Fix WiFi Connection Issues in iOS [iPhone and iPad]

Apple uses iOS operating system on all their mobile devices like iPhone and iPad. You should have a wireless network connection in order to use these smart devices. Having a good Wi-Fi connection allows your iOS devices to work in harmony to get what you need from Internet either using Safari browser or through apps. But Wi-Fi connection issues are very common even on the brand new iPhones. Though Apple releases fixe for these problems these Wi-Fi problems still exist for many users. In this article let us explain some simple fixes for Wi-Fi connection issues in iOS11.

What Kind of Wi-Fi Problems Occurs in iOS11?

Below are some of the issues you could face with Wi-Fi:

• Wireless not connecting to Internet
• Wi-Fi icon greyed out
• Wi-Fi connection frequently dropping
• Poor network signal

If you are frustrated with your Wi-Fi connection issue, then you are not alone. There are large number of users getting these types of problems on their iPhones. Fortunately, there are straightforward solutions that you can try.

1. Check Wi-Fi is On

The first step is to ensure the Wi-Fi connection is switched on. Sometimes you might have disabled the wireless or enabled Airplane mode accidentally. Swipe the screen up to open control center. Check the Wi-Fi networking icon is on and Airplane mode icon is switched off.

Enable Wi-Fi and Disable Airplane Mode

You should see a Wi-Fi wireless icon on the top bar when you switch on Wi-Fi.

2. Verify Router Settings

This is an important step, because you can localize and isolate the problem between the router and iPhone. The easy way is to connect your iPhone with another router if you have. If your device works on other Wi-Fi routers, then the problem is very likely on your router. In this case, you can restart the router to see whether that helps.

Disconnect the power cable to your router and reconnect again. You also need to check all of the connectors and cables are working fine. Go to “Settings > Wi-Fi” and tap on the info icon next to your wireless network.

Go to Wi-Fi Settings Page in iOS

Note down the IP address against “Router”.

iOS Wi-Fi Settings

Now open the router’s IP on the address bar and login to the router settings page with your administrator password. Check all router settings are set properly. For example, you can change the channel, bandwidth and network profile name from router settings page.

3. Use Google DNS

This solution should work if the default DNS provided by your ISP is having a problem. Go to “Settings > Wi-Fi” and tap on the information icon next to your Wi-Fi network. By default the “Configure DNS” section should be set as “Automatic”. Tap on that and change to “Manual” option. Delete the existing DNS servers and tap on “Add Server. Type in 8.8.8.8 for primary address and 8.8.4.4 for secondary address and save your changes.

Change Google Public DNS in iOS

Now check whether your Internet connection is working fine. Learn more about changing DNS in iOS.

4. Forget And Rejoin Network

Sometimes the corrupted network profile may prevent in connecting to Internet. In such case, you can tell your iOS device to forget your existing Wi-Fi network and then rejoin again using security code.

Go to “Settings > Wi-Fi”. Tap into the info icon next to your Wi-Fi network name and choose ‘Forget This Network’. Rejoin the network again by type in your password and check the Wi-Fi is connected successfully.

5. Renew IP Address

Your ISP dynamically assigns IP address to your device. There could be problems due to the auto assigned IP addresses like blocking. In such case you can either renew the IP address or assign static IP address obtained from your ISP. Tap on “Renew Lease” to reset the IP address. In most case you will see the same IP address when renewing it.

If you want to assign static IP, tap on “Configure IP”. Select “Manual” option and enter the new IP address.

Configure IPv4 in iOS

6. Force Restart the Device

In some cases, you can fix the problem only by force rebooting the device. Do this by holding down the home and side power buttons at the same time. Wait until the device restarts and try to re-connect with the Wi-Fi network.

This process of force reboot is different on iPhone X having no home button.

• Press and release the volume up button
• Press and release the volume down button
• Finally hold the side button for sometime to see the Apple logo

The iPhone X will reboot and the lock screen will appear again to unlock.

7. Find Out What Makes Your Network to Perform Poorly

People often complain that their Wi-Fi connection is very slow. It takes too long to download an app or load a webpage. Here are steps you should follow:

• Find out how many devices that are connected to the network. Disconnect devices that are using up your bandwidth unnecessarily.
• Use speed test to check the speed of the network. You can re-test the network after making an improvement to know whether it’s working.
• Check whether other devices are having similar slow connection problem.

