The OnePlus 8 Series and OnePlus 7 series support 5G but they do not support all frequency bands under the ‘5G’ network. It means unless you don’t support the specific band available in any given region, you won’t be able to access 5G. But unlocking 5G bands is a pretty straightforward method. Phone users have been doing it for 4G+/LTE+/LTE and other networks as well.
Although unlocking and adding 5G frequency bands currently not supported by your OnePlus device is not difficult, it’s not easy as well. You need to know that you can configure 5G frequency bands with the instructions given in this guide only if they are tied with software-defined limitations. There’s no doubt that you cannot toggle and turn on 5G on a specific band if not supported by the hardware-defined combination. Here are detailed step-by-step instructions on how to modify/configure 5G and bands on OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 8 series, enable 5G NR, 5G SA and DSS.
How to Enable 5G on OnePlus 8 Series and OnePlus 7 5G
First thing first, you need to check out the supported combos on your OnePlus 8 / 8 Pro / 7 Pro 5G / 7T Pro 5G. This should give you a clear idea of what bands your OnePlus device supports be it for LTE, LTE 4×4, NR NSA (5G), and NR SA bands (5G).
Caution: Note that using this guide, you will be enabling or disabling both 4G carrier aggregation and 5G EN_DC combinations and band support. This works only if the hardware supports it. For example, if your phone doesn’t support the 4G anchor band which is used in the USA even though it supports the 5G band, you won’t be able to enable or disable it due to hardware limitations.
Disclaimer: Going through with this guide will put a bullet in your device warranty and it will void. We aren’t responsible for any ill-effects your OnePlus device might suffer after going through this guide. Thus, user discretion is needed.
This part of the guide helps you connect to 5G since the OEM didn’t add 5G to the carrier policy on your OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, and OnePlus 7T Pro, OnePlus 7 Pro 5G. This also aids in connecting to 5G in case if your phone isn’t able to connect to 5G in a region where 5G is available. This could be due to various issues including the fact that your phone might not be supporting the available frequency band.
Requirements
These are the things that you would require beforehand. To make things easy for all your readers, we have listed the links so that you can simply download the required files and programs right away.
- EngineerMode
Earlier, OnePlus allowed users to toggle to the EngineerMode simply by tapping *#801# on the phone. However, it no longer works. Thus, you can download the EngineerMode apk available here and install it.
- OnePlus Driver
This is crucial. You’ll need an OnePlus driver installed on your PC or computer which helps recognize the device and carry out further operations. Here’s the link to download the driver.
- Install QPST
Next up, you need to install a QPST application on your computer which is Qualcomm’s terminal that allows tweaking the frequency bands among others. You can tap here to download the QPST application.
- Download two XML files with enabled 5G network for carrier policy
Next up, you need these two XML files where we have already ‘enabled 5G network’ onto the carrier policy. You are required to remove the existing carrier policy and replace it with these two XML files.
- A USB cable
This is but of course. You’ll need a USB cable to establish a connection between your phone and the computer.
Diag-Driver Installation
This is the next step. When you connect your OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, and OnePlus 7 5G, it should automatically install the diag-driver if it runs on Android 10. But for Android 11 and others, you may have to install the driver on your Windows PC. Check out our Requirements section and you’ll find the link to download the latest driver. Also, you have to do it manually if you are running Android 11 and thus, the aforementioned.
Once you download it through the link mentioned above and install it, as usual, launch it. Assuming that you have connected your phone with the computer as per our previous step, you’ll find that Device Manager will detect two devices connected to it. OnePlus 8 Europe as IN2013 and IN2017 as its model number. OnePlus 8 Pro has model numbers N2023, IN2020, IN2021, and IN2025. Just check your phone model number beforehand to avoid any confusion. These model numbers change w.r.t. the region they are being sold in.
Step By Step Guide On How To Enable 5G On OnePlus 8 Series and OnePlus 7 5G
Part 1: Ready it ready
Step #1: First up, you need to enable ‘Engineer Mode Toggle’ or ‘Rndis, diag switch’. If you have a built-in EngineerMode, you can simply dial *#801# to enable it. Since OnePlus has gotten rid of the EngineerMode, you have to install the APK and enable it.
Note: If you have Android 11, you need to enable EngineerMode (Engineer Toggle). If you are still running Android 10, you need to enable Rndis, diag switch.
Step #2: Connect the OnePlus device to the PC or computer via USB.
As mentioned in the “Diag-Driver Installation”, you already know that your Windows PC will automatically install the driver. If not, you have to install it manually. You need to check if you have installed the updated driver or not. We have posted the link to download the USB driver in the “Requirements” section for ease. The downloaded file will be in the zip so unzip it and then, install the same as usual.
