WiFi in iOS 11 keeps turning on

So let's see what a burdensome task it is.

Old way: Swipe up to reveal control center. Tap Wi-Fi icon (two actions)

New way: Tap Settings. Tap Wi-Fi (two actions)

Alternative new way: Say "Hey Siri turn off Wi-Fi" (no actions)

With the New way you have a very valuable new feature: Disconnect from your current network, but leave Wi-Fi on. This is actually useful. Turning off Wi-Fi is not useful, and in most cases a stupid thing to do. I never turned it off in 10 years of iPhone ownership, unless I wanted to disconnect from the current network. Then I would have to remember to turn it back on later. In a couple of instances forgetting to turn it back on cost me big $, as I was inadvertently using cellular data and going over my allowance.

Except as has been stated many, many times here:

1. You are turning off the wrong radios. WiFi and Bluetooth use an insignificant amount of power when not connected. You should be turning off the cellular radio.

2. Apple did not take away your ability to turn off WiFi and Bluetooth. In fact you have 3 ways to do so.

At 5 AM it will NOT TURN ON IF YOU TURN IT OFF!

TAP SETTINGS - TAP WIFI - TAP OFF

Wat is so hard about understanding that?

Yes, it is different from the way you may have turned it off in previous versions, but surely someone smart enough to use a smartphone should be able to learn it in about 10 Seconds.

If that somehow is much too much effort:

HEY SIRI, TURN OFF WI-FI

shytsoftware wrote:

This is the worst "feature" Apple has released since putting terrible music on my phone without my explicit permission. It really makes the phone almost unusable for people who like to manage battery efficiently. The user experience is maddening! Between the auto-enabled antennas and the buggy updates, Apple is developing a much more indefensible reputation as a shipper of terrible software. The Google Pixel 2 is looking very nice right about now...

WHAT are you going on about? Apple ADDED a very useful feature, and repurposed two buttons that were already redundant, as they were each one of 4 ways of turning off Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. There are still 3 ways left to turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

And there's not any valid reason to turn them off, anyway, but if you must:

• Settings/Wi-Fi -> OFF
• "Hey Siri, turn off Wi-Fi"
• Hold the HOME button and say "Turn off Wi-Fi"

If you use any of these 3 the function will work exactly the way they always have.

Turning off Wi-Fi does NOT save battery. It really doesn't. In some cases it can even increase battery consumption if there is a known network nearby, because a Wi-Fi connection always uses less energy than a cellular connection by as much as a factor of 10 depending on cellular signal strength. Other reasons:

• When the phone is locked Wi-Fi is off anyway, so turning it off is redundant.
• When the phone is in use with Wi-Fi on but with no Wi-Fi connection it uses so little energy you won't be able to see a difference. Every 15 seconds it listens to see if there is another Wi-Fi network. This is a receive only function, and uses only a few milliwatts, and only for less than a second every 15 second.
• Location Services are much more accurate with Wi-Fi on.
• Wi-Fi must be on for these other services to work:
  • AirDrop
  • AirPlay
  • Apple Pencil (iPad Pro only)
  • Apple Watch
  • Continuity features, like Handoff and Instant Hotspot

There is essentially no valid reason to turn off Wi-Fi EXCEPT to disconnect from a local network. Now you can do that from the control center and still leave Wi-Fi on.

Again you are misinformed. If you turn off Wifi and Bluetooth in settings they are off, giving you total control. There is absolutely no design flaw. They simply changed how one turns the radios off and in return gave many of us the ability to quickly disconnect from a network or device. They've given you and everyone else in essence more control than you had previously. I simply don't get why this simple change is so hard for many of you to grasp.

There are alot of people that have not realized this change with wifi turning back on automatically and drains battery.

Leaving wifi on does not drain battery. Let me say that again. Does.not.drain.the.battery.

In fact, turning wifi off and on each day likely drains your battery more than just leaving it on. Same for Bluetooth.

And if you read the prompt provided when you toggle wifi off using the Control Centre, you can clearly see you are not turning it off. You are disconnecting from the current connected network and tells you it will reconnect tomorrow.

Apple even explains why they do this.

Adriantz wrote:

Let`s make it easy for you to understand.

Why does the wireless module does not turn off completly from the quick access bar the same as mobile data?

Because people have been asking, for a long time, for a way to disconnect from a network (or BT device) without turning off WiFi (or BT). As that is something more people would need to do than turn WiFi off completely, it was given the shortcut. And, it really is working the same as the Mobile Data shortcut. You're turning off Mobile data without disconnecting from the cellular network.

But all this has been explained, ad nauseum, in this thread already.

