Some apps say no internet connection

some apps are saying no internet connection and won’t work but others work and im connected to internet. ive restarted phone, reset all settings including network settings and updated to latest softwware and tried wifi and certain apps work. Why does this happen, it does not open with cellular data, it works with WiFi

Also deleted the apps and reloaded and still no good can someone please help iPhone 12 pro max

I am having issues connecting to different apps. Doesn’t matter is I’m connected to WiFi. Reset my network settings. Ensured No VPN connection. Tried restarting. Turning airplane mode off and on. Nothing is helping. Yet I’m able to access this forum through the browser. But my apps say no internet connection. iPhone 11 Pro. Phone system updated. Yet I’m getting notifications for the apps.

iPhone 11

Things work on cellular but not Wifi- it's my personal network. It's also my personal phone.

It just started earlier today. I hadn't made any changes to the phone settings or downloaded anything new. I've reset network settings (no change), reset all settings (no change). When I turn off wifi things work on cellular, but when I turn the wifi back on everything causes problems again. My wifi is working fine on all of my computers.

I don't have any add on security or malware apps.

I’m having the same issue, both with WiFi and cell service. Certain applications say I have no internet connection. Started with iOS 14.5 upgrade. Only with a minority of apps, some that worked before stopped working and some new installations give internet access error messages. Tried resetting networks, uninstalling and reinstalling apps, no luck.

My iPhone 8 says it is connected to the internet but the apps say it is not. This has only happened recently. Tried switching off and on again but no better. Apps working on iPad. Any suggestions?

It should absolutely not be the VPN. This use to happen to me on my Brand new XR while never having a VPN, I was never able to use Snapchat on that device and other apps would go in and out I’d be lucky if the apps worked and I gave up trying to figure it out. I now have a new 12 pro. Same exact problems before my VPN and now with my VPN. It’s been such a hassle. Lucky I haven’t had a permanent problem with an app like I did with the XR but apps will suddenly stop working and say “no internet connection” and will eventually start working again. I have tried EVERYTHING Apple has recommended. It has to do with the updates Apple provides corrupting the apps and I cannot believe Apple hasn’t been able to figure out or prevent this from happening and since I didn’t get Apple care like a dummy I am screwed for their mistakes in the coding of their updates.

I have the same problem- started suddenly with no trigger. I can’t connect to what’s app or Facebook messenger on wifi or mobile data. I get a constant error message saying what’s app is connecting; on FBM messages just don’t send.

Safari, App Store, other apps work. I don’t have a VPN or any unknown apps. Have tried restoring network settings, rebooting the iPhone (11 pro) and updating the apps and iOS.

Any other ideas? Thanks!

I'm so happy that this is happening to others! This just started happening to me, only with two apps (my weather app and my bank app, annoyingly). I get the message that I need to "check my internet connection" or "cannot connect to the server", even though I have no trouble getting on those sites on my computer using the same wifi. I've done everything...updated my phone, removed and reinstalled those apps, restarted my phone, checked to see about the VPN situation (I don't have any and cannot find where to delete "hidden" ones that a few of you seem to have found that was causing the problem), etc. I get this message using data and wifi, and have tried it in two different states/homes, so I know it's absolutely not my connection. I have an iPhone 8 Plus iOS version 14.6. Thanks for any help you guys can give...I use these two apps a lot and am getting seriously frustrated!

I have the same issue and i was frustrated after trying every solution mentioned above, even i don't have VPN.

What really worked with me is setting time and date to automatic.

I wanted to screen record an app on my iphone for a tutorial with time and date set to manual with old date, then i forget to set it back to auto, then there it goes. Spent few days trying every possible solution without result.Twitter wasn't loading, google maps and some other important apps. I even thought of bying a new device but once i remmemberd that it was set on an old date and changed it (Viola) everything back to normal.

sandhopper58 wrote:

Who knew. Even without the VPN app fully downloaded it caused this network connection issue AND it prevented me from downloading certain other apps. Not only that it stopped my ability to live stream my outdoor Blink camera system which their support staff could not figure out. Fully deleted app and now everything is good.

VPN frequently creates more problems than it solves. But one important fact is that when you install VPN it configures itself to the specific hardware, iOS version and network that the phone uses. If any of those change it can break the VPN. So any time you change any of these you may need to delete the VPN app and profile, restart your phone then add them back (if you still want to use VPN) so it can configure itself to the new environment.

