WiFi keeps disconnecting on iPhone – how to fix it?

Why my iPhone keeps disconnecting from WiFi?

You may at times hear iPhone users reporting – my iPhone keeps disconnecting from WiFi without any apparent reason.

The above is indeed an annoying issue especially if WiFi disconnects iPhone when you’re right in the middle of enjoying an exciting game online or watching a movie on your phone. In this article, I am going to discuss the probable causes of why WiFi keeps disconnecting on iPhone randomly and how to fix the issue.

It may be mentioned here that such iPhone WiFi problem is not limited to iPhone only. You may also experience such iPhone WiFi issues while using your other iOS devices like iPad or iPod touch. I have come across iPad users complaining about why my iPad keeps disconnecting from WiFi frequently.

Let’s first look into the causes when someone asks- why does my WiFi keep disconnecting on my iPhone randomly.

iPhone keeps disconnecting from WiFi – the possible causes

iPhone users sometimes ask the question – why does my iPhone keep disconnecting from WiFi without any apparent reason?

In most cases the issue of iPhone dropping WiFi results from problems either on your WiFi network or on your device itself. Nevertheless, the causes may differ from case to case. Therefore, first, you need to check which one of the above causes may be responsible when you find your iPhone keeps disconnecting from WiFi without any apparent reason. Then, what am I to do when my WiFi keeps disconnecting on my iPhone?

Carry out the following  checks if the WiFi keeps disconnecting randomly:

• Try your iOS device on another Network such as neighbors’ or public Hotspots (public wireless access points). If the device can connect to the network, then the problem is probably with your WiFi network;
• Try with another iOS device to connect to your WiFi network. If the device can connect, then the problem is probably with your iOS device;

Once you know – why iPhone WiFi keeps disconnecting randomly, follow the steps below to fix the issue.

How to fix it when WiFi keeps disconnecting on iPhone due to a network issue?

If your iPhone keeps disconnecting from WiFi because of a network issue, then follow the steps below:

1. Ensure that your device is within the network range;

2. Check your router’s manual whether the router is working properly. Routers have a set of lights that indicate problems, if any, in it;

3. If your Router doesn’t work properly, reboot the router. This process is often referred to as Power Cycle. To do this,

Turn off your router by pressing the power button and then unplug it from the power source for about a minute or so. Plug it back again and wait for the router to complete the reboot process.

Now check whether still your iPhone keeps disconnecting from WiFi after the above rebooting. If you find your iPhone dropping WiFi even after rebooting, then follow the following steps one by one;

1. Update the Router Firmware and then reboot. Go to your manufacturer’s support website for the latest firmware;

2. Neighbours’ WiFi networks can interfere with yours if they use the same frequency. Try different wireless frequencies if available on your router (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and different bandwidths (20 MHz recommended for the 2.4 bands);

3. Change wireless channels. Channels 1, 6, or 11 are recommended for the 2.4 GHz frequency because they don’t overlap with others;

4. Enable the Auto-Join feature if it is disabled. If Auto-join is not enabled your iPhone may disconnect from your WiFi network frequently. Therefore, you should enable this feature if it is disabled. To do so,

Go to Settings> WiFi > Tap the information mark (i) > Enable Auto-Join;

5. If iPhone WiFi keeps disconnecting frequently, updating the address information of your network may sometimes solve the issue. You can, therefore, give it a try by following the steps below:

Go to Settings> WiFi > Tap the information mark (i) > Tap Renew Lease;

If none of the above steps fixes the issue and still you find that WiFi disconnects iPhone then the problem may be due to issues on your device. In such cases try the methods below one by one and see if any of them can fix the problem.

What to do when the iPhone keeps disconnecting from WiFi  due problem with the iOS device

If WiFi keeps disconnecting iPhone randomly because of some issue with your iOS device, then follow the steps below:

1. Force Restart your iPhone

Force restarting an iOS device has been found to fix many issues. To perform a forced restart of your iPhone or iPad, press and hold both the Sleep/Wake and Volume Down buttons for at least ten seconds, until you see the Apple logo ( if you are using an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus).

If your iPhone is older than the iPhone 7/7s models then you hold down the home button instead of the volume down button.

2. Reset Network Settings

Resetting network settings is one of the most effective ways to solve the ‘iPhone keeps dropping WiFi’ issue. This will erase just about everything that is related to network settings on your iPhone such as passwords and lists of all saved WiFi networks. This step has been found to fix many different types of software issues with the network, including the iPhone WiFi problem.

To reset your network settings when your iPhone keeps dropping WiFi, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. After the resetting, re-join your WiFi network again and try to connect to the WiFi network to see if the problem is resolved (do not forget to make a note of your WiFi password before going for this step).

