Connecting your iPhone to Wi-Fi networks can be essential for downloading large files, streaming music and video without eating up your monthly cellular data limit, and many other tasks. And that's what makes it so frustrating when your iPhone can't connect to Wi-Fi.
In most cases, getting your phone connected to a Wi-Fi network again is a case of some simple troubleshooting—though in some cases you'll need to try some more advanced techniques. This article walks you through all of your options—from simple to complex—for getting your iPhone connected to Wi-Fi again and getting you back to high-speed Internet access.
1. Ensure that Wi-Fi Is Turned On
This may seem obvious, or even dumb, but the first rule of tech support is always to make sure that the thing you're working on is turned on. It's possible that you're not connecting to Wi-Fi simply because you turned it off, maybe accidentally, and haven't turned it back on. The quickest way to turn Wi-Fi on is via Control Center. Just swipe up from the bottom of the screen and tap the Wi-Fi icon so that it's highlighted white. With Wi-Fi on, you may be able to connect to a network. More »
2. Is the Wi-Fi Network Password-Protected?
It's important to remember that not all Wi-Fi networks are available to the general public. Some, like those at businesses and schools, are reserved for use by only some people and have passwords on them to prevent general use. Those networks have lock icons next to them on the Wi-Fi settings screen. So, if you're having trouble connecting to a Wi-Fi network, make sure it's not password-protected before deciding there's a problem.More »
3. Restart iPhone
You'd be surprised how often rebooting your iPhone will solve the problems that ail it. It's not foolproof, of course, and won't fix deep configuration or hardware problems, but give it a shot.
Hold down the Home and hold buttons at the same time until the phone restarts. More »
4. Update to the Latest OS
It's that nature of software that there are bugs. It's possible that your iPhone won't connect to Wi-Fi networks because of a bug in the operating system that's running on it (the iOS). Apple regularly releases updates to iOS designed to resolve bugs. Check to see if there's an OS update available for your device and, if there is, install it. That may solve your problem.
To check for OS updates:
- Tap Settings
- Tap General
- Tap Software Update
- Your phone will check for available updates and, if there are any, will present information about the update
- Tap Download and Install to begin the update process (if the update is very big, you may not want to do it over a cellular network. In that case, try installing the update using iTunes).
5. Reset iPhone's Network Settings
It's possible that you can't connect to Wi-Fi because of a problem with settings on your iPhone that you probably don't even know are there. Your phone's Network Settings contain all kinds of information, including connection data and preferences for cellular and Wi-Fi networks. If something goes wrong in these settings, it can prevent you from getting on Wi-Fi. In that case, you need to reset them (though bear in mind that this will delete some preferences and stored data, like Wi-Fi passwords, related to connectivity, so you'll have to enter it again):
- Tap Settings
- Tap General
- Swipe to the bottom and tap Reset
- Tap Reset Network Settings
- If you're asked to confirm that you want to reset these settings, do so.
6. Turn Off Wi-Fi Location Services
Your iPhone does a lot of things designed to make it more useful that you may not be aware of. One of these involves using the Wi-Fi networks nearby you at any given time to help improve the accuracy of your mapping and location services. It's a nice little bonus, but also a potential cause of your iPhone not being able to connect to a Wi-Fi network (seems contradictory, I know). So, if none of these steps have helped so far, try turning off this setting. Doing so won't stop you from using Wi-Fi, just from using it to improve location awareness.
- Tap Settings
- Tap Privacy
- Tap Location Services
- Swipe to the bottom and tap System Services
- Move the Wi-Fi Networking slider to off/white.
7. Restore iPhone to Factory Settings
If none of these attempts have succeeded, you'll need to take a drastic measure: restoring your iPhone to its factory settings. This means deleting everything off the iPhone and returning it to the state it was in when it first came off the assembly line. Before you do this, you'll want to make sure you have a complete back up of all the data on your phone—all your music, apps, emails, etc. But if you have that, you can wipe your iPhone clean by doing this:
- Tap Settings
- Tap General
- Swipe to the bottom and tap Reset
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings
- You'll be asked to confirm that you really want to do this. Confirm and proceed with the reset.
When the reset is complete, you'll have a fresh iPhone. You can then either put content back on it as if it were new or restore from your backup. Restoring is faster, but you may restore the bug that prevented you from accessing Wi-Fi in the first place. More »
8. Contact Apple
If you've tried all of these things and your iPhone still can't connect to Wi-Fi, you may have a hardware problem—and hardware problems should generally be fixed by Apple. Your best bet, at least to get a clear diagnosis of the issue, is to make an appointment at your nearest Apple Store's Genius Bar and take your iPhone in for a checkup.More »