As mentioned above, you can change the bandwidth from router’s settings page to avoid crowded network.

8. Enable Wi-Fi Assist

Wi-Fi assist will automatically connect to cellular network whenever the Wi-Fi connection has poor signal. This will help you to retain the connection without dropping off.

Go to “Settings > Cellular” and scroll down to bottom of the page. Enable “Wi-Fi Assist”.

Enable Wi-Fi Assist in iOS

9. Disable VPN and Bluetooth

Poor VPN servers interrupt your Wi-Fi connection without dropping off from the Internet. When looking, you feel the connection is available since the Wi-Fi icon shows on the top bar. But actually the VPN server may interrupt the connection and stops the network. Generally VPN apps are configured to reconnect automatically affecting the Wi-Fi connection every time you wake the phone. So ensure to disable auto reconnect option of your VPN app.

Disable Bluetooth and VPN in iOS

Similar to VPN, Bluetooth can interfere with Wi-Fi sometimes. So disable VPN and Bluetooth connection in settings and check Wi-Fi connection issue is resolved.

10. Turn Off Location Services

Location services help the iOS device to determine your precise location using Bluetooth, cell towers and Wi-Fi hotspots. But this may disturb the Wi-Fi connection. Go to “Settings > Privacy” and disable “Location Services”.

Now check you can connect to Internet using wireless connection.

11. Disable Wi-Fi Networking Services

Similar to location services, Wi-Fi networking services can also cause Wi-Fi connection issues. Go to “Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services”. Disable “Wi-Fi Networking” option.

Disable Wi-Fi Networking in iOS

12. Verify Safari And Website Restrictions

You can restrict any or all websites from accessing in iOS. Generally website restriction is used as parent controlling option to restrict kids opening adult sites. Go to “Settings > General > Restrictions”. You need to enter the password to go inside the settings. Tap on “Websites” option under “Allowed Content” section. Here you can see the restrictions like all websites, adult content or specific site.

Restrict Website Access in iOS

Disable the restrictions and try to access the websites from Safari. Remember, you can completely remove Safari by restricting the app. If you don’t see Safari app then disable the restrictions to get the app back.

13. Update Your iOS Version To Latest

You could be unlucky enough to get a device with iOS version that has problematic Wi-Fi connection. The glitch may already be fixed by the latest iOS upgrade. But upgrading your iOS can be tricky if your Wi-Fi connection is unstable. You should use cellular or use hotspot connection from other phone to connect to Internet and update your iOS version.

Once you have Internet connection, go to “Settings > General > Software Update” and update the latest available iOS version.

14. Reset Network Settings

On your iPhone and iPad, go to “Settings > General > Reset” and choose “Reset Network Settings”. Resetting network settings will not delete any data on your iOS device. But most of the network configurations on your devices like wireless and VPN passwords will be removed completely. You may need to connect to the network using wireless password or create.

15. Restore Your iOS Device

This solution only works if you have backed up your iOS device before. The backup and restore process should be quite straightforward. You should have a habit of creating a fresh backup when your device is working flawlessly.

Follow these steps to restore your iOS device using iCloud:

• Turn on the iOS device and you will see the Hello screen. You need to erase the content of the device, if you already set it up.
• Follow the setup steps on the display, until you enter “Apps & Data”.
• Tap “Restore from iCloud Backup” and sign into your iCloud account with the Apple ID.
• Choose your preferred backup. Choose the latest, stable backup, before you started to have Wi-Fi connection problems.

The backup process should start immediately and in some cases, you may be asked to upgrade your iOS before proceeding. The time to backup depends on your Internet speed and the size of your backup file.

Follow these steps to restore your iOS device using iTunes:

• Open iTunes software on PC or Mac computer, that’s used to store the backup file for your device.
• Connect your iOS device to the computer. Follow steps on the screen to trust the computer or type a passcode.
• In iTunes, your iOS device should appear, if it’s connected properly.
• Choose Restore Backup. If your iOS version is too old, iTunes may ask you to upgrade it first.
• Choose preferred backup file and click Restore. If your backup is encrypted, enter the password.