Note: If you are facing similar issues on Android or desktop where the device is connected to Wi-Fi but there is no internet, we have covered them separately.

1. Reboot iPhone and Power Cycle Router

Simply reboot your iPhone once using the power button to check if internet works when it reconnects to the Wi-Fi network. If not, try to power cycle the router. What that means is to turn off the router and modem, wait for 30 seconds, and turn them back on. There is no power or switch on/off button in routers so you have to cut the electricity. Also, remove the cables.

2. Check If Router Is Connected to Internet

Your iPhone is connected to the router but the router is not connected to the internet, for one reason or another. One way to find out is by checking another smartphone or device to see if Wi-Fi is working on that. If none of the connected devices can access internet, then either there is no internet (ISP is down) or something wrong with the router. Also, most routers have LEDs where if the router is not connected to the internet, the light would turn orange or red. Check the router user manual or search Google for router name/model to know what different LED indicators mean. Maybe the broadband cable is broken or damaged due to wear and tear, rainfall, or some other reason. Your ISP may have disabled the internet due to the monthly limit being reached, maintenance, etc. Some websites are blocked by the ISP or where you are working/studying. Common examples include torrent and adult sites. Finally, each router has a ranger beyond which your iPhone, even though it is connected to the Wi-Fi network, won’t work as the internet is not available. Walk closer to the Wi-Fi network. Obstructions like walls also affect Wi-Fi signal strength.

3. Is Wi-Fi Network Visible in Settings

The name of every Wi-Fi network in your vicinity or area is listed under Settings > Wi-Fi. You should see a blue tick before the Wi-Fi network your iPhone is connected to. If your Wi-Fi network is listed under the Networks section, tap to reconnect. You may be asked to enter the password. Do it and check if your iPhone is still connected to Wi-Fi but there is no internet.

4. Captive Portals

Skip this step if you are trying to connect to a home Wi-Fi network. For offices, airports, or public places, you may be faced with a special portal called Captive Portals. Once you connect to such Wi-Fi networks, they will show a sign-in page where you need to enter your email id or watch an ad or finish a task. There is one additional step that you need to complete after you enter the correct Wi-Fi password. To verify, disconnect and reconnect once more. Enter the login details and finish the task. You can’t use Wi-Fi and may even see Wi-Fi connected but no internet message on your iPhone unless you complete the task. Essentially, they are capturing your data or extracting some form of value for offering free Wi-Fi. Hence the name Captive Portals. A common reason why your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi but there is no internet. Because there is a second step involved.

5. Enable and Disable Airplane Mode

A quick and easy way fix for when iPhone is connected to the Wi-Fi network but there is no internet. Open the Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen and tap on the Airplane icon to enable it (turns orange). Wait a few seconds and then tap again to turn it off (turns grey).

6. Forget Network and Reconnect

The Wi-Fi network may not be working correctly because it is not connected properly. A simple fix exists.

  1. Open Settings and tap on Wi-Fi. Tap on the (i) icon next to your connected Wi-Fi network name.
  2. Tap on Forget This Network. You may be asked to confirm. Wait a few seconds and then select the Wi-Fi network and sign back in. Note: Doing so will not only disconnect your iPhone from the Wi-Fi network, but also delete the password. You will have to re-enter the Wi-Fi password manually. Make sure you know it beforehand.

7. Enable Location Services for Networking & Wireless

You can control GPS or location services for individual apps and services on your iPhone. One of them is Wi-Fi Networking. Check if it is enabled. If not, do it. If yes, disable and enable it again to troubleshoot.

  1. Open Settings and go to Privacy & Security and select Location Services.
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the screen to select System Services and enable Networking & Wireless option. If already enabled, disable it once and then re-enable it. Now check if iPhone is connected to the Wi-Fi network and internet is working.

8. Disable Wi-Fi Assist

Wi-Fi Assist basically forces your iPhone to use mobile data when there is a poor Wi-Fi connection and say, a web page is not loading due to Wi-Fi ‘Connected but no internet’ error on iPhone. We want iPhone to use a Wi-Fi network so let’s try disabling it which is usually enabled by default.

  1. Open Settings and go to Mobile or Cellular. Now scroll to the bottom of the screen and disable Wi-Fi Assist.

9. Switch to 5G/2.4G Band

Have you jumped ships and joined the 5G bandwagon? If your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi but there is no internet, maybe because there is a poor 5G network where you at. It is also possible that there is some 5G network error. Either way, you can switch to 2.4 GHz frequency and use that to surf the internet. You will find 2.4G and 5G Wi-Fi networks under Settings > Wi-Fi. Tap and enter the password to connect. Password for both the networks are same so no worries. You can connect to either Wi-Fi network and internet should work.

10. VPN and Proxy

While VPN is essential these days to protect your identity and data, it can lead to unexpected Wi-Fi network errors. Several Reddit users found that resetting the VPN network or simply turning it off and on fixed the Wi-Fi connected but no internet issue on iPhone. The same goes for proxy too. If you are using one, try disabling it.

11. Disable Private Address

Apple is known to take its users’ privacy seriously. One of the many tricks that they employ is using a private address called MAC Address for every Wi-Fi network that you connect your iPhone with. Apple uses MAC (Media Access Control) addresses so operators and observers don’t get access to everything you are doing. This is good but may lead to unwarranted consequences. Try disabling it once but do re-enable it later when Wi-Fi is working again.

  1. Open Settings and go to Wi-Fi. Tap on the (i) button next to the Wi-Fi network name.
  2. Disable Private Wi-Fi Address here. On the pop-up that follows, tap on Rejoin. Note: You will have to rejoin the network once MAC is disabled and that may require you to enter the password. Make sure you remember it. Also Read: 12 Best Fixes for Wi-Fi Keeps Disconnecting on iPhone

12. Renew DHCP Lease

If the Wi-Fi network your iPhone is connected to is facing network conflicts with other devices in the area, that could lead to Connected but No Internet error. In this case, you can renew DHCP license. iPhone makes it easy to do so.

  1. Open Settings and go to Wi-Fi and tap on the (i) icon next to your Wi-Fi network name.
  2. In the screen, scroll a little and you should find DHCP tab under IP Address section. Tap on Renew Lease below and follow the on-screen instructions. Note: Whether or not you can renew the lease remotely and directly via iPhone depends on your location and ISP settings. For example, I don’t have this setting on my iPhone.

13. Enter Google DNS

There is no rulebook that says you have to use the IP address issued and assigned by your network provider. You can use Google DNS too and it works really well. Do try.

  1. Open Settings > Wi-Fi and tap the (i) icon again.
  2. Tap on Configure DNS. Tap on Manual on the next screen and enter the below values. You need to change one server before you can add another. In the end, there should be only two servers visible as you see in the above screenshot. Tap on the red minus icon to delete any other.

14. Reset Network Settings

We don’t usually recommend this setting unless there is no other way to fix iPhone connected to Wi-Fi with no internet connection. That’s because resetting network settings will delete all saved Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth devices, etc. That means you need to reconnect with all Wi-Fi networks by entering passwords and pairing them with all your Bluetooth devices again. You have been warned.

  1. Open Settings and go to General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  2. Tap on Reset and select Reset Network Settings from the menu that slides open from the bottom.

iPhone Connected to Wi-Fi But No Internet

You may switch to mobile data in order to finish that important task, but fixing Wi-Fi is important. Did you know you can prioritize devices on Wi-Fi network so important devices like your work computer receive more priority and bandwidth than your kids’ gaming laptop? Yup.