frequency band usually ranges above 5000 MHz.
Download the WiFi Signal Meter app from the play store and open it.
Grant location access. If it prompts you to connect to a WiFi network, just tap cancel.
Navigate to the Signal Strength:
It’ll show you all the available Wi-Fi networks, just select any of them and it’ll show you all the details along with the Frequency:
If the frequency ranges from 2401 to 2484 MHz then, it indicates 2.4 GHz WiFi. And, the frequency above the 5000 MHz (like 5724 MHz) indicates the 5GHz band. You can use this app as a Wi-Fi scanner.
As this WiFi Signal Meter app is free so, it contains ads like others apps. Sometimes, it may display inappropriate ads so, consider using any adult content blocker app.
So, this is how you can check WiFi GHz on android devices using third-party apps.
How To Check Your Mobile HotSpot GHz?
If you want, you can also check your android device’s HotSpot GHz and make changes if necessary. It’s only a matter of a few steps.
To check your mobile HotSpot GHz, go to Settings app ⚙️.
Note: Smartphone settings may vary depending on the type of mobile device you have.
Tap on Connection & sharing > Personal hotspot:
Go to Hotspot settings > under AP band, you can check your default GHz:
To change WiFi frequency, tap on AP band and select your preferred band i.e. 2.4GHz or 5GHz frequency band.
Now, save settings by clicking on the tick icon located at the top right corner of the screen.
In this way, you can make changes to your mobile HotSpot.
How To Check If My Mobile Supports 5GHz WiFi?
The question you might have is whether or not your Android device supports 5GHz WiFi networks. Because it is not possible to connect to a 5GHz Wi-Fi channel if your mobile does not support dual band (both 2.4 and 5GHz).
Now, all latest smartphones come with support for 5GHz connections. If you have the latest device, you don’t need to worry about it.
It is, however, possible to manually verify this information by checking the specifications of your mobile device.
Also, you can use WiFi Analyzer (open-source) app, discussed earlier, to check if your device supports 5 GHz or not. Just download this app from the play store and launch it.
Tap on three horizontal lines located at the top left corner and then, select About:
Here, supported frequencies will be marked with a green tick (✔️) and unsupported with a red cross (❌):
Using this method, you can check the supported frequencies on your Android phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s The Difference Between 2.4 GHz And 5 GHz?
The 2.4GHz frequency covers a larger area but the data transfer speed is low. On the other hand, 5 GHz covers a smaller area but the data transfer speed is high. 2.4GHz is commonly used for regular internet use however, 5GHz is used for gaming or streaming video.
How To Enable 5 GHz On Android Mobile WiFi HotSpot?
To enable 5GHz on mobile WiFi HotSpot, go to Settings. Then, navigate to Connection & sharing > Personal hotspot > Personal hotspot settings. Here, change AP band from 2.4GHz to 5GHz. Your mobile hotspot will now operate on a 5 GHz frequency.
Do 5G And 5GHz Have The Same Meaning?
No, 5G and 5GHz are totally different terms. 5G simply represents the 5th Generation of internet service. Whereas, 5GHz is the frequency of WiFi systems. WiFi names followed by 5G don’t mean they’re providing 5G speed but it simply represents 5GHz frequency.
Can 2.4 GHz Mobile Devices Connect To 5 GHz?
No, mobile phones which don’t support dual-band can’t connect to a 5GHz WiFi network. All the latest android phones, now, come with the built-in feature of dual-band i.e. supports both frequencies 2.4GHz and 5GHz.
Bottom Line
By default, most WiFi networks operate on the frequency 2.4GHz, in order to cover a large area. In some cases, you may need to check WiFi GHz to determine which WiFi connection to connect to.
If your mobile phone is experiencing a problem connecting to a particular WiFi network then, make sure to check your smartphone frequency.
I hope you learned something new from this guide. You can use any of the above methods to check WiFi GHz on an Android smartphone.
If you found this guide helpful, share it with others so that they can also get benefit from it.