How to Connect a Cellphone to a Wi-Fi Network

How to connect and troubleshoot a Wi-Fi connection on iPhone, Android, and KaiOS

Written by Travis Boylls

Last Updated: July 29, 2024 Fact Checked

Do need to connect your cellphone to Wi-Fi? Are you trying to figure out why your phone won't connect to Wi-Fi? Luckily, connecting to Wi-Fi is really easy. To do so, make sure Wi-Fi is turned on, then select a network from the list and enter the Wi-Fi password. There are multiple ways to do this on both Android and iPhone. You can also connect to Wi-fi on KaiOS. This wikiHow article teaches you how to connect a cellphone to Wi-Fi and troubleshoot a cellphone that won't connect to Wi-Fi.

How to Turn on Wifi on Your Phone

Open your phone’s “Settings” app.
Click on “Network & Internet.”
Tap “Add Network.”
Type in your network’s information and password, if needed.
Click your network.
Tap “Save.”

Method 1

Method 1 of 6:

iPhone (Control Center)

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This displays the Control Center with multiple icons for quick access.^{[1]
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It has an icon with arching lines that resemble a fan. This expands the connection icons panel.

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3
Turn on Wi-Fi if needed. If the Wi-Fi icon is white with a black symbol, Wi-Fi is not turned on. Tap the Wi-Fi icon to turn it on.
- If the Wi-Fi icon is blue, it is already turned on.
This displays a list of Wi-Fi networks.
5
Tap the network name you want to connect to. You will either connect to the network, or you will be asked to enter a password.
- Password protected networks are indicated by a lock icon.
If you tapped a network that has a lock icon, type that network's password.
It's in the top-right corner. If the password is correct you will be connected to the network

Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

iPhone (Settings Menu)

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It has an icon that resembles two silver gears. You can find the Settings icon on your Home screen.
It's near the top of the Settings menu. It's next to a blue icon with arching lines in the shape of a fan.
3
Slide the "Wi-Fi" switch to the "ON" position
if needed. Your iPhone will scan for available networks.
- If the switch next to Wi-Fi is green and to the right, Wi-Fi is already turned on.
- You can swipe down on the screen to refresh the list of networks.
4
Tap a network name. If the network has public access and is not password protected, your phone will connect to the network immediately. If a password is required, you'll be prompted to enter it.
- Password-protected networks are indicated by a lock icon.
If you tapped a network that has a lock icon, type that network's password.
It's in the top-right corner. If the password is correct you will be connected to the network

Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

Android (Quick Access Menu)

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1
Swipe down from the top of the home screen. This pulls down the notification shade with your notifications and the Quick Access menu. The Quick Access icons are at the top.
- On some phones, you may need to tap the profile icon in the upper right to bring up the quick options.
It has an icon that resembles arching lines in the shape of a fan. This will bring up a list of available networks.
If the toggle switch next to "Wi-Fi" at the top is to the left and grey, Wi-Fi is not turned on. Tap the toggle switch to turn Wi-Fi on.
4
Tap a network. If the network has public access and is not password protected, your phone will connect to the network. If a password is required, you'll be asked to enter it.
- Password protected networks are indicated by a lock icon next to the Wi-Fi symbol.
- Tap Other Network to manually enter a network name (SSID) if the network is hidden or you do not see your network listed.
If you tapped a network that has a lock icon, type that network's password.
6
Tap Connect. It's usually at the bottom of the password entry box window. If the password is correct you will be connected to the network.
- If the password is incorrect you will receive an authentication error and will need to re-enter the password or try a different network.

Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

Android (Settings)

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It's the gear-shape icon in your Apps menu. You can also get there on most models by swiping down from the top of the home screen and tapping the gear at the top-right corner.
2
Select Connections or Network & internet. The option you see varies by model. You'll know you're in the right place if you see a "Wi-Fi" option in the menu.^{[2]
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- If you are having trouble finding the Wi-Fi settings, tap the magnifying glass icon at the top fo the Settings menu and use the search bar to search "Wi-Fi."
If the toggle switch next to "Wi-Fi" at the top is to the left and grey, Wi-Fi is not turned on. Tap the toggle switch to turn Wi-Fi on.
Your Android will begin scanning for networks to join.
5
Tap a network. If the network is not password-protected, your phone will connect to it immediately. If a password is required, you'll have to enter it.
- Password-protected networks are indicated by a lock icon next to the Wi-Fi icon.
- Tap the menu in the upper right and tap Add Network to manually enter a network name (SSID) if the network is hidden or you do not see it listed.
If you tapped a network that has a lock icon, type that network's password.
It's in the top-right corner. If the password is correct you will be connected to the network.

Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

KaiOS

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It has an icon that resembles a gear. Tap the Settings icon to open the Settings menu.
It's one of the options in the Settings menu.
Your phone will begin to scan for nearby Wi-Fi networks to join.
If the Wi-Fi network is not password-protected, your phone will connect to it immediately. If a password is required, you'll have to enter it.
5
Enter the Wi-Fi network password if prompted. Once the password is accepted, you will be connected to the network. A wireless network symbol (which looks like a cone made of several curved lines
) will appear at the top of the screen as long as the connection is successful.
- To test your wireless connection, open your browser and try visiting a website.

Method 6

Method 6 of 6:

Troubleshooting

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One of the first things you can try if your phone won't connect to Wi-Fi is to power your phone off and then turn it back on. Then see if it's able to connect.
If you do not see any available networks, then you may not be within range of any. Relocate to another area that has Wi-Fi and try again.
If you are near your router and unable to connect to Wi-Fi, try unplugging your router for about 20 seconds and then plug it back in. Give it a couple of minutes to boot up. Then try connecting again.
If your cell phone is not able to connect to a particular Wi-Fi network, see if any other devices are able to connect to it (i.e., laptops, game consoles, other cell phones). If no other device is able to connect to the network, it may be down. Contact your internet service provider to see if there's an outage or if anything needs to be repaired.
5
Forget your Wi-Fi network and reconnect to it. If your phone still isn't able to connect to Wi-Fi, you can forget your Wi-fi network on your phone and then use one of the above methods to reconnect to your Wi-Fi network. Use one of the following steps to forget your Wi-Fi network:^{[3]
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- iPhone: Tap the info button (“i” in a circle) next to a network in the Settings menu. Then select Forget this network.
- Android: Tap and hold a network in the Settings menu and select Forget network.
6
Reset your network settings. If all else fails, you can try to reset your network settings on your cell phone. This will not delete your apps, photos, videos, or data. However, you will need to reconnect to your Wi-Fi network using one of the steps above. Use one of the following steps to reset your network settings:
- iPhone: Open the Settings menu and tap General. Tap Reset at the bottom of the menu. Then tap Reset Network Settings. Enter your passcode and then tap Reset Network Settings again.
- Android: Open the Settings menu and tap General Management. Scroll down and tap Reset. Tap Reset Network Settings. Tap Reset Settings. Then enter your password and tap Continue.
If you've tried everything and your phone is still not able to connect to Wi-Fi, there may be something wrong with your phone. Contact your cellular service provider or the retailer you bought your phone from. Check if your phone is under warranty. It may need to be replaced.

Community Q&A

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Question

When I try to connect my Android cell phone to my home WiFi and enter the password, a message comes up saying "authentication error occurred". I have been able to set up cell phones to this network before, but not this time. Any advice?

Community Answer

Forget the network, restart the phone, and retry. That's the best and most simple thing to try. You can also unplug your router and modem for 30 seconds.

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Question

What do I do if I forgot my WiFi password on my cell phone?

Community Answer

You'll either have to ask someone else for it or change the password on the router.

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Question

I turned on my WiFi but it is not showing any devices. What do I do?

Community Answer

You can try the advanced Wi-Fi option on your Android phone. This will do just fine, that is if you're in a proximity of your router. Then, you can either enter a random PIN provided by your phone to connect your phone to your router, or you can select another option and activate a VPS on your router. Usually, it takes up to 2 minutes for your router to accept both of these new inputs and to establish a safe connection to your phone.

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