Because sometimes I'll get connected to a wi-fi network that I don't want to be connected to. The control panel offers me a way to quickly disconnect from the network... whether it's a public network or the network at the office. I don't want my wi-fi off, I just don't want to be connected to those particular networks at that time.

disconnecting through the control panel, I don't have to remember to go back and turn it on when I return to a known, or wanted network.

If i want wi-fi off, I go into settings. ...Which I never do, no real reason to turn it off.

It really is not that difficult. Figure it out.

magnixx wrote:

Wow, how much are you gettin payed for stating that obviously false claim?

Me? I'm not paid anything. How much are YOU getting paid by ambulance-chasing lawyers for post such a false claim as you have?

If you truly believe that microwave radiation is dangerous throw away your mobile phone immediately and move to a cabin in the woods, out of range of cellular signals. A simple cell phone emits 20 times more radiation than Wi-Fi.

And, you are (deliberately) ignoring the fact that Apple has NOT removed the ability to turn off Wi-Fi, they have just removed one of the FIVE ways that you had. Now you have only FOUR ways to turn off Wi-Fi:

• "Hey Siri, turn off Wi-Fi"
• Hold the HOME button - "Turn off Wi-Fi"
• Tap Settings/Wi-Fi - OFF
• Hold your finger on the Settings icon and tap Wi-Fi on the floating menu.

It was updated almost a year ago, it’s gotten a lot of press, and the first time you use it you get a pop up dialog that explains it. Plus the help article in the Apple Recommended post at the top of this page. It’s pretty hard to not be aware of the featur by now.

What 2 taps are you concerned with? How about “hey Siri, turn off Wi-Fi”? Is two taps that much harder than swipe up, then tap, then swipe down?

Another reason the change makes sense is there is almost never a reason to turn off Wi-Fi, other than to disconnect from the current network. Then you have to remember to turn it back on. The control center button does it in one step, disconnecting but leaving W-Fi on.

1. It is in no way a privacy issue. It just isn't. If you are interested in why it is not a privacy issue you can research it, or post back and I will explain why it is not.

2. Wi-Fi will not turn on if you turn it off. Go to Settings/Wi-Fi and turn it off and it will stay off. Or "Hey Siri, turn off Wi-Fi". Or hold the HOME button "Turn off Wi-Fi". Or hold your finger on the Settings icon and tap Wi-Fi on the floating menu that appears.

HOWEVER, the button in the control center does not turn it off, it just disconnects from the current network and leaves Wi-Fi on. This is a valuable feature, because most of the time people turn Wi-Fi off to disconnect from the current network, then have to remember to turn it back on. It will still connect to other networks, and even the same network if you go to a location out of range, then return. There are benefits to leaving Wi-Fi on:

• If you come in range of a known network it will connect, and thus save cellular data
• It will greatly improve the accuracy of GPS and navigation apps
• Wi-Fi is essential for any home automation devices (probably why Apple made this change)
• Wi-Fi is essential to take full advantage of an Apple watch
• Contrary to myth, Wi-Fi does not use battery when it is not connected to a network, and it always uses less than cellular data when it is connected to a network.

Here's more information: Use Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in Control Center with iOS 11 - Apple Support

BTW, this feature was added a year ago. I'm surprised you aren't familiar with it.

You have to go into Settings to turn off Location Services. When you are in Settings, turn off Wi-FI and Bluetooth as well.

I figure this feature is useful for people using wifi all the time and switching from one wifi network to another. But for people who need to switch between mobile data and wifi need the wifi setting off. This is equally significant and needs a shortcut in the control center and shouldn't require going to settings to switch off the wifi.

Now, Apple can accommodate both the setting using the same control icon(say a long press or a double tap for switching off the wifi), because it is really annoying to get wifi suggestions when using mobile data.

For several years the control panel has operated one way. It was a shortcut to turn off wifi. People insisting that leaving additional radios on doesnt cost power are not being genuine. Clearly leaving wifi on shortens battery life. Same with blutooth. There *is* a cost. It doesnt take zero power and actually the power use is quite dynamic. It can be considerable power use. Apple changing this has clearly caused problems. Problems for many paying customers who have come to expect operation of the device in a certain way. Apple can fix it by making the wifi disconnect with a tap or turn off by pressing and holding. That’s a real solution, why not implement it? Customers want the ability to disable wifi and bluetooth. Period. That Apple changed this behavior is frankly sorta shady.

Im honestly shocked that Apple believes the use case for disconnect is greater than turn off. It’s almost laughable to me because of the security and power concerns. It’s a security concern because people believe the wifi is off, when it is not. Which means it’s sending probing and ranging signals (EM radiation) when I don’t believe it is. That is a security concern. Period. Your customers want it fixed.