Tech / AI

How to Fix Android Phone Not Connecting to Wi-Fi

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Does your Android phone refuse to connect to a Wi-Fi network? Chances are your network settings are faulty. It’s also possible there’s an issue with your router that’s causing your devices unable to connect.

If you aren’t sure what’s causing the issue, follow the methods here to fix it.

Table of Contents
    How to Fix Android Phone Not Connecting to Wi-Fi image - image-2

    Check Your Wi-Fi Connection on Another Android Device

    If your Android phone isn’t connecting to Wi-Fi, it may be that your router is acting up and not allowing any devices to connect to your wireless network. In this case, it’s best to check your router’s response using another Wi-Fi-enabled device.

    Try using another Android or any other device to connect to the network. If that device connects without any issues, it’s likely your phone has a problem. Narrow down to the solution with the next steps.

    If your other device doesn’t connect to the internet, either, chances are your router is experiencing an issue. You’ll have to troubleshoot your router issues before you can bring on any devices on your network.

    Toggle Airplane Mode On and Off

    Toggle airplane mode on and off for any connectivity issue on a mobile phone to see if that helps fix the problem. Enabling airplane mode disconnects your phone from all wireless networks. Then, when you disable the mode, your phone gets a fresh new chance to establish all connections.

    1. Pull down from the top of your phone’s screen.
    2. Tap the Airplane mode option to turn the mode on.
    Toggle Airplane Mode On and Off image - 3-enable-android-airplane-mode
    1. Wait for about ten seconds.
    2. Tap the Airplane mode option again to turn the mode off.
    3. Try to connect to your Wi-Fi network.

    Reboot Your Android Phone

    Sometimes, your phone has a minor glitch preventing your phone from connecting to a Wi-Fi network. When this happens, your best solution is to reboot your phone.

    Reboot Your Android Phone image - image-3

    Rebooting your phone resets many temporary settings and files, which usually fixes any minor problems. You can reboot most Android phones by pressing and holding down the Power button and choosing Restart from the menu.

    Restart Your Router

    Like your Android phone, your Wi-Fi router could also experience minor glitches. A simple way to fix that is to reboot your router as well.

    You can reboot most routers by pressing the power switch on the router. This is usually located on the back of the router. If your router doesn’t offer this button, use the power socket switch to turn the router off and then back on.

    Delete and Then Re-Add the Wi-Fi Network

    Authentication issues can also cause your Android phone not to connect to a Wi-Fi network. In this case, remove your Wi-Fi network from your phone and then re-add it to the phone.

    You’ll need your Wi-Fi network’s password to perform this procedure, so keep that ready.

    1. Launch the Settings app on your phone.
    2. Head into Wi-Fi & Network > Wi-Fi in Settings.
    3. Tap Saved networks to view your saved wireless networks.
    Delete and Then Re-Add the Wi-Fi Network image - 5-android-saved-wi-fi-networks
    1. Find and tap your Wi-Fi network on the list.
    2. Select Forget on the network page to remove the network from your phone.
    Delete and Then Re-Add the Wi-Fi Network image 2 - 6-forget-wi-fi-network-android
    1. Head back to the Wi-Fi screen, find your network on the list, and tap the network name to establish a connection.

    Disable Dual-Channel Network Acceleration

    Some Android phones offer a dual-channel network acceleration feature, which uses your mobile data and your Wi-Fi network to speed-up downloads. It’s worth toggling this feature off when you experience issues connecting your phone to your network.

    1. Access the Settings app on your phone.
    2. Tap Wi-Fi & Network > Dual-channel network acceleration in Settings.
    3. Toggle off the Intelligent network connection option.
    Disable Dual-Channel Network Acceleration image - 7-disable-intelligent-network-connection-android
    1. Try to connect your phone to your Wi-Fi network.

    Turn Off Power Saving Mode

    Power saving mode on your phone turns off various phone features to save battery. Sometimes, this comes at the cost of disabling necessary system functions. If you’ve enabled this mode, turn the mode off and see if you can then connect your phone to your Wi-Fi network.

    1. Pull down from the top of your phone’s screen.
    2. Tap the Battery Saver option to turn the mode off.
    Turn Off Power Saving Mode image - 8-turn-off-android-battery-saver

    Reset Network Settings on Your Android Phone

    Your Android device’s network settings are vital as they help the phone establish network connections. If there are incorrectly specified network options, that can cause your Android phone not to connect to a Wi-Fi network.

    Luckily, you can reset your Android phone’s network settings and then re-configure them as needed. Make sure you have your Wi-Fi network’s password handy, as you’ll need the password to connect your phone to your network.

    1. Open the Settings app on your phone.
    2. Head into System > Reset options in Settings.
    3. Tap the Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth option.
    Reset Network Settings on Your Android Phone image - 9-reset-android-network-settings
    1. When the settings are reset, connect your phone to your Wi-Fi network.

    Factory Reset Your Android Phone

    Lastly, reset your phone to the factory settings if nothing else works. This should fix your problem, as resetting erases all the content and settings on your phone.

    Make sure to back up your important files before you reset your phone.

    1. Open Settings and head into System > Reset options.
    2. Tap Erase all data (factory reset).
    Factory Reset Your Android Phone image - 10-factory-reset-android-phone
    1. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish resetting your phone.

    Troubleshooting Android’s Wi-Fi Issues With Ease

    Unless there’s a hardware issue, dealing with most Wi-Fi problems on an Android phone is pretty easy. If your phone ever becomes stubborn and causes Wi-Fi connection problems, the methods outlined above will help you out.

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