With today’s technology, it’s hard to get off the grid when we are surrounded by internet connection, mostly WiFi. But sometimes, it can be a head-scratcher when your phone keeps disconnecting from your local WiFi network, both at home and office. It gets even worse when this problem happens every time!
Whatever the situation is, we got your back with this article to help you fix it with just a few quick steps. We divide the guideline into 2 most popular operating systems, Android and iOs. Here is how to get it done.
Why does my phone keep disconnecting from Wifi?
There are a number of reasons to explain why the wifi keeps disconnecting on your phone (both Android and iPhone).
First, the Wifi is probably out of your phone’s range. You can move a bit closer to the Wifi router or modem to get a better Wifi signal.
If you’re already in the prime range but the Wifi keeps turning off on your phone, the problem is now in your Wifi router or modem. A temporary glitch of the Wifi router will result in a drop in the Internet connection.
Several Samsung models have a feature called “Smart network switch” which is to avoid connecting your phone to poor Wifi networks. This option, however, will lead to similar Wifi connection issues.
In most cases, you have less things to do with your phone than with the internet connection itself.
What to do if my Phone keeps dropping WiFi?
1. Turn WiFi Off and back On
First, try turning WiFi off and back on. It could be a connectivity glitch that keeps disconnecting your phone from a WiFi network.
For Android Users:
Open Settings > “Network & Internet.” > Toggle the “WiFi” switch off to turn off WiFi, then switch on to see if your device was connected to a saved network.
For iOs Users:
Go to Settings -> WiFi > Toggle the turn off WiFi switch > Toggle it on to turn WiFi back on.
2. Restart Your Phone
Sometimes, the magical solution to these problems might be simply turn off and restart your device.
For Android Users:
Tap and hold your phone Power button > Restart.
Reconnect your phone to the network and check if your phone connects to the network or not.
For iOs User:
For iPhone 8 or earlier, press and hold the power button to see the “Slide To Power Off” appear on the screen. For iPhone X or later, press and hold the side button and the volume down button to see “Slide To Power Off” appear.
To switch off your iPhone, swipe the Power icon to the right. Next, press and hold the Power button (iPhone 8 or earlier models) or the Side-Power button (iPhone X or newer models) until the logo appears on the screen to turn on your iPhone.
3. Forget Previously Connected Network and Reconnect
Usually, when there are multiple networks available, the phone tries to connect to the network with the best signal strength. The downside is that during the process of finding and switching to the best network, your device’s WiFi keeps disconnecting and then reconnecting. You can fix this by forgetting those available networks that your device was connected. Then, simply reinitiate the connection to that WiFi network to fix the issue.
For Android Users:
Open your phone’s Settings > Select ‘Network & Internet’ > Wi-Fi option
Look for the icon to check more network details, and then select Forget.
Reconnect to the network by putting the network’s password.
For iOs users:
To forget WiFi network on your iPhone, go to Settings > WiFi > information button > Forget This Network.
Now that your iPhone forgets the WiFi network, go back to Settings > WiFi > Choose A Network. Tap on your network’s name, enter a password to reconnect to your WiFi network.
4. Disable Interfering Apps
Many applications such as VPNs and WiFi Prioritizing apps help you get the best out of WiFi networks on your device, but sometimes they affect your WiFi network’s functionality. If any of these apps cause network interference, temporarily disabling or turning it/them off could help. You should also turn off some antivirus applications on your device to see if it fixes the WiFi disconnection and reconnection issues.
5. Reset Network Settings/DFU Restore your iPhone
Resetting your smartphone’s network settings is another way to fix this issue. When you do a network reset, it will refresh all your phone’s settings in WiFi, cellular network, Bluetooth, and VPN configurations. This might help to fix the network and connectivity issues on your device. An important note: This reset process will delete all your saved networks (WiFi and Cellular), passwords and all the paired Bluetooth devices. To do the reset, follow the steps below:
For Android Users:
Open your phone’s Settings > System > Advanced option > Reset options
Tap ‘Reset Wi-Fi, mobile, & Bluetooth’.
Choose the Reset Settings button, then reconnect to the WiFi network.
For iOs Users:
Go to Settings > General > Reset and tap Reset Network Settings > Tap Reset again to confirm. Your iPhone will turn off, reset its network settings, and turn back on.
6. Check Router Settings and Restart
You might want to make sure that your phone isn’t blocked from accessing the network, which could be the main reason why it cannot connect. If you have access to your router’s admin panel/dashboard, check if your device has been blacklisted or blocked and you can unblock it. If you cannot access the router’s admin panel, contact help service to someone who has the access.
Now you already know your device isn’t blocked or blacklisted from the router, check if the router functions properly. Sometimes WiFi issues are router-related and restarting a router fixes some connectivity issues. To restart your WiFi router, unplug it from the wall, wait for a few minutes and plug it back in. Upon restart, you can reconnect your device to the network and see if it disconnects and the problem is solved.
7. Update Router Firmware
Your phone’s system updates can bring new features to your smartphone and fix some bugs and issues while updating your device’s security. The same thing might apply to your router’s firmware updates. When you are not sure whether the WiFi disconnecting and reconnecting problem is in your router or not, consider upgrading the firmware to fix the issue.
To do so, you can visit your WiFi router manufacturer’s website or read the router’s instructions manual on how to see how to do it
Wifi Connection Issues: Fixed!
You might not know the exact reason why your phone keeps disconnecting from WiFi, but now at least you know how to troubleshoot the problem and fix it with this article. Hopefully, you will have a stable WiFi connection to perform all the tasks you want from your tech gadgets from now on.
