Enterprise Wi-Fi (WPA2) won't reconnect on watchOS 5

I just had an interesting experience and wonder if someone else would try it out to see if it is repeatable.

Step 1: Flick up on the Watch screen to expose Control Center and tap on the cellular icon to turn cellular OFF.

Step 2: Go to Settings --> Wifi and NOW TRY entering your username and password for your enterprise network.

Did you get a trust certificate screen this time? I did and am now connected to my school's enterprise wifi network.

Blink luck? Or does disconnecting your Watch from cellular somehow "FORCE" it to connect to the enterprise network?

The problem appears to be solved...at least for me...at least for now!

To review, I did this:

Step 1: Flick up on the Watch screen to expose Control Center and tap on the cellular icon to turn cellular OFF.

Step 2: Go to Settings --> Wifi and enter your username and password for your enterprise network.

You should now get the trust certificate screen. Trust it. You should now be able to connect to your network...give it a few seconds. Perhaps removing the Watch from cellular somehow "FORCES" it to connect to the enterprise network.

A day later I returned to my campus and took a walk to a totally different building. At first, the Watch did not connect to our Enterprise Wifi. So the Watch connected to the internet via cellular. But, after a few stops and starts (couple seconds) the Watch DID connect to our Enterprise Wifi (I saw the name of our network appear on the Watch). I walked into the deeper recesses of the building and the Watch disconnected from Wifi and reconnected via cellular. I turned off cellular and this forced the wifi connection. After that, it appears the Watch "learned" the wifi better and stayed connected to wifi with confidence. I repeated the experiment later and this time the connection to wifi was quicker and with no disconnects back to cellular. I'll try it again tomorrow and see if the Watch is "remembering" what it is supposed to do. :-)

Update to my post copied below:

It is now Day 3 since successfully setting things up. I am still able to connect to our enterprise network. This morning, after first turning off my iPhone so that my Watch could not use it to connect to the internet, I went to a lab across campus. The Watch immediately connected to the school's enterprise wifi. Fingers remain crossed. I will not post again unless my Watch stops connecting successfully.

Step 1: Flick up on the Watch screen to expose Control Center and tap on the cellular icon to turn cellular OFF.

Step 2: Go to Settings --> Wifi and enter your username and password for your enterprise network.

You should now get the trust certificate screen. Trust it. You should now be able to connect to your network...give it a few seconds. Perhaps removing the Watch from cellular somehow "FORCES" it to connect to the enterprise network.

A day later I returned to my campus and took a walk to a totally different building. At first, the Watch did not connect to our Enterprise Wifi. So the Watch connected to the internet via cellular. But, after a few stops and starts (couple seconds) the Watch DID connect to our Enterprise Wifi (I saw the name of our network appear on the Watch). I walked into the deeper recesses of the building and the Watch disconnected from Wifi and reconnected via cellular. I turned off cellular and this forced the wifi connection. After that, it appears the Watch "learned" the wifi better and stayed connected to wifi with confidence. I repeated the experiment later and this time the connection to wifi was quicker and with no disconnects back to cellular. I'll try it again tomorrow and see if the Watch is "remembering" what it is supposed to do. :-)

I have the exact same issue when trying to connect to our office's WPA2 Enterprise encrypted WiFi, with the difference that I'm using Apple Watch series 3, so apparently it's not Series 4 specific problem. I have even tried with new watchOS 5.1 beta 3, but the issue persists.

First connection with the network works fine, I get to accept the certificate, and watch connects to WiFi in seconds. When I go out of WiFi range, or siwtch the floors, works also fine for the first couple of hours. Within one day, watch stops reconnecting automatically, giving only the "spinning wheel" in the settings. I have to forget the newtork, restart watch and connect again to it, then it works fine again, for the next couple of hours.

I have tried every troubleshooting step that you guys described here, even tried with 3 different iPhones, took watch to the store where they could not reproduce the error. Remote diagnostics with apple shows no (hardware) issues. A colleague has Series 2 watch with watchOS 5.0.1 and it works perfectly for him.

I have concatcted the local IT if maybe my watch's MAC address gets blacklisted after some time, but they have never experienced this issue. Looking at your problems at different networks, we can pinpoint the issue down to software issue on Watch Series 3 and 4.

Do we have any information if Apple is investigating this issue?

Update to my Update: Abandon Ship! This enterprise wifi functionality is a horror show. As I said below, I immediately connected to wifi at a lab at school far away from my building. Wonderful. But, when I returned to MY lab my Watch refused to connect to wifi. So, I'm running on cellular right now since I not only can't connect to our enterprise wifi, I can't sign back in as no Trust Certificate is being issued. For some reason, this situation reminds me of the Jack Handy quote, "If you lose your keys in a river of molten lava, let em' go, because man...they're gone."

Mr. Luigi, over and out.