3. Forget and then Rejoin the WiFi Network

When WiFi keeps disconnecting on iPhone or if you find your iPhone not connecting to WiFi, forget the WiFi network and re-join it. To do this,

i. Go to Settings > WiFi > Click on the name of your network or the blue “i” next to it;

ii. Tap Forget This Network;

iii. Enter your network’s password to re-join it;

4. Change to Google’s DNS

If your ISP is having a DNS issue this may sometimes cause problems connecting to the Internet. Therefore, when you are not sure – why is your iPhone disconnecting from WiFi frequently, set the default DNS of your WiFi network to Google’s DNS or to Open DNS. To do this, follow the steps below:

  i. Go to Settings > WiFi > Click on the name of your network or the blue “i” next to it;

ii. Tap on the numbers next to DNS;

iii. Change the numbers to Google’s DNS (8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4) or Open DNS (208.67.222.222 or 208.67.222.220).

5. Disable VPN Connection

If you are using a secured VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection, sometimes you may find that your WiFi keeps disconnecting on iPhone without any apparent reason. This may be due to the interference of the VPN connection with your WiFi connection. Therefore, disable the VPN and then try to connect to see if the problem is resolved.

6.  Restore Your Device

Finally, if none of the steps above fixes the WiFi issue and WiFi keeps disconnecting iPhone or if you find that WiFi not working on your iPhone after the update of the iOS (the issue may be caused by the bugs in iOS software) you can restore your device with iTunes to fix it. To restore your iPhone via iTunes connect your iPhone/iPad to the computer > Open iTunes > Click the iPhone icon in the upper-left corner of the iTunes window > Choose Summary and then click Restore iPhone.

How to fix iPhone disconnects from WiFi when locked?

iPhone users sometimes ask the query- how to fix iPhone disconnecting from WiFi when locked or in sleep mode?

If you find that WiFi not working on your iPhone on a particular network e.g. your home or office, when locked or in sleep mode, try forgetting the network as above and then rejoin the network. By forgetting the network, you will erase all the settings related to the particular WiFi network that may be turning off your WiFi when the iPhone is locked or sleeping. To turn off the WiFi networking service,

Go to Settings> Privacy > Location Services> System Services and then slide the WiFi networking toggle to OFF.

As reported by many users, force restarting the iPhone or turning off WiFi networking services have been found to fix the problem when they are not sure about why iPhone keeps disconnecting from WiFi when locked or in sleep mode.

You may also like to read: My iPhone won’t connect to WiFi – 10 simple solutions 

Frequently asked questions

Now that I have explained in detail the causes – why does my iPhone keep disconnecting from WiFi and solutions for the same let me address some of the related questions often asked by iPhone users:

Why my iPhone keeps turning on and off?

Faulty apps or battery issues are usually the main reasons for iPhone to turn on and off. Hard reset or power cycling of the device may sometimes fix the issue.

Why my WiFi keeps disconnecting on my iPhone?

If your iPhone WiFi keeps disconnecting, reset your Network Settings. To do this,

Tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. This will reset your WiFi network and also your passwords, cellular settings, VPN, and APN settings which you have used before.

Make sure to keep your Wi-Fi network password handy before resetting the network. After this check to see if your iPhone disconnects from WiFi even after this.

How can I fix it when my iPhone keeps disconnecting from WiFi hotspot?

Here are the methods to follow to fix when your iPhone disconnects from WiFi hotspot:

Method 1. Check if there has been excessive data usage;

Method 2. Reconnect the Hotspot Connection;

Method 3. Disable Low Data Mode;

Method 4. Disable Low Power Mode;

Method 5. Reset Network Settings;

Method 6. Ensure updating of your Carrier Network Settings on your iPhone;

Method 7. Ensure ‘software update’ of your iPhone;

Do resetting network settings delete anything?

Resetting network settings will bring back all the network-related settings of your device to their original state i.e. to factory settings.

Resetting network settings would have an effect on your WiFi, Bluetooth, VPN, and cellular connections.

Why my iPad keeps disconnecting from WiFi?

If your iPad regularly loses WiFi connection, update your WiFi router’s firmware to the latest version. Outdated firmware often causes connection problems

You may also like to read: Why does my internet keep going out – the causes and proven fixes

Conclusion

Now that I have explained the causes when iPhone users make the query – why my iPhone keeps disconnecting from WiFi, the users can try the above suggested normal fixes, which have been found to work in the majority of cases.

However, the fixes may not always work for everyone. It has been observed that many types of problems often occur with Apple iDevices after iOS updates, including the above iPhone WiFi issues.

Therefore, if you see your WiFi keeps disconnecting on iPhone randomly even after trying the steps mentioned in the post, you may need to take up the problem with the Apple Store or contact Apple Support for help.

If you know something other than the fixes listed in the post, please share the same in the comment section below to help the affected iPhone users, making the query – why does my iPhone keep disconnecting from WiFi without any apparent reasons, and how to fix it?

You may also like to read this post: iPhone connected to WiFi but no internet – 9 proven solutions