Part 2: Using the QPST
Step #3: Next step is to launch the QPST application you downloaded earlier as seen in the “Requirements” section.
Step #4: Click on the menu ‘Start Clients’ and then, select ‘QPST EFS Explorer’. You will see the files active i.e. devices.
Step #5: You must see a list of two devices connected with the state as ‘Enabled’. You need to select the device SDX55M which stands for Snapdragon X55 Model and it handles all the 5G connections and aspects on your device.
- Remember: Whatever you make the changes to, it will be with the device with the phone model ‘SDX55M’. Don’t manipulate the SM8250 (OnePlus 8 series) or other devices with SM prefix as it is the processor.
Step #6: Next step is to go to ‘Policyman’.
Step #7: In the Policyman directory, you’ll find two files with the names “carrier_policy.xml” and “carrier_policy.xml_Subscription01”. Make sure that you have a copy of these two XML files on your computer in case if required for later use.
Step #8: Next up, delete those two XML files mentioned above.
Step #9: Remember we posted a link to two XML files in the “Requirements” section. These files have a 5G enabled network already. Simply download those two files on your computer.
Step #10: Use its drag-and-drop functionality to drop these two XML files to the Policyman directory one by one. This won’t take more than a few seconds.
Step #11: Make sure you get the valid XML syntax before jumping on and uploading the files to the phone.
Step #12: Finally, reboot your OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, or 7 5G, and bingo, your 5G is enabled now.
You need to enable 5G NR (New Radio) on your OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro. For that, simply hit this code on the dialer app *#*#4636#*#*. Proceed to ‘Phone Information’ and then, select ‘Preferred Network Type’. You need to choose between these two options to get a 5G NR setup on your device.
“NR/LTE/TDSCDMA/CDMA/EvDO/GSM/WCDMA” or “NR/LTE/TDSCDMA/GSM/WCDMA”. You choose either one of them depending upon which carrier you have and what types of network it supports among others. If you don’t understand which option to select, it is better to call your telecom service provider and get the required information.
Caution: We are assuming that you have the 5G SIM on the SIM 1 slot. Changing the SIM card or swapping it will cause the modifications to undo.
To confirm if you have 5G reception or not, you need to find a 5G region to get the 5G support on your device. The CellMapper app available on Google Play Store displays information on 5G/4G/3G/2G (SA and NSA) availability among others.
This method works in case if your carrier policy is not updated to support 5G or if you aren’t able to connect to a 5G network even though you are in a 5G hotspot.
How to Enable 5G SA for Android 11 on OnePlus device
The Chinese smartphone giant OnePlus keeps the 5G SA disabled by default. It remains disabled unless you are using a certain telecom carrier such as T-Mobile in the US pushes 5G SA (Standalone) by default.
Here, you have already added the line <nr5G_nsa_bands base=”hardware”/>. You need to add the line <nr5g_sa_bands base=”hardware”/>
Next up, you will have to use “Network Signal Guru” on your OnePlus smartphone to change the NR5G mode from NSA (Non-Standalone) to NSA/SA or SA (Standalone). This will force the system to connect to 5G SA on OnePlus smartphones by default.
How To Enable DSS on OnePlus smartphones
In simple words, Dynamic Spectrum Sharing or DSS allows telecom carriers and operators to use the same existing spectrum bands for different radio technologies. The best example would be carriers using existing spectrum bands speedier 4G to support 5G networks. Here, DSS allows operators to tweak frequency bands to sustain both 4G and 5G on the same spectrum and adjust it as per the needs.
Now that you know where to find the policyman directory, spot the file titled “lte_feature_restrictions.xml”. Take a backup of the existing file in case required.
Look for the section “dss_plmns”. These are the networks that support DSS on your OnePlus devices. You can see the said section below.
Search for the MCC-MNC codes for your telecom carrier. For example, Verizon Wireless in the US has MCC-MNC codes 311-286, 311-270, 311-275 among others. Similarly, T-Mobile has MCC-MNC codes such as 310-250, 310-160, and so on in the U.S.
For example, if you wish to add Verizon Wireless MCC-MNC code, you can add ‘ 311-286’ in the list before the angle brackets close.
Next up, you need to go to the “NR_DSS” section where you’ll see ‘ </all_of>’ just after the dss_plmns is called. You need to change it to ‘</any_of’ without the quotation mark and it is done.
Make sure the XML syntax of the file you edited is correct and save it.
Reboot the phone and bingo, it is done.
There you have it. This guide details step-by-step instructions on how to enable 5G on OnePlus devices that support 5G. Using this guide, you’ll also know how to add bands and configure or modify it to subscribe to more bands. Also, you get an easy how to enable DSS on your OnePlus device. We have also listed step-by-step instructions to enable 5G NR and 5G SA on your OnePlus smartphone as well.
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