Android 12 looks to enable 5G with Dual SIM Dual Standby on Pixel 5/4a 5G

Abner Li | Feb 22 2021 - 9:01 am PT

Since the Pixel 3a, it’s been possible to use a physical SIM card and eSIM simultaneously. However, Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS) on the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 does not currently support 5G networks, though that’s changing with Android 12.

Since launch, Google’s latest phones on Android 11 “fall back to 4G networks” when two SIMs are in use. It’s an inconvenience as users cannot take advantage of their phone’s marquee cellular capability.

As a workaround, Google advises users to “temporarily turn off the SIM that isn’t set to use data” to get 5G reception. Besides removing the card or deleting a profile, Google lets you quickly disable SIMs through the Settings app on the Pixel 5/4a 5G:

Open your phone’s Settings app.
Tap Network & internet Mobile network.
Select the SIM you want to turn off.
Tap Use SIM.

Back in November, we spotted Google readying a change to allow 5G and DSDS on the Pixel 4a 5G, as well as Pixel 5. Support could come with a future Android 11 update in the next few months, but it’s still missing as of the February security patch.

It now appears that Dual SIM Dual Standby 5G support will be available with the next version of Android. One user on Android 12 Developer Preview 1 today shows a Pixel 5 with DSDS active and “5G” displayed in the status bar.

Things could change before the final launch — and there are a number of stable Android 11 releases before that — but this is a sure sign that the functionality is coming.