Confused by APN Settings? Here's how to change them

Are APN Settings confusing you? An Access Point Name is the gateway between a mobile network and another computer network. It could be the public internet, too. If your smartphone has to make a data connection, it has to first be configured with an APN first. It presents this APN to the carrier. This is valid for all mobile networks, including 3G, 4G, 5G, and GSM.

You can think of APN as an address for the internet. It tells your phone where to go in order to find an internet connection. Your carrier will give you an APN. If the internet is like a road, then the APN is essentially a sign that tells your phone which road to take to gain internet access. If your phone doesn’t connect to the right APN, it won’t connect to the internet, aka if it takes the wrong road and reaches the wrong address. You can typically find the APN in your phone’s settings app.

The configuration of APN typically takes place automatically the second you put in a SIM Card. Users don’t have to mess with the APN settings in most cases. However, there are exceptions. If your device gets horribly slow network coverage, has poor network speeds, or if there are other carrier-related malfunctions, then there’s a chance that it’s an issue with the APN. You can change the APN on any smartphone, and that includes both iOS and Android.

Also Read: Why you should use an eSIM over a Physical SIM?

Table of Contents

Importance of APN

APN identifies packet data that a mobile device has to communicate with. It also defines the type of services (WAP/ MMS/etc.). The MNO (Mobile Network Operator) receives the request from a mobile device, and it uses the APN to identify the type of data connection. It then directs the device to the correct gateway. For example, we have broadband as an APN for AT&T. “vzwinternet” is the APN for Verizon, we have Mint Mobile, Vodafone has its own depending on the country, etc.

Note: If you have a carrier-locked device, you may not be able to modify your APN settings without unlocking it first. Unfortunately, you have to contact the customer care of your network provider and obtain a solution. APN functions the same way for both physical SIMs and eSIMs.

There are a multitude of reasons why you might want to change your APN. If you’re switching to a new network operator, the old APN won’t work. In case it does, you still won’t get the proper signal or speed. If you’re moving or traveling to another country and you have a custom international travel plan, you have to change the APN in many cases. An APN swap even works for some simple issues like poor network connectivity or reception.

Some basic terminologies

When you go into the Settings app and find the settings for APN, you’ll see a list with several technical terms. They aren’t that hard to understand, and we’ll explain each one below.

Name: Your mobile carrier or network provider’s name.
Proxy: This field is optional, and you can specify a particular address of a proxy server. Most people typically leave this field empty, and you don’t have to do anything unless you want to use a custom proxy to redirect your smartphone’s network through custom servers. People usually do this for security reasons.
MMSC: It stands for Multimedia Messaging Service Center. You can send MMS (Media) messages. This service isn’t used much in today’s time. We have other standards that are more popular, like iMessage, and we have RCS Messaging, which is a much newer standard than MMS. There are also popular third-party apps like Telegram or WhatsApp which replicate this functionality much better than traditional MMS.
MCC and MNC: They stand for Mobile Country Code and Mobile Network Code, respectively. Together, they help identify the country and network provider. MCC is a three-digit number, and the MNC is either a two or three-digit number. Mobile devices scan for all available networks in the area and then compare the MCC and MNC to the SIM Card information. If MNC and MCC match, it connects to the network. It’s also used to bill customers depending on the service charges. These two codes are also used for call routing.
Access Point: A service node that provides internet access. It ensures that devices have network coverage. A device sends a request to the nearest access point, and the AP authenticates the device and grants it network access. The AP also provides an IP address. It routes traffic between the phone and the internet to the appropriate destination. It’s responsible for selecting the correct gateway in the context of APN.

How to change your APN on an Android phone

Open the Settings app on your phone. Note that the steps may vary depending on which Android phone you use since the name will be slightly different for different Android skins.
Tap on the Connections option or the Network Connectivity option.
Tap on Mobile Networks settings.
Here, you’ll find Access Point Names. Tap on this setting and open it.
On this page, you’ll find your current APN settings. Tap the add button; it’s typically in one of the corners. This will add a custom APN.
Enter the settings for your Custom APN. Save the changes afterward. If your device doesn’t show these options, you have to contact your network provider.

How to change APN Settings on iPhone

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Tap on the Cellular option. Depending on your region, this option might be called Mobile Service. It’s directly below the Bluetooth button.
Tap on Cellular Data Network.
Enter your APN settings of choice here. If your device doesn’t show these options, you have to contact your network provider or unlock your phone.

Note: On older iPhones, you might have to open the Mobile Data Options page and navigate to Mobile Data Network.

Example for APN Settings (For T-Mobile)

Name: T-Mobile
APN: fast.t-mobile.com for LTE devices, epc.tmobile.com for non-LTE devices.
Proxy: Leave blank/ not set
Port: Leave blank/ not set
Username: User’s choice/ Not Applicable
Password: User’s choice/ Not Applicable
Server: Leave blank/ not set
MMSC: http://mms.msg.eng.t-mobile.com/mms/wapenc
MMS Proxy: Leave blank/ not set
MMS Port: Leave blank/ not set
MMS Protocol: WAP 2.0
MMC: 310
MNC: 260
Authentication Type: Leave blank/ Not set

This is how you can modify your APN Settings in case it’s necessary. APN uses an Access Point to route your network and give you internet access. While it works fine most of the time, some unprecedented issues may occur. Modifying these settings could boost your speed, increase your cellular reception, and fix your problems with your network on your smartphone.