wifi not working - captive portal login screen does not appear

This is a bug in macOS Catalina (still present with the latest patchlevel, i.e. 10.15 with the supplemental update from 15th October 2019). For some reason the Captive Portal Assistant (the app that produces the captive portal popup window whenever you connect to a WiFi hotspot) won't start automatically.

There are two workarounds:

option 1: Either you can manually start the Captive Portal Assistant app manually after you have connected to the WiFi network. This will bring up the captive portal popup window and you can unlock Internet access there. (Really no need to boot in recovery mode, etc. !)

option 2: From this blog post: To bring back the captive portal window automatically whenever you connect to a captive portal-protected WiFi network you can create a LaunchDaemon that watches for WiFi changes and automatically opens the Captive Portal Assistant app.

Create a plist file with the service definition somewhere:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" \
"http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
 <dict>
  <key>Label</key>
  <string>my.shim.catalina.captivenetworkassistant.plist</string>
  <key>LowPriorityIO</key>
  <true/>
  <key>ProgramArguments</key>
  <array>
   <string>open</string>
   <string>/System/Library/CoreServices/Captive Network Assistant.app</string>
  </array>
  <key>WatchPaths</key>
  <array>
   <string>/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration</string>
  </array>
  <key>RunAtLoad</key>
  <true/>
 </dict>
</plist>

and apply it:

launchctl load my.shim.catalina.captivenetworkassistant.plist
launchctl start my.shim.catalina.captivenetworkassistant

check https://poweruser.blog/macos-catalina-wifi-issue-captive-portal-broken-45610cc016b5 for more details.

I have been having a similar issue. One thing works for me.

• Log out of your user account
• Log in to Guest Account
• Connect to the desired Wifi. (captive window still doesn't appear)
• Open Chrome browser. Try to navigate to a page, ex. apple.com
• The applicable wifi login page loads, and then allows you to connect however is necessary
• Log out of Guest Account
• Log back into your user account
• Connect to the desired Wifi, and start browsing as normal. You're already "logged in" somehow.

I've tried all kinds of things before stumbling across this. I tried going to captive.apple.com, captive.apple.com/hotspot-detect.html, going to the router ip address, going to any generic ip address, deleting preference files from Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration, even typing something into the Terminal: sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder ---None of those things worked. Only logging into the guest account, connecting to the wifi there, and then going back to my user account.

Ps. I've been having a glitch in Catalina with my Guest Account not always allowing me to log in (either not appearing, or requesting a password that doesn't exist). I can fix it by going into System Preferences, deactivating the guest account, then reactivating it again.

I experienced the same issue just after upgrading to macOS Catalina 10.15.1. Login pop-ups stopped appearing for captive networks.

I've tried running the Captive Network Assistant application manually as described here (which is located on /System/Library/CoreServices/Captive Network Assistant.app) but unfortunately, it didn't help either.

After following several other troubleshooting steps with no luck, and opening a case to Apple (with no feedback so far), I was able to resolve it by turning off Wi-Fi, removing the files below and restarting;

• /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.airport.preferences.plist
• /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/NetworkInterfaces.plist
• /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/preferences.plist

I experienced the same issue just after upgrading to macOS Catalina 10.15.1. Login pop-ups stopped appearing for captive networks.

Things I've tried to resolve;

• Manually opening the URLs of the login pages
• Trying out different captive networks
• Removing custom DNS entries
• Checking IP configuration and DHCP assignment
• Creating a new network location
• Pinging the gateway
• Switching to a different browser
• Rebooting
• Opening a case to Apple (has been escalated but no feedback yet)
• Running the Captive Network Assistant application manually as described here (which is located on /System/Library/CoreServices/Captive Network Assistant.app)

...and unfortunately, none of them worked.

After following several other troubleshooting steps with no luck, I was able to resolve it by turning off Wi-Fi, removing the files below and restarting;

• /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.airport.preferences.plist
• /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/NetworkInterfaces.plist
• /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/preferences.plist

Hope it helps!