Update to my post copied below:

It is now Day 3 since successfully setting things up. I am still able to connect to our enterprise network. This morning, after first turning off my iPhone so that my Watch could not use it to connect to the internet, I went to a lab across campus. The Watch immediately connected to the school's enterprise wifi. Fingers remain crossed. I will not post again unless my Watch stops connecting successfully.

Original Post:

Step 1: Flick up on the Watch screen to expose Control Center and tap on the cellular icon to turn cellular OFF.

Step 2: Go to Settings --> Wifi and enter your username and password for your enterprise network.

You should now get the trust certificate screen. Trust it. You should now be able to connect to your network...give it a few seconds. Perhaps removing the Watch from cellular somehow "FORCES" it to connect to the enterprise network.

A day later I returned to my campus and took a walk to a totally different building. At first, the Watch did not connect to our Enterprise Wifi. So the Watch connected to the internet via cellular. But, after a few stops and starts (couple seconds) the Watch DID connect to our Enterprise Wifi (I saw the name of our network appear on the Watch). I walked into the deeper recesses of the building and the Watch disconnected from Wifi and reconnected via cellular. I turned off cellular and this forced the wifi connection. After that, it appears the Watch "learned" the wifi better and stayed connected to wifi with confidence. I repeated the experiment later and this time the connection to wifi was quicker and with no disconnects back to cellular. I'll try it again tomorrow and see if the Watch is "remembering" what it is supposed to do. :-)

The issue is still present in my case, even with the watchOS 5.1 Developer beta 4 installed.

It was working for 2 days for me, today it has stopped working again. Interesting thing is that when I approach my phone (get back to the range), it doesn't even connect to the phone. I have to manually disable WiFI in watch's control center, then it recognizes the phone via bluetooth instantly.

It's clearly a software bug. Is there another channel where we could escalate this to Apple, since I am not sure they are even aware of this problem?

I used this text, feel free to use it. You can add the "not getting to accept the certificate" option if it's applicable in your case:

I have an issue when trying to connect to our office's WPA2 Enterprise encrypted WiFi, using Apple Watch series 3. I have even tried with new watchOS 5.1 beta 4, but the issue persists.

First connection with the network works fine, I get to accept/trust the certificate, and watch connects to WiFi in seconds. When I go out of WiFi range, or switch the building floors, works also fine for the first couple of hours. Within approximately one day, watch randomly stops reconnecting automatically, giving only the "spinning wheel" in the settings. I have to forget the network in the WiFi settings, restart watch and connect again to it, then it works fine again, until the issue repeats.

I have tried every troubleshooting step suggested by Apple support, even tried with 3 different iPhones, took watch to the store where they could not reproduce the error. Remote diagnostics with apple shows no (hardware) issues. A colleague has Series 2 watch with watchOS 5.0.1 and it works perfectly for him.

According to Apple user community, this is a common issue: Re: Enterprise Wi-Fi (WPA2) won't reconnect on watchOS 5

I also have this exact issue!

I specifically waited to buy the Apple Watch until it could handle WPA2 Enterprise and now when I have the Series 4 it won't connect to my Universitys WiFI (Eduroam).

The first time I connected my watch to it I entered my credentials, the watch asked if I wanted to accept the certificate and I was connected. Each time thereafter the watch won't connect to the network. It either just get stuck trying to connect (circle keep spinning without anything happening) or it wants med to input my credentials again but then I just get a messaged of "Incorrect password" even though I know it was correct.

So currently the watch cannot connect to the WPA2 Enterprise network at all and it cripples the watch very much.

I should add that connecting to my home wifi network is without a problem, works reliable every time.

To help everyone submit feedback to Apple about this problem with as little effort as possible, would someone be willing to share the description of the problem that they used when submitting their feedback? Then the rest of us can copy and paste and be on our way. Thanks.

The link to the feedback site, again, is Feedback - Apple Watch - Apple

Glad I found this discussion thread and realized I was not alone. Getting all the same symptoms others are facing (able to connect Wpa2 Enterprise for the 1st time and maybe 2nd time, but subsequent connection fails). It seems that the watch simply forgets the credentials after a while. I also submitted a feedback to Apple.

Very curious to see if Watch OS 5.1 will fix this issue. I will upgrade tonight and test it.

Sorry to necro an old thread but we are having this same type of issue and wanted to pick some brains. Are the WiFi system you're using Cisco with ISE as the backend? Cause we are moving over from Aruba with Clearpass to Cisco with ISE and having a ton of issues with Apple Watches joining cause the watch and ISE keep fighting.

I don't want to falsely get everyone high on good news, but it appears the enterprise wifi connectivity problem has been solved...at least where I teach. I just spent a half-hour roaming to several different buildings on campus and I was able to connect to wifi each time. When I returned to my lab, BOOM! connection established. In the past, when I would return to my lab, I could not reconnect. Anyone else experiencing this Holiday gift from Apple?