5G Enabled on iPhones in India: How to Enable 5G on Airtel and Jio on Your iPhone

Apple has just announced the arrival of official 5G support on iPhones in India, starting at 11:30 p.m. on December 13, for subscribers with Jio and Airtel connections. With the release of iOS 16.2, users in India will be able to enjoy 5G network speed in areas where coverage is available. 5G support will be enabled on all compatible iPhone models released in 2020 or later. These include the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone 14 families as well as the latest iPhone SE model. Users who currently have a 4G SIM card and a data plan will not need to change anything, as Airtel and Jio SIM cards are compatible.

Which iPhones are 5G compatible?

Here is a full list of 5G compatible iPhone models:

How can I activate 5G on my iPhone in India?

On your iPhone, open the Settings app and tap General, then Software Update. You will see the option to download iOS 16.2. Accept the terms and conditions and download the update. Note: It is always a good idea to back up all your data before installing any software update.

Once the update has been installed and your iPhone has restarted, you may see a new 5G status icon in the notification area (if Wi-Fi is not currently active). Alternatively, you can open the settings app and tap Cellular > Cellular data options. If you use two active SIM cards, you can choose which one you want to use 5G with.

You can leave the default automatic mode on if you want your iPhone to dynamically adjust your connection speed to save battery. In this mode, your device will switch to 4G LTE when you’re not doing anything that requires high-speed data, as the older standard requires less power. Switching to 5G enabled in the Cellular Data Options settings will force your device to always use 5G when coverage is available. Alternatively, switching to LTE will skip 5G and could be useful for extending battery life.

iPhone 5G India Update: iOS 16.2

Besides enabling 5G support on iPhones, iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 which were released at the same time introduce a few new features and include bug fixes and security updates. There’s a new app called Freeform, which lets users doodle ideas and diagrams, and collaborate with others. This app was demonstrated before the release of iOS 16 earlier this year, but is only rolling out now. It will be available on Mac as well as iPad and iPhone, and users will be able to draw using Apple Pencil on compatible iPads.

Apple Music Sing is a new karaoke mode that allows users to sing along to their favorite songs, solo or in duet with the original singer, as the lyrics are displayed onscreen. The Emergency SOS Via Satellite feature, which is now exclusive to the iPhone 14 family, will also be rolling out to supported regions. Apple notes improvements to the lock screen UI, including the ability to change how notifications are displayed and disable your home screen wallpaper on the always-on display of the iPhone series 14 Pro.

iPhone users will no longer be able to allow their devices to receive files via AirDrop from strangers all the time. A 10-minute window was introduced in China a few weeks ago and is now enforced worldwide. Apple says it will prevent spamming, though critics have noted it could also prevent ad hoc information sharing, such as during protests.

Other miscellaneous changes include multiplayer support over FaceTime for Game Center games and a game activity widget that lets users see what their friends are playing; new Sleep and Medication widgets; the ability to find photos in Messages by describing their content with words; improved iCloud private relay controls; improved collision detection on the iPhone 14 series; and an iCloud data sync bug fix.