How to disable attwifi hotspots?

[Radiating]

My phone NEVER successfully negotiates a cinnection with these and always automatically connects to them. I want it to stop doing that. Any advice? Now I just turn off wifi whenever I see a hotspot connected but then this causes a navigation warning and I forget to turn it back on at home where I'm always sucking data. So it's annoying.

[albertxp06]

When you're near the hotspot and it shows up in WiFi, tap the little blue arrow next to attwifi and tap Forget this Network.
It won't try to connect to attwifi and you can keep WiFi on

[Zerozal]

Another option is to keep WiFi on, but in settings turn OFF the option "Ask to Join Networks". You'll still connect automatically to any known networks (like home), but it won't prompt you when it finds new wifi hot spots.

[r2shyyou]

Originally Posted by Zerozal

Another option is to keep WiFi on, but in settings turn OFF the option "Ask to Join Networks". You'll still connect automatically to any known networks (like home), but it won't prompt you when it finds new wifi hot spots.

The above is what I do and it works perfectly for me. May also help preserve battery.

[dictoresno]

Originally Posted by Zerozal

Another option is to keep WiFi on, but in settings turn OFF the option "Ask to Join Networks". You'll still connect automatically to any known networks (like home), but it won't prompt you when it finds new wifi hot spots.

this is the correct solution. should also cut down on excessive battery drain if you have it.

[Interstella5555]

Originally Posted by r2shyyou

The above is what I do and it works perfectly for me. May also help preserve battery.

Same here, it would drive me up the wall if my phone tried to connect to every random network out there and definitely will kill your battery a lot quicker.

[ucfgrad93]

Originally Posted by Zerozal

Another option is to keep WiFi on, but in settings turn OFF the option "Ask to Join Networks". You'll still connect automatically to any known networks (like home), but it won't prompt you when it finds new wifi hot spots.

This is what I would do as well.

[Small White Car]

Originally Posted by Zerozal

Another option is to keep WiFi on, but in settings turn OFF the option "Ask to Join Networks". You'll still connect automatically to any known networks (like home), but it won't prompt you when it finds new wifi hot spots.

Originally Posted by r2shyyou

The above is what I do and it works perfectly for me. May also help preserve battery.

Originally Posted by dictoresno

this is the correct solution. should also cut down on excessive battery drain if you have it.

Originally Posted by Interstella5555

Same here, it would drive me up the wall if my phone tried to connect to every random network out there and definitely will kill your battery a lot quicker.

Originally Posted by ucfgrad93

This is what I would do as well.

Whoa, wait a minute. Why are there 5 people here all having the exact opposite experience I have had?

For over 4 years of iPhone ownership I have had that set to 'off' and it DOES join random networks. I thought that was the point.

What am I missing here?

[r2shyyou]

Originally Posted by Small White Car

Whoa, wait a minute. Why are there 5 people here all having the exact opposite experience I have had?

For over 4 years of iPhone ownership I have had that set to 'off' and it DOES join random networks. I thought that was the point.

What am I missing here?

Curious. Those "random" networks have no connection to other networks you may have joined previously? Also, joining networks automatically, such as the free AT&T ones, doesn't bother me so much as prompting me when there are new ones.

The way I understand it is that with the setting toggled to "OFF" and when you're within range of a network that is "known" to your device (i.e. you've connected to it before), it'll join that network automatically. Otherwise, outside the range of those networks, your device won't prompt you to connect to any "unknown" networks you come within range of.

(Not sure if that's the best explanation.)

[scaredpoet]

Originally Posted by Small White Car

Whoa, wait a minute. Why are there 5 people here all having the exact opposite experience I have had?

For over 4 years of iPhone ownership I have had that set to 'off' and it DOES join random networks. I thought that was the point.

What am I missing here?

If you've ever joined a Wifi network in the past with a particular SSID, then it'll join every WiFi network with that SSID going forward until you specifically forget that network. This is intentional, for WiFi networks that are widespread and have a bunch of access points spread out over a geographic area (like attwifi).

So, if you ever join a WiFi access that that's say, belkin or a netgear, and that access point is basically running unrestricted and out of the box with no changes to the settings, then your iPhone is going to automatically join every other out-of-the-box, unrestricted belkin or netgear hotspot. It's going to continue doing that until you tell it to forget the network the next time you're connected to one.

[Small White Car]

Originally Posted by r2shyyou

With the setting toggled to "OFF" and if you're within range of a network that is "known" to your device (i.e. you've connected to it before), it'll join that network automatically. Otherwise, outside the range of those networks, your device won't prompt you to connect to any "unknown" networks you come within range of.

(Not sure if that's the best explanation.)

I think what I'm missing is my understanding of what a 'network' is. I assumed it was a physical thing in a specific place. As seen below, I guess that's not the case.

