iPhone doesn't stay connected to WiFi

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Level 1

17 points

iPhone doesn't stay connected to WiFi

For some reason I need to manually reconnect my phone to WiFi whenever I wake it from sleep. This is really annoying as it means I miss out on a lot of notifications. This only started happening after the last software update, I think it was 14.3.

iPhone SE, iOS 14

Posted on Jan 6, 2021 6:05 AM

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Answer 1

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beep360 Author

Level 1

17 points

Jan 8, 2021 2:05 PM in response to Eric--F

I've tried all of the recommended steps and no improvement. Even when I have the phone awake, the phone doesn't automatically join the WiFi network without me manually clicking on it. No other device is affected by this problem.

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Answer 2

Eric--F

Community Specialist

Jan 8, 2021 11:21 AM in response to beep360

Hi there beep360,

We understand the importance of keeping your iPhone connected to Wi-Fi to receive notifications. We'll be glad to help you.

Please try the steps below. Test the Wi-Fi connection after each step.

Disable Bluetooth under Settings.
Disable LTE in Settings > Cellular.
Try resetting the network settings. Tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. This also resets Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and VPN and APN settings that you’ve used before. Make sure you have your Wi-Fi network password handy before completing this step. Once this completes, test to see if the issues are resolved.
Restart all your Wi-Fi networking equipment including the router, and modem.
Make sure there isn't any interference: Resolve Wi-Fi and Bluetooth issues caused by wireless interference

We hope these steps are helpful. Take care.

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Answer 3

beep360 Author

Level 1

17 points

Jan 8, 2021 2:26 PM in response to beep360

I resolved the problem. The WiFi network I was connecting to has MAC address filtering turned on. iOS 14 added the private (MAC) address feature. Somehow the phone was still allowed to connect when I manually connected to WiFi in settings (maybe it was passing the real address after the private one failed?), but in sleep or when auto connecting, it would not.

I deleted my iPhone's real MAC address and added the private one to the MAC address filtering, and now everything works properly.

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Answer 4

jdo_apple

Community Specialist

Jan 8, 2021 7:29 PM in response to beep360

Hello,

We appreciate you taking the time to complete those steps.

Since this concern isn't resolved, contact Apple Support for further assistance: Get Support

Best regards.

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iPhone doesn't stay connected to WiFi

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