This application relates to wireless communications, including methods and apparatus to manage uplink (UL) transmit switching with multiple timing advance groups (TAGs) for wireless devices. A wireless device is configured to select N≥2 radio frequency carriers for UL transmission from M>N available radio frequency carriers and subsequently send UL transmissions to a cellular wireless network based on the configuration. The M available radio frequency carriers are divided into distinct TAGs, each TAG having a distinct timing advance value, and the N radio frequency carriers belong to a single TAG. The wireless device is further configured to switch to a second set of N UL radio frequency carriers, after an uplink switching gap time period, based on a TAG medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), received the cellular wireless network, which specifies a second TAG from which to select the second set of N UL radio frequency carriers.