Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Some Pixel 9 Pro Fold users have reported issues getting 5G to work properly on AT&T’s network, with users limited to LTE speeds only.
- Customer service has been unable to fix the issue so far for those affected, though some were able to temporarily get 5G to work by swapping their SIM card between two devices.
- It is likely a whitelisting issue, though it remains unclear if this is something that will be easily fixed or if affected devices will need to be returned to Google.
Have you encountered issues activating the new Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold on AT&T’s network? You’re not alone. It seems some new owners are having trouble getting 5G to work, as detailed in a growing Reddit thread.
While unlocked Pixel 9 Pro Fold devices work on AT&T’s network, it appears that users are limited to LTE or, at best, 5Ge — which is just a marketing term for AT&T’s fastest LTE bands.
AT&T previously announced it had no plans to stock the device and didn’t clarify whether it would formally certify the unlocked model or not. Nonetheless, it was widely assumed the phone would still function on the network. Unfortunately, peaking with customer service or visiting a store reportedly hasn’t resolved the problem for those affected. At least a few users reported that representatives advised them to wait 72 hours for the system to fully recognize the device on the backend. However, days later, fresh reports suggest the issue persists.
Some users had temporary success with 5G by removing the SIM card, inserting it into another device, and then placing it back into the Pixel. Unfortunately, this solution was only temporary.
So, what’s going on? While there haven’t been any official statements from AT&T, it seems likely that the device isn’t properly whitelisted for AT&T’s network. In other words, either AT&T or Google’s backend isn’t correctly communicating batches of IMEI numbers for new devices, causing a network issue.
This is something that AT&T and Google may need to resolve together or it could be an issue only on AT&T’s end. For now, your options are to wait it out, try to return the device, or see if a replacement unit works any better.
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