How to stop iPhone from joining AT&T wifi

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How to stop iPhone from joining AT&T wifi

Every once in awhile while I drive around town I notice my phone is attached to a WiFi network. When I look it is listed as “attwifi - passpoint”.

I have “Ask to Join Networks” turned on and if I go into the settings of that particular network and I turn off “Auto-Join” and then turn WiFi off and on the phone still joins the network. Also for that particular network there is no forget this network under its settings.

How do I stop this from happening?

iPhone XS

Posted on Dec 27, 2018 4:33 PM

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Answer 1

sberman

Level 10

272,682 points

Dec 27, 2018 4:52 PM in response to lostngone

It sounds like you should simply turn Wi-Fi off while driving.

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Answer 2

deggie

Level 10

167,525 points

Dec 27, 2018 5:10 PM in response to lostngone

No, you are paying them for both. Read your contract. It doesn't matter if you own your iPhone outright, do you have a work email account on it? Since the AT&T system is a closed system (you have to be with them to access it) it will not be as open as a completely open WiFi site. Driving by it for one second will not expose you whatsoever. If you have no traffic over it there is nothing to intercept.

You might contact AT&T and see if there is a way around this if you are truly that paranoid. Or switch cell providers.

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Answer 3

deggie

Level 10

167,525 points

Dec 27, 2018 4:36 PM in response to lostngone

Do you have an AT&T account? If yes, this is why it auto recognizes it. If you are driving it isn't connecting for very long and you shouldn't be looking at your phone.

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Answer 4

lostngone Author

Level 1

10 points

Dec 27, 2018 5:09 PM in response to deggie

Thank you for your reply. I own the phone outright, and I am not locked into a contract. I am paying AT&T to provide Cellular service not 802.11 Wi-Fi access I don’t see how one has anything to do with the other. Separate radios and separate technology. As far as risks go building a rouge AP is quite simple and telling someone that it is just as trustworthy as the cellular network is flat out incorrect(not saying cellular infrastructure is impenetrable either).

Even in settings it displays the attached Message but what it recommends isn’t working.

I am not saying that I’m not being a little overly paranoid here but This seems like a pretty simple thing by not wanting my device connecting to a Wi-Fi network. Code had to be written to specifically allow this to occur.

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Answer 5

lostngone Author

Level 1

10 points

Dec 27, 2018 4:43 PM in response to sberman

WiFi calling is/was off. I have never had it turn on with this iPhone.

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Answer 6

lostngone Author

Level 1

10 points

Dec 27, 2018 4:48 PM in response to deggie

I do have AT&T and it is a problem. I don’t want my phone arbitrarily connecting to WiFi network’s.

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Answer 7

deggie

Level 10

167,525 points

Dec 27, 2018 4:53 PM in response to lostngone

Check and see in settings if you have a profile from AT&T. If this is a work phone and your company uses AT&T you probably have one which is overriding your auto join settings. If you cannot remove this profile then your company has made the setting mandatory.

Your iPhone is not arbitrarily connecting to WiFi networks it is connecting to the system AT&T operates and they are your trusted cell provider. The second or so that you are connected does not pose any security risk nor battery drain. AT&T operates the Passpoint sites, you have the same "risk" connecting to their cell data network.

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Answer 8

sberman

Level 10

272,682 points

Dec 27, 2018 4:35 PM in response to lostngone

You might try:

Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calling = "Off"

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How to stop iPhone from joining AT&T wifi

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