I had the same problem and I asked the same question: Wifi does not recognise captive portal af… - Apple Community.

On that discussion, somebody posted some threads from the Sophos forum and somebody else suggested I remove the AV software I had installed (Avast), which I did and then rebooted. So far it has fixed it, although it might have been just the reboot, I suppose.

Anyway, if you have this problem and you have anti-virus software installed, I suggest you see if uninstalling the AV fixes the issue.

Hello, please see my post here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250713004

Please try to reboot your MacBook into Safe Mode (holding the shift key on boot). If the Captive Portal appears it is likely a 3rd party application that is interfering with the Network Stack.

When you reload you PC back into Normal Mode you should be connected, however that doesn't necessarily mean it is fixed. This is because you have just gone through the captive portal process i.e. Accept T&Cs in Safe Mode for that day. Then after a certain period the Captive Portal may expire your session. you will need to complete the Captive Portal process again and hence it will no longer work.

So the real fix is check for applications installed that could interfere with the Network Stack such as a VPN client i.e. Cisco VPN Client or even possibly an Anti-Virus Scanner.

1. Typing a url into the navigation bar of the browser does not force the sign in/acceptance screen to open.
2. Going to captive.apple.com does not work.
3. Typing in 192.0.2.1 or similar does not work.
4. Forgetting the network and connecting again does not work.
5. Rebooting my MacBook Pro does work...but really apple? I have to reboot to connect to a public wifi?

All these workarounds used to work for me most of the time with Mojave.

One of the things I liked about MacOS was the ease with connecting to wifi...Is that a thing of the past?

In 10.15.2 I found that I had to go into the Library and actually create a launchDaemon folder and then the problem resolved.

my steps to resolve the issue were

1. delete all files I. The LaunchAgents folder.
2. create a LaunchDaemon folder
3. restart computer.

I have the same problem with my macbook. No Problems on iPad or Iphone but on the macbook with Safari 13.0.2 an macOS Catalaina i get no login Screen. To reach the hotspot for Telekom for example I had two different ways. First I got connected to the "free" hotspot. Than a pop up show the login screen or I opened Safari, navigate to the telekom page and there I had to write my Username and Passwort.

Now there is no Pop Up with the login Screen and I can't navigate to the telekom page because safari says "Your Mac is not connected to network" are something like this.

Same problem. Booting into safe mode solved it for me as well, and then could restart normally and stay connected. However, when I returned to the same public WiFi (in a library) the next day, after having been on my home WiFi in between, I had to go through the same procedure. Not good. We need a bug fix from Apple!

I just tried the above suggestion. I rebooted my Macbook in Safe Mode, and the Delta wifi box popped right up. I logged into the wife, then rebooted my machine in normal mode, and the wifi connection is still working. So this has been a temporary fix that is letting me use the wifi on my current flight.

I have the same problem. I like my MAC because i rarely need to reboot it, now if every wifi network I use to connect force me to reboot it to get the login pop-up. I will consider go back to windows, is much cheaper and I have more software options. I wonder how long will take to apple to send a feasible way to fix this issue, reboot is not a solution.

None of the solutions have worked for me. I don’t know why Apple calls them updates, between this and Music not working on my iPad after the “Update” I’m ready to jump ship. I often travel and am now in a hotel room and can’t get internet on my MacBook...which I need for work.

This sounds to me like there is something third-party (e.g., automatic VPN protection, some kind of third-party firewall, over-zealous AV) that is getting in the way. I’ve had issues with VPN in the past, and found that temporarily disabling it (until I get through the captive portal) solved it for me — and is a heck of a lot easier than rebooting into Safe Mode!

I will agree, the only way I've been able to get this to work is to connect to the public wifi (which technically connects but can't login because captive portal doesn't load), and then reboot. Upon reboot, as long as the computer reconnects immediately to the same public wifi, it will pop up with a captive portal. What the heck?!