Every cell phone provider promises fast coverage whether you have Wi-Fi availability or not. But, if you have Verizon, you might have noticed that the network is slow and are wondering: why is Verizon so slow?
I’ve been hearing a lot lately about Verizon’s slow coverage, so I decided to dig a little deeper on the matter. Here are the top ten reasons why you’re noticing slower coverage from Verizon!
Why Is Verizon So Slow?
There are several reasons why Verizon is slow, like having 5G turned on, being over your allotted data limit for the month, and Verizon network outages. Also, running a VPN and apps in the background can slow down your device. It’s easy to find why Verizon is slow by pinpointing these common problems!
Do you want to know the other reasons why Verizon is so slow? I’ll get into all of the explanations below, so read on!
1. You’ve Turned On 5G
One reason your Verizon service might be slow is that you have 5G turned on, which can slow the speed of mobile data (due to limited coverage).
Furthermore, Verizon uses dynamic spectrum sharing, known as DSS, for 5G. Also, DSS reuses part of the 4G network, so it’s not full-blown 5G and can slow down your device!
2. You’re Over Your Data Limit
If you’ve noticed your Verizon network is slow, you might want to look at your data limit and see if you’ve gone over your allotted data cap.
Once you’ve gone over your limit for the month, Verizon will throttle you, meaning you’ll be browsing with much lower speeds until your data cap resets for the next month.
3. Too Many Devices On Your Internet Connection
You can experience a slowdown on Verizon and most other networks if you have a lot of devices running on your Internet connection.
Additionally, if you live with more than two other people, you must consider how many devices everyone else has on your Internet connection.
4. Your Phone Needs Rebooted
It’s often said to turn something off and back on to fix problems, and that’s also true if you’ve noticed your Verizon speed is slow.
With that, you should do a complete reboot of your mobile device, whether a smartphone or tablet, to see if that’ll fix the problem.
Generally, it’s a good idea to reboot routinely for optimal performance regardless of the device you’re using.
5. Network Outages
Verizon may be one of the best mobile carriers in the United States, but it can suffer from network outages just like any other provider.
Fortunately, it’s easy to track down network outages thanks to the Verizon support page, where you can look for outages or report them.
Also, websites like Downdetector are helpful in trying to see if a network outage has occurred on Verizon.
However, you can always use social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter to see if anyone else is having trouble with the Verizon service.
6. Apps On Your Device
Some apps are known as data hoggers, and if you have any of these apps running on your device, you’re going to experience a slow down with your Verizon service.
Further, it’s pretty simple to check if any apps are hogging the bandwidth by going into your phone settings.
On iOS, click “Settings” and then “Cellular” to see a list of apps that can access the data.
If you’re on Android, go to “Settings” and then “Network and Internet,” where you want to look for “Mobile Network” so you can click on “App Data Usage.”
Next, this will bring up your list of apps, and you can click apps to see how much background data that particular one’s using and disable it from running in the background.
7. You Turned On Your Data Saver Mode
When you’ve noticed that Verizon is slow, check your device to see if data saver mode or low data mode has been turned on, either accidentally or on purpose.
Additionally, this mode will slow down your Internet connection and make it difficult for you to surf the Internet as fast as you usually do.
If you’re running on Android, just head to “Settings” and then click on “Network & Internet,” which is where you’ll find the Data Saver option. Then, make sure you turn this setting off.
On the other hand, you can check the data saver function quickly on iOS devices by going into “Settings” and then looking for “Cellular,” where you’ll see “Cellular Data Options.”
8. You’re Running On A VPN
Thousands of people use VPN every day, but did you know that having the VPN turned on can slow down your service on a mobile device?
So, if you’ve noticed your Verizon connection is slow and you run a VPN, try disabling your VPN for a while to see if that will improve your speed.
9. Apps Are Buggy And Need Updates
If you noticed that Verizon is slow while running some apps but not others, it could mean there’s an issue with the apps.
Furthermore, you should check for app updates that might address bugs and other issues affecting the apps’ performance.
With that, it’s a good idea to keep your apps updated regularly because of issues like bugs, which can hinder usability and slow down your connection.
10. Your Hardware Or Device Is Outdated
Regardless of whether you’re running on a mobile device or a computer, one reason Verizon might be slow is that your device or hardware is simply outdated.
If you’ve had the device for several years, it shouldn’t be a surprise when it begins acting up, including freezing or being generally slow to load.
Additionally, older devices are often last to receive system updates or don’t get them at all, which can impact the performance and speed of the device.
To find out more about Verizon, you can also check our posts on how do Verizon hotspots works, if Verizon is CDMA or GSM, and why is Verizon so expensive.
Conclusion
Verizon can be slow because of Verizon network outages, which you can find out using Downdetector, or because you have an older device or piece of equipment.
On top of that, slowness can be caused by going over your data cap for the month or too many devices on the network.
Finally, if your device has several apps running in the background, that can slow down its operations. Fortunately, this is an easy fix that only takes a few minutes.
