This guide will go over everything you need to know about changing the Galaxy S7 APN settings. We'll explain what APN settings are, where to find them, and more. Here's how to use a phone on any carrier and what to know before proceeding.
Whether you recently purchased an unlocked Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge or are switching to another carrier, the APN settings are something you need to be aware of. APN stands for “Access Point Name” and is essentially a gateway to carriers.
APN settings allow our phones to communicate with carrier networks. It's what makes a Verizon Galaxy S7 Edge fully functional on T-Mobile. A necessity for getting internet and 4G LTE data, sending text messages and more. This is usually done automatically, but often users will need to manually configure the APN settings on their Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge.
If you recently bought a used or unlocked Galaxy S7 now that the Galaxy S8 is coming soon, APN settings will be needed. Usually, once a carrier SIM card is inserted, everything happens automatically. The SIM card finds the required APN information and applies it. Once that happens, the phone connects to the internet and you are free to use it anytime.
A great example is when owners use regional carriers, pay as you go, or MetroPCS. With MetroPCS, customers can bring a phone from any carrier and use it with Metro for a lower monthly bill. Once setup is complete, a store employee will change the APN settings to get the phone working.
However, there are simply times when regular users have to manually change the APN settings. That or you are not at a carrier retail store for them to do it for you. If so, here's how to do it yourself.
How to Change Galaxy S7 APN Settings
All we have to do is head into the settings and add a few lines of text and numbers provided by the operators. From Verizon to T-Mobile and others. First you will need the correct APN settings for the carrier you are trying to use. These can be found by doing a quick Google search or calling the carrier.
The steps to find the correct menu in Settings may vary slightly depending on whether the device is running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or the recently released Android 7.0 Nougat. Either way, head to Settings > Networks > APNs to get started. Full instructions with pictures are below. Details are also provided by Samsung .
Head to Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks and navigate to Access Point Name. From there, owners will see the default APN option on their phone. Tap add in the top corner to get started. You will see a lot of weird stuff like name, proxy, mmsc, port and protocol. It sounds confusing, but it's very easy. Just as you would enter a website address into a search bar, here we enter the provided APN settings and click save.
Above is the APN settings menu on the Galaxy S7 Edge. I went ahead and clicked "Add" and started adding the required information for the T-Mobile APN settings. Enter all required lines of text, tap the 3 dots at the top and select Save.
This will give the Galaxy S7 all the information it needs to connect and use the T-Mobile network securely.
A quick Google search will find the required APN settings for all carriers. Many selections are left blank and only fill in the lines required by the specific carrier. Any line in the instructions below indicating
Considering that T-Mobile is one of the most popular carriers, with millions of changes, T-Mobile APN details are a popular request.
Below we have found the latest T-Mobile APN settings for 2017 which will ensure that all compatible devices work flawlessly with T-Mobile and have 4G LTE connectivity.
T-Mobile APN Settings (Enter using instructions above)
Simply enter all of the above information in each line under the APN settings menu on the Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge and tap save. Now go back and select that APN option from the bulleted list of choices.
After a moment or two, your Galaxy S7 will connect to T-Mobile (as long as an active SIM card is inserted) and start working. Test it out by making a phone call, texting, or connecting for 4G LTE data connections.
We also recommend a reboot after adding a new APN to your device. It will restart and connect to your carrier of choice using the correct APN settings and be good to go. In conclusion, if you bought a Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge but it is locked to another carrier, you need to unlock it first. Once unlocked, it will work with all carriers. Here are the complete instructions to unlock the Galaxy S7.