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9 Fixes for iPhone Connected to Wi-Fi But No Internet

by Gaurav Bidasaria
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Ever wondered why your iPhone has gone silent for a while suddenly? You will find it rather odd when your iPhone is connected to the Wi-Fi network but there is no internet connection. ‘Connected but no internet’ or ‘No internet connection’ error messages appear when you check the iPhone’s Wi-Fi settings screen. There are straightforward ways to fix them and get the internet connection working on your iPhone.

Also Read: How to fix Android or desktop connected to Wi-Fi but no internet.

Basic Checks

There are preliminary troubleshooting steps you can follow to fix this issue without messing around with system settings. Here is how it looks in a mindmap.

  • Reboot your iPhone. You’d be surprised to learn why turning a device off and on works.
  • Enable and disable Airplane mode to jumpstart things.
  • Power cycle the router and modem – power off the router and modem, wait for 30 seconds, and then power both on.
  • Update iOS.
  • On iPhone, forget Wi-Fi network and reconnect to it. Make sure you have the password before you do that.
  • Several Reddit users found that resetting the VPN network or turning it off and on fixed the Wi-Fi connection but no internet issue on iPhone. Same goes for proxy.

1. Check If Router Is Connected to Internet

Some router-related issues you can look into before proceeding with the rest of the guide.

  • If router is connected to the internet, other devices connected to the Wi-Fi network can access the internet. If you can’t do that, then there might be a problem with the internet connection and you’ll need to contact your ISP.
  • Check the LED lights on the router and modem. Typically, red or orange LED lights indicate the lack of internet.
  • Check for loose or damaged LAN cables.
  • Your ISP may have disabled the internet due to the monthly limit being reached, maintenance, etc.
  • Working in a school or office? The admin may have blocked certain streaming and social media sites. We recommend using VPN. But first, try a free VPN to check that.

2. Captive Portals

Skip this step if you are trying to connect to a home Wi-Fi network. For offices, airports, hotels, or public places, you may be faced with a special portal called Captive Portals. When you connect to such Wi-Fi networks, you’ll get a sign-in page to enter your email ID or phone number to sign up to use the internet connection. To verify, disconnect, and reconnect to the captive portal. Enter the login details and finish the task.

At times, these captive portals will ask you to watch an ad or finish a task (like a survey) before letting you use the internet. Essentially, your data is recorded before offering a free Wi-Fi service. Hence the name Captive Portals.

Connecting to a public network has its own set of risks. You are exposing your device, and by that extension yourself, to data theft, privacy and security risks, and more. Along with a VPN or at least Apple iCloud Private Relay, follow some tips to keep yourself safe.

3. Enable Location Services for Network and Wireless

You can control GPS or location services for individual apps and services and one of them is Wi-Fi Networking. Check if it is enabled. Otherwise, disable and enable it again to troubleshoot.

  1. Open the Settings app on iPhone, go to Privacy & Security, and select Location Services.
  2. Select System Services and enable Networking & Wireless option. If already enabled, disable it once and then re-enable it.

4. Disable Wi-Fi Assist

Wi-Fi Assist forces your iPhone to use mobile data when there is a poor Wi-Fi connection. For example, if a web page is not loading due to Wi-Fi ‘Connected but no internet’ error on iPhone. We want the iPhone to use a Wi-Fi network so let’s try disabling it which is usually enabled by default.

Open the Settings app and go to Mobile or Cellular. Now scroll to the bottom of the screen and disable Wi-Fi Assist.

5. Switch to a Different Wi-Fi Frequency Band

If your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi but there is no internet, maybe because there is a poor 5GHz network where you at. It is also possible that there is some network error. Either way, you can switch to a 2.4GHz frequency band and use that to surf the internet.

You will find 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks under Settings > Wi-Fi. Tap and enter the password to connect.

6. Disable Private Address

Another trick is using a private address called MAC Address for every Wi-Fi network you connect your iPhone. Apple uses MAC (Media Access Control) addresses so operators and observers don’t get access to everything you are doing. This is good but may lead to unwarranted consequences. Try disabling it and re-enable it later when Wi-Fi is working again.

  1. Open the Settings app and go to Wi-Fi. Tap on the (i) button next to the Wi-Fi network name.
  2. Disable Private Wi-Fi Address here. On the pop-up that follows, tap on Rejoin.

Note: You’ll need to rejoin the network after MAC is disabled and it may require you to enter the password.

7. Renew DHCP Lease

If the Wi-Fi network your iPhone is connected to is facing network conflicts with other devices in the area, that could lead to ‘connected but no internet’ error. Renew DHCP license to resolve it.

  1. Open the Settings app, go to Wi-Fi, and tap on the (i) icon next to your Wi-Fi network name.
  2. In the screen, scroll a little and you will find DHCP tab under the IP Address section. Tap on Renew Lease below and follow the on-screen instructions.

8. Enter Google DNS Servers

Try Google-issued DNS instead.

  1. Open Settings app > Wi-Fi and tap the (i) icon again.
  2. Tap on Configure DNS. Tap on Manual on the next screen and enter the below values.

8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4

In the end, ensure there are only two servers visible, as show in the above screenshot. Tap on the red minus icon to delete others.

9. Reset Network Settings

Resetting network settings is easy, but make sure you understand what happens when you do so first.

  1. Open the Settings app and go to General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  2. Tap on Reset and select Reset Network Settings from the menu that slides open from the bottom.

Get Internet Working on iPhone

You may switch to mobile data to finish that important task, but fixing Wi-Fi is important. Did you know you can prioritize devices on Wi-Fi network so important devices like your work computer receive more priority and bandwidth than your kids’ gaming laptop?

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