Whether you’re a new iPhone user setting up your phone for the first time, or you need to connect to a new network, knowing how to find an connect to a specific Wi-Fi network is an essential step. Wi-Fi allows users to connect to the internet via a router or network without using cellular data.
Upon entering the Wi-Fi window, you’ll first find a toggle you can use to turn your device’s Wi-Fi capability on or off. While turning this capability off can save power constantly required to check for available Wi-Fi networks you may want to connect to, the amount of energy saved is relatively small. If you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network, you will find it listed right after the on/off toggle. Along with its name, you’ll also find a report of the number of signal bars available, giving you an indication of the speed and reliability of the connection. Three bars are as good as it gets. Less than three bars either means the connection source is far away or obstructed, perhaps by walls or floors. You’ll also be told whether networks are secured or unsecured. Secure networks require a password and other credentials to be allowed to use them. My own network is protected by a password that prevents any of my neighbours from making use of it without my permission. Should we have friends over to visit, I can tell them the required password if they want it.
Moving past this network, you’ll find a More Info button. As its name implies, tapping it will take you into an area with additional information about that particular network. Most of this information will be unnecessary for the majority of users. It includes things like the IP address, subnet mask, and other items. However, you’ll also find an Auto-Join option that you can toggle on or off. This tells your iPhone whether to simply automatically join this network whenever you’re in range. I have this enabled for my home network. You will also find an option to release and renew your connection, which may help when you’re experiencing connectivity issues.
Next, you’ll find a heading called Networks. Past that point, you’ll find a list of any networks detected by your iPhone. Tap on a network’s name if you want to “join”, or in other words, connect with it. You will then either simply be allowed to connect if it is an unsecured network, or prompted for the required password or other credentials if it’s a secure network. After entering any needed information, simply double tap the Join button, and you should be connected provided no mistakes were made. If the attempt was unsuccessful, you will eventually be told this. However, you won’t necessarily be notified if the attempt succeeds. You will simply be connected and able to use the network.
At the far end of the Wi-Fi settings past all the networks, you’ll find a few more items, one of which is a toggle that determines whether your device will automatically join known networks that you have previously connected to when possible. If no known networks are detected, you will be asked if you want to join any unknown networks detected in your area. Another toggle determines whether your device searches for and joins personal hotspots if no Wi-Fi networks are detected.
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