Before changing any setting, decide which case is yours. If the phone tries and falls back to 'Saved' or 'Authentication error', the problem is the network profile stored on the device: go to Solution 1. If it connects but the Wi-Fi icon shows an X or an exclamation mark, or pages will not open, the problem is the route out to the internet: Solutions 4 and 6. If other devices in the house browse normally, the router is fine and the fault is with the phone. When none of that works, Solution 7 resets the network settings and wipes any tangled configuration without deleting your files. Save Solution 8 for when several devices fail at the same time.
What causes this problem
- The Wi-Fi password changed and the phone keeps trying the old one stored in the network profile.
- Android switches to mobile data on its own when it judges the network poor, so it looks like Wi-Fi dropped.
- Randomised MAC address: the router sees a new device on every connection and refuses or isolates the phone.
- Private DNS, a VPN or data saver turned on, leaving the connection up but with no pages loading.
- The wrong date and time on the device, which makes the network refuse authentication without saying why.
- A public or hotel network waiting for you to open the sign-in page before it releases the internet.
- Test another device on the same network. If a laptop or another phone browses fine, skip everything router-related - the fault is on your device.
- Note the exact wording under the network name: 'Saved', 'Authentication error', 'Connected, no internet' or 'Checking connection'. Each message points to a different fix.
- Have the correct Wi-Fi password at hand, copied from the router label or from whoever runs the network. A good share of failed attempts come down to one wrong character.
- Turn mobile data off for a few minutes while testing. With it on, the phone pretends everything is fine and you never notice that Wi-Fi is not delivering internet.
- Restart the phone and unplug the router for about 30 seconds before you start. That clears a portion of cases and saves pointless work.
Solutions, in the order to try them
1Forget the network and connect again
This comes first because it fixes most 'will not connect' cases. Android stores a profile with the password, the security type and the network address. If any of those changed, it keeps insisting on the old value and bounces between 'Saved' and 'Authentication error'. Deleting the profile forces a fresh negotiation with current data.
- Open Settings and go to the Wi-Fi section (on some phones it sits inside Connections or Network and internet).
- Tap your network name or the gear icon next to it.
- Choose Forget network and confirm.
- Go back to the list, tap the network again and type the password carefully, using the eye icon to check what you typed.
- If the router shows two networks with similar names, try the 2.4 GHz one: it reaches further and tends to be friendlier to older devices.
2Stop the phone jumping to mobile data by itself
Android has a feature that moves traffic to mobile data without warning when it decides a Wi-Fi network is weak or has no route to the internet. The result is misleading: the phone browses, but Wi-Fi is effectively down and you only find out when your data allowance runs out. Turning that automatic switch off exposes the real problem and saves data.
- In the Wi-Fi settings, open the advanced options menu (three dots, or an item called More).
- Look for an option named something like Switch to mobile data, Smart Wi-Fi or Switch networks automatically and turn it off.
- If you cannot find it, turn mobile data off from the quick settings panel while you test.
- Try loading a site in the browser, not in an app. Apps cache content and give the false impression that the internet is back.
3Turn off the randomised MAC address for that network
For privacy, Android invents a different identifier for every network it joins. Routers with an allowed-device list, parental controls or a device limit read that as an intruder and block or isolate the phone. It is the classic cause of a device that connects everywhere except on one specific network.
- In the Wi-Fi settings, tap the gear icon next to the network.
- Look for an option called Privacy, MAC address or MAC address type.
- Change it from randomised to the device address (also called device MAC or fixed).
- Forget the network, reconnect, and ask whoever runs the Wi-Fi to allow the new identifier if there is an allow list.
4Turn off private DNS, VPN and data saver
This is the fix for the connected-but-no-internet case. All three route traffic differently, and any of them stuck will kill browsing even with Wi-Fi connected. On a company, school or hotel network, private DNS is the most frequent culprit, because the network does not let that kind of query through.
- In Settings, search for Private DNS using the search bar at the top and set it to Off or Automatic.
- Still in search, look for VPN and disconnect anything active.
- Search for Data Saver and turn it off.
- If you use an ad-blocking app that works as a VPN, close it completely and test again.
- Turn each feature back on one at a time once the internet returns, so you know which one caused the failure.
5Set date, time and time zone to automatic
Protected networks check certificates, and certificates depend on a correct clock. A phone that sat switched off for days or came back from a reset may have the wrong date, and the network refuses the connection without explaining anything. It is a thirty-second change that solves cases which look hopeless.
- Open Settings and search for Date and time.
- Turn on both set time automatically and set time zone automatically.
- If the phone has no SIM and no internet to pull the time from, set the correct date and time by hand.
- Try connecting to Wi-Fi again.
6On a public or hotel network, open the sign-in page
On this kind of network the phone really does connect, but the internet is only released after you accept the terms on a page that should open by itself. When it does not appear, the device sits forever on 'Connected, no internet'. Forcing that page open fixes it right away.
- Tap the network notification asking you to sign in, if there is one.
- If there is no notification, open the browser and try an address starting with http rather than https. Secure pages block the redirect to the sign-in screen.
- Turn private DNS off before trying, because it blocks exactly that redirect.
- If the page still does not show up, forget the network, connect again and wait a few seconds without touching anything.
7Reset the phone's network settings
When nothing above worked, this reset returns Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mobile data to their factory state and clears any tangled configuration, including proxies and static IP addresses you may not remember setting. Your apps, photos and messages are not deleted. What you lose are saved Wi-Fi passwords and Bluetooth pairings, so have the passwords ready first.
- Open Settings and use the search bar at the top for Reset.
- Choose the option that mentions resetting Wi-Fi, mobile data and Bluetooth (on some phones it reads Reset network settings).
- Confirm and wait for the phone to restart or for Wi-Fi to come back on its own.
- Connect to the network by typing the password again and redo the Bluetooth pairings you use.
8Confirm whether the router is the problem
If Wi-Fi fails on several devices at once, or if your phone connects to any other network but this one, the target is no longer the handset. It is worth checking the router before you keep changing settings, because no Android tweak fixes a block applied on the other side.
- Stand close to the router and test. If it connects up close and fails further away, it is range, not configuration.
- Check whether a connected-device limit or parental control is active, in the router app or on its admin page.
- Look for a blocked list and check that your phone did not end up there by mistake.
- If the router broadcasts 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz under the same name, split the names: that fixes devices that keep hopping between bands.
- Restart the router from its button or the socket and test once more before calling your provider.
Applies to
| System | Status |
|---|---|
| Android 12 to 15 (stock Google interface) | Confirmed |
| Samsung Galaxy (One UI) | Wi-Fi options live under Connections, and the reset appears under General management |
| Xiaomi, Motorola, Realme and other brands | Menu names differ slightly; use the Settings search bar to get there faster |
| Android 11 or older | The network reset sits inside the reset options, in the System menu |
Menu names can change slightly between versions. If a step above does not match what you see on screen, the official support page from the manufacturer has the most current wording for your version.
Frequently asked questions
Last checked: Oct 3, 2026 · We review this guide whenever the manufacturer changes the process.