How to fix Wi-Fi connectivity issues on your Android
So you’ve got yourself the latest Android smartphone and or tablet. It’s smarter than you could have ever dreamed of. Not only does it do the basic things like send messages and receive calls but it can do practically everything else, except put the kettle on (although I’m sure there will one day be an app for that!)
However, even the most up-to date devices can be struck with a couple of issues, with the major one being connectivity. Sometimes your device will just refuse to go online altogether or maybe it’ll just drop connection periodically. Both instances are incredibly annoying, especially on a device so smart that you can even have a conversation with it, or at least you could if it connected to the Internet properly. Fear not. Read on below to discover some things you can do to try and fix the issue the next time your device stops connecting.
Aeroplane Mode and a Simple Reboot of the System
The easiest way to put your device into flight mode is to hold down the power button for a couple of seconds. You’ll be greeted with a menu and you simple need to tap the option ‘Aeroplane Mode.’
Failing that you can try to reboot your device in safe mode. This is also very simple to do:
- Hold down the power button for a couple of seconds.
- From the menu that appears tap and hold ‘Power Off’ for a second or two.
- Simply tap on ‘OK’ when asked if you want to restart in safe mode.
- Once your device has rebooted, just restart it as normal.
From this point on you and your smart device should be connected to the world of knowledge (or the Internet) without an issue. However keep reading if you’re still experiencing difficulties.
WiFi Off in Sleep Mode
This might sound a bit silly, but some devices are set to disable the WiFi to preserve your battery life. It’s a quick fix though.
- Navigate to your WiFi options (The simplest way is to drag down from the top-right hand side of your screen and hold down on ‘WiFi’.
- Tap those three conspicuous dots in the corner and tap ‘Advanced’.
- Select the option ‘Keep WiFi on during sleep’ and change the setting to Always.
This will make sure your Android device is connected to the Internet under every possible circumstance possible, you will notice your battery draining slightly quicker though making your social interactions more dependable on your charger.
Hidden Networks
The reason your device is struggling to bring the world to your fingertips could well be because the connection you are trying to connect to is hidden.
- Go to ‘Settings’ and then ‘WiFi’ or drag down from the top of the screen again and hold down on WiFi.
- Tap ‘Add Network’.
- Fill in the SSID and the password.
Boom. You should be connected. What? You’re not…well then keep reading for another handy tip which might help.
Problems Acquiring the IP Address
There’s nothing quite as annoying than putting the password in and then going through an endless, vicious circle where your device authenticates and then sticks on acquiring the IP address. It can sometimes be more frustrating than if it flat out refuses to acknowledge the network in the first place. The first thing to do is reboot your router. If that doesn’t work then hopefully your device has a data plan of its own. If not then your only real option is a factory reset (not ideal and it might not fix the problem.)
If however you do have data then search for a WiFi Fixer tool. It’s like your ace in the hole. Once it’s installed you’ll have to try and figure out how it works but basically the app will restore some files that are related to the WiFi back-end of your device and also do some nifty complicated stuff to some rather essential services, don’t worry though, the app does it all very easily without you having to think.
If you’re still reading because none of the above have done anything to help then unfortunately you’ll need to try and get in touch with your Internet Service Provider in case it’s a problem their end. Try a friends WiFi to see if your device connects there. If it doesn’t it could be that your device just isn’t quite smart enough and you might need to arrange for a replacement. Hopefully something has helped and by now you’re all in the clear, if you have other methods which have helped you make sure to drop them in the comments just in-case the ones mentioned above haven’t helped.
