With the iPad, Apple has set the bar for customer satisfacion for tablets, but that doesn’t mean you won’t encounter any issues. One of the common issues people face with their iPad, iPad Pro or iPad mini are Wi-Fi connection problems.
The issues being reported include not being able to connect to a Wi-Fi network, getting an incorrect password prompt, Wi-Fi settings grayed out, Wi-Fi connection dropping intermittently or speeds being extremely slow.
In most cases, these iPad Wi-Fi connection problems can be resolved using some simple troubleshooting tips which we will explain below. The troubleshooting guide is applicable for all iPad models such as:
- 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2nd generation
- 12.9-inch iPad Pro 1st generation
- 10.5-inch iPad Pro
- 9.7-inch iPad Pro
- iPad 6th generation (iPad 6)
- iPad 5th generation (iPad 5)
- iPad Air 2
- iPad Air
- iPad mini 4
- iPad mini 3
- iPad mini 2
How to Fix iPad Wifi Connection Problems
Here are 10 tips to fix the Wifi connection problems on your iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air or iPad mini:
#1. Update to the latest iOS Software update
If you haven’t done so already, update your iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air or iPad mini to the latest iOS software update. We’ve heard that in some cases upgrading to the latest software update has fixed the issue. If you need help, check our step-by-step guide:
#2. Hard Reset or Force Restart
Like all tech problems, there is no harm in starting off by hard resetting or force restarting your iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air or iPad mini. Force Restart, Hard Reset, Force Reboot, all mean the same thing and you will see these phrases used interchangeably.
Follow these steps to force restart iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air or iPad mini:
- Press and hold Sleep/Wake or On/Off button
- At the same time, press and hold the Home button
Pressing the Home button may end up invoking Siri, but keep holding both the buttons for at least 10 seconds until the screen turns black and then switches back on to display the Apple Logo.
Wait for a couple of seconds until your iPad boots up completely and displays the Lock screen.
#3. Forget Wi-Fi Network and Rejoin
If you’re not able to connect to a Wi-Fi Network and being prompted that the password you’ve entered is incorrect despite entering the correct password, then try to forget the Wi-Fi network on your iPad, and join the network again.
To forget the Wi-Fi network, tap on the Wi-Fi network from the list under Settings > Wi-Fi. Then tap on Forget This Network. You will be prompted with a popup message asking you if you want to forget Wi-Fi Network. Tap Forget to forget the network.
Now go back to Settings > Wi-Fi, select the network again, enter the password, and Join the network again to see if it helps.
#4. Reset Network Settings
Most networking related issues I’ve experienced have been fixed after resetting network settings. Resetting these settings flushes caches and clears DHCP settings and other networking related info. To reset network settings, open the Settings app and navigate to Settings > General > Reset and tap on Reset Network Settings.
#5. Disable VPN
If you have enabled VPN via the Settings app or a VPN app, then try to disable VPN to see if it resolves the issue. You can disable VPN via the Settings app and navigate to the VPN settings to disable the Status toggle from Connected to Not Connected. If you are not able to disable it then launch the VPN app to disable VPN temporarily to figure out if it resolves the WiFi problem on your iPhone.
#6. Disable Wi-Fi Networking Services
Many users have reported that they’ve solved the WiFi issues by disabling Wi-Fi Networking under Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services. This only relates to your location being used for Wi-Fi Networking, so it doesn’t disable Wi-Fi entirely.
#7. Set Custom DNS
Often times, if your ISPs DNS servers are having problems, you can switch to Google DNS or CloudFlare’s DNS. You can follow the instructions in our post linked below to change your DNS settings.
➤ How to Change the DNS server on iPad
➤ How to Use Cloudflare DNS on iPad to Speed up Browsing
#8. Wi-Fi Assist
iOS includes a feature called Wi-Fi Assist, which provides more reliable Internet connections when your Wi-Fi network becomes spotty. However, some readers have reported that turning it off and turning it back on seemed to help resolve the Wi-Fi problems. To turn off Wi-Fi Assist, launch the Settings app and navigate to Settings -> Cellular (Mobile in some regions) and scroll down to the bottom where you will see Wi-Fi Assist. Tap on the toggle to turn it off.
#9. Ask To Join Network
You can try enabling “Ask to Join Networks” by going to Settings > Wi-Fi. This is not an ideal solution as you will keep getting prompted to join a Wifi network, but if none of the solutions mentioned above work then you can try this one.
#10. Restore and Setup as new iPad
If none of these tips fix your issues, the last resort is to restore your iPad via iTunes and set it up as a new iPad. This way, you start afresh and get rid of possibly problematic customizations and settings on your device. Follow the instructions in the post linked below to do a clean restore to the latest version of iOS via iTunes.
Let us know in the comments if you faced Wifi connection problems on your iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Mini and iPad Air, and if so, were you able to fix the issues with these tips.
