Wi-Fi disconnecting

DaveU77 wrote:

My iPhone 14 pro max keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi anytime it’s locked for more than 2 minutes. The Wi-Fi comes back on when I unlock the phone and I’ve tried everything I have seen on the internet. The only thing that seems to work temporarily is when I reset network settings and it work perfectly but only temporarily. I have to keep resetting network settings anytime the problem resurfaces. What should I do?

[R_Gabriel, please note]

All iPhones from the beginning of iPhone time 16 years ago disconnect from Wi-Fi 30 seconds after the phone screen locks, to preserve battery energy, unless the phone is connected to power. This is done because a Wi-Fi connection uses power continuously, whether data are transferring or not. Cellular connections use more energy, but only when actually sending data. There are a few exceptions:

• If you are streaming audio or video Wi-Fi will stay on
• If you receive a notification Wi-Fi will reconnect for a few seconds to process the notification
• And, I think (but I’m not sure) if an app uses Background App Refresh it can wake and use Wi-Fi; however very few apps actually use Background App Refresh.

Hey there and welcome to Apple Support Communities DaveU77,

We can certainly understand your concern and are here to help.

We would like to ask you a couple of questions in order to get a better understanding. First, what exact version of iOS are you currently using? We ask as the menus and options can change slightly between versions of iOS, and we want to make sure we provide the most accurate steps. You can locate this by going to Settings > General > About. Also, is Auto-Join enabled for Wi-Fi ? Second, do you have any VPN's or 3rd party security software installed? Finally, is the device in low power mode when this happens?

While you gather that information, we would like you to check out this link on troubleshooting Wi-Fi issues to see if that helps: If your iPhone or iPad won't connect to a Wi-Fi network - Apple Support

We thank you for your answers, they will help guide us to the next troubleshooting step.

Kindest regards!

Connect it to power.

Hi DaveU77,

If you would like to speak with an Apple advisor about the issues you are having with the Wi-Fi disconnecting on your iPhone, click the link below and call the phone number for your region (or the closest one to it) when you have the time.

Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support

Take care.