Network band selection no longer available

[Sabir1]

UPDATE (04/07/2022): This is the response Samsung gave about band selection being disabled. It won't be coming back it seems.

Ever since I had the Note 10+ 5g, I had been able to use the band selection app to open the hidden menu which would allow me to select which bands to connect to and which bands to avoid. This was particularly important as Band 3 (1800Mhz) would give me the worst speed (~0.5 - 4 Mbps) and is at the same time the band/frequency the phone connects to constantly since it has the strongest signal strength. Band 3 also prevents my phone from connecting to 5g in my weakly coveraged area which enabled me to fix my several year long issue with terrible speeds giving me speeds up to ~200+Mbps. 

I just received the May 2022 update for my phone and I decided to update due to the camera stability improvements. After completing the update I notice that my phone is no longer connected to 5g. I check the band the phone is connected to and notice it to be Band 3. Thinking I may have forgot to turn off the Band 3, I try opening the band selection app to which it gives and error that it can't find the hidden menu.

I've come to know that this issue is widespread on the latest updates for most if not all the galaxy phones.

I don't know why the menu has suddenly disappeared or been disabled, but it is a very important feature for me and many others. I see no reason as to why this feature would be made inaccessible on Samsung devices since it isn't destructive but rather a really useful feature for many users.

Could someone with a better understanding, or better yet Samsung themselves please explain what's going on?

PETITION:

https://www.change.org/p/make-network-band-selection-menu-available-again/sfs/copy/311609309?recruit...

[osnix]

Done. Signed.

[Adam from Norway]

Hi, Petition signed.

It is a shame - Samsung has decided to remove this feauture. I was recomending Samsung devices as best tool for field engeeners working with testing of mobile networks. We have purchased lot of Samsung devices for this purpose. Now - devices will be useless (or wil have reduced functionality). I am afraid we can't do much to force Samsung developers to bring back this function. Removing of this will probably result in - Samsung will have little bit less customers (within field engineers). Maybe some other producers like XIAOMI will be able to put this feauture in their devices... We will see... for this moment probably solutions for downgrade or alternative firmware will be only option... or maybe Samsung will change decision ?

[Cayne]

You're amazing! Best part, Alliance Shield X allows you to PREVENT AUTO UPDATES! Just wish I could shortcut the menu, but its a small price to pay to have that freedom back.

Thank you so much. This should be added to the OP update on the first post.

Thank you Thank you thank you. 

And yes, petition signed.

[ankpa]

please help me I have stuck on  single network band

[ankpa]

please help me I have stuck on  single network band

[Hoveriond]

I need this feature because in my place the 4G+ network (which is combination of B3 and B8 here) is not stable in ping yet. I usually use only B8 for gaming because it more stable. Now I regret upgrading the OS, and it is so uncomfortable for gaming. 😞

BTW I have signed the petition

[Hoveriond]

Is this app gonna root my phone?

[osnix]

Of course it will not root your phone.

[Cayne]

Right on. In the meantime, try the alliance shield x app. If for no other reason than to stick it to whoever thought grown ups can't be trusted to use their phones in the way that works for them.

Seriously though, if you're like me and the band selection ability was essential, that app at least allows you to get back to it.

They didn't actually remove the hidden menu, just changed the way its accessed. Alliance shield x just bypasses all their garbage and gives yoy direct access to all the hidden apps and functions on the phone. And it will allow you to completely disable the os update from happening in the future until someone at Samsung realizes they did more harm than good with this update.

By the way, Samsung, if you guys think this is a non-controversy, and that this was the right thing to do, why didn't you say you were going to do this in the upgrade patch notes so we could at least see what you were doing before the update installed? You instead decided to treat us like we are children that don't understand the mobile services and the limitations of said services and labeled the patch "performance improvements." Being sneaky doesn't make me feel like you're serving our best interests, or that you even care. It shows that you aren't afraid to omit the truth if it means you can dupe enough people into installing a patch that the big telephone companies dictated you must make.

Stand up for us why dont you? If their networks can't support the clients that pay them way more than they deserve without us manually tweaking our devices to work, then why don't you tell them to fix the underlying issue instead of bending the knee and forcing the consumer to bear the brunt of their poor planning and cost cutting?

Why waste the breath, it's easier to ignore people that can't do much about it than to confront the people that refuse to fix the problem. So you won't read this anyway.

[Sabir1]

Follow the steps outlined by @osnix and you should be able to access the menu again.