Here's Apple's advice on VPN→

Check VPN (Virtual Private Network) and third-party software to help resolve network connectivity issues - Apple Support

Something to think about→Don't use VPN - GITHUB

There are two legitimate purposes for using VPN:

• To allow access to a private network such as a school or business when you are not on site. 
• To allow access outside of a country with a repressive government that has restricted Internet access. (This has suddenly become more important)

Any other use is risky, and can lead to problems like the one discussed in this thread. VPN disguises your location by making you appear to be somewhere else in the world. But you usually can’t control that “somewhere else”, and if it is in a location that an app isn’t approved for the app won’t work. Plus the fact that the provider of the VPN knows everything about you and your location, as well as what sites you access through the VPN. So you are totally dependent on the VPN provider’s honesty. As a start, if the VPN is free, DON’T USE IT. The provider has to make money somehow, and if you aren’t paying them then they are selling your private data to make money. But even those that charge can’t necessarily be trusted. For example, a few years ago Avast was caught selling user browsing data. They claim they have stopped doing so. 

You don’t really need VPN when using public Wi-Fi, because all communications between your device and the servers it accesses are end-to-end encrypted.

If you want VPN for privacy about the sites you visit, that’s not a good choice as discussed; instead you should download and use the TOR browser.

The other use for VPN is to “steal” content that is not available in your area. I leave this question to your personal ethics.

With iOS 15.2 and later for iOS/iPadOS and MacOS Monterey 12.2 and later Apple now has iCloud+ Private Relay, which is not VPN, but provides a safer browsing environment than VPN, and it doesn't spy on you→About iCloud Private Relay - Apple Support

Understood. So, why am I having the issue with using apps while using cell data? I have turned data on and off, cellular roaming is on, airplane mode toggled on and back off. rebooted phone. I'm using an iPhone 12, most up to date iOS,

I currently have app tracking off. Could this be the issue? Everything works flawlessly on my home WiFi. No time to make an appointment with a "Genius" at my local Apple Store.

Deleting the VPN from my iPad and iPhone did fix the problems with wifi and apps, but doing that will cause quite a problem when I go to a public place and NEED to use a VPN! I won't want to download it from a public internet!

Something to think about→Don't use VPN services. · GitHub

The intended purpose of VPN is to allow access to a private network such as a school or business when you are not on site. Any other use is risky, and can lead to problems like the one discussed in this thread. VPN disguises your location by making you appear to be somewhere else in the world. But you can’t control that “somewhere else”, and if it is in a location that an app isn’t approved for the app won’t work. Plus the fact that the provider of the VPN knows everything about you and your location, as well as what sites you access through the VPN. So you are totally dependent on the VPN provider’s honesty. As a start, if the VPN is free, DON’T USE IT. The provider has to make money somehow, and if you aren’t paying them then they are selling you to make money. But even those that charge can’t necessarily be trusted.

elwood290 wrote:

Yes it was my VPN as well. Thanks so much for posting. I worked and worked to get on Zelle. Fianlly. It's seems crazy VPN is supposed to keep hackers out not me and my apps.

Here is a basic explanation of VPN:

VPN does not keep hackers out. The iPhone itself keeps hackers out. VPN disguises your actual location and encrypts your communications. VPN routes your communications to a distant location that could be anywhere in the world, so if you use VPN the banking app will get a false location for your phone, and it will assume that it is a hacker (possibly in another country) trying to impersonate you.

VPN also encrypts your communications, but the iPhone encrypts all communications, so VPN is redundant for that feature.

There are only two legitimate uses of VPN:

1. VPN to a corporate “inside” network lets you access data and resources on your company’s network when you are out of the office.
2. If you are in a country with a repressive government it allows you to access Internet resources outside of your country that might be blocked by the government.

Those are the ONLY two valid reasons to use VPN; well, except perhaps for accessing p o r n anonymously, and the TOR browser is better for that.

Using VPN actually increases privacy risks, because the VPN provider knows everything you access over their VPN. Do you trust them? If you are not paying to use VPN then you should definitely not trust them; they need to stay in business somehow, and they do so by selling your metadata. But even paid VPN can spy on you, and some do. Avast, for example, was caught spying on their users a couple of years ago (see→Avast is spyware).

Here’s additional information on VPN→Don't use VPN services. · GitHub