Originally Posted by scaredpoet

If you've ever joined a Wifi network in the past with a particular SSID, then it'll join every WiFi network with that SSID going forward until you specifically forget that network. This is intentional, for WiFi networks that are widespread and have a bunch of access points spread out over a geographic area (like attwifi).

So, if you ever join a WiFi access that that's say, belkin or a netgear, and that access point is basically running unrestricted and out of the box with no changes to the settings, then your iPhone is going to automatically join every other out-of-the-box, unrestricted belkin or netgear hotspot. It's going to continue doing that until you tell it to forget the network the next time you're connected to one.

So what I'm missing here is that I can walk into a hotel in some state I've never been in before and the hotel wifi might have the same SSID as a hotel in another state?

So what I think of as the phone "joining an unknown network" is really just it seeing the same ID as some totally other network somewhere else in the country?

Because my iPhone joins networks in places I've never been all the time. So this detail (that SSIDs get reused) is what I'm missing, apparently.

[Mr Hill]

When I was with AT&T those attwifi hotspots never worked for me. Seems like a waste of time.

[r2shyyou]

Originally Posted by Small White Car

So what I'm missing here is that I can walk into a hotel in some state I've never been in before and the hotel wifi might have the same SSID as a hotel in another state?

So what I think of as the phone "joining an unknown network" is really just it seeing the same ID as some totally other network somewhere else in the country?

Because my iPhone joins networks in places I've never been all the time. So this detail (that SSIDs get reused) is what I'm missing, apparently.

Are you able to actually use Wi-Fi in these instances where you've connected to "unknown" networks?

My experience is that for "guest" access that often requires a unique, device-specific "key," for lack of a better word (e.g. airports, hotels), it connects automatically based on SSID only but requires action by me, such as acceptance of Terms of Service, before allowing me to actually use that connection. In instances where I've declined those terms, I'm usually booted off the Wi-Fi connection.

[Small White Car]

Originally Posted by r2shyyou

Are you able to actually use Wi-Fi in these instances where you've connected to "unknown" networks?

My experience is that for "guest" access that often requires a unique, device-specific "key," for lack of a better word (e.g. airports, hotels), it connects automatically based on SSID only but requires action by me, such as acceptance of Terms of Service, before allowing me to actually use that connection. In instances where I've declined those terms, I'm usually booted off the Wi-Fi connection.

I have encountered those, but no, it's not always required. I have walked into places I've never been and thought "huh, why is my internet so slow? Oh, they have crappy wifi which my phone joined automatically...guess I have to go in and click 'forget' on this one!"

[braddick]

I notice now having the search for other wifi settings default is off upon a restore.

It didn't used to be that way.
Unless you've gone in and turned it on, it should be off.

[Interstella5555]

Originally Posted by Small White Car

I think what I'm missing is my understanding of what a 'network' is. I assumed it was a physical thing in a specific place. As seen below, I guess that's not the case.



So what I'm missing here is that I can walk into a hotel in some state I've never been in before and the hotel wifi might have the same SSID as a hotel in another state?

So what I think of as the phone "joining an unknown network" is really just it seeing the same ID as some totally other network somewhere else in the country?

Because my iPhone joins networks in places I've never been all the time. So this detail (that SSIDs get reused) is what I'm missing, apparently.

Slightly unlikely, but yes, it could happen [I.E. Best Western Guest might be the name across the country for Best Western hotels]. This was happening to me more with the AT&T spots since I had connected to one once and kept trying to connect to the countless other ones out there.

[dave420]

Originally Posted by Zerozal

Another option is to keep WiFi on, but in settings turn OFF the option "Ask to Join Networks". You'll still connect automatically to any known networks (like home), but it won't prompt you when it finds new wifi hot spots.

The attwifi network will connect even if "Ask to Join Networks" is disabled. The AT&T iPhone is preconfigured to connect to the network.
Also there is no forget this network option available for attwifi. There is an "auto-join" option where forget this network normally would be. I think turning that off will have the same effect.

[aphexacid]

my iphone 5 and i think 4S as well, auto connect to attwifi hotspots regardless of any settings.

I remeber launch day for iphone 5, walking back to my car, i expected to be cruising on LTE. Nope, it was on wifi. It automatically connected to the starbucks i walked by.

While connected to one of these, you have to go into the wifi setting, and tap on the connection. It will give you a different option instead of "forget this network".
I think it says something like, "automatically connect to these networks" or something like that.

BTW, this was right out of the box. factory fresh.

[Peter K.]

Originally Posted by dave420

The attwifi network will connect even if "Ask to Join Networks" is disabled. The AT&T iPhone is preconfigured to connect to the network.
Also there is no forget this network option available for attwifi. There is an "auto-join" option where forget this network normally would be. I think turning that off will have the same effect.

This is exactly correct; I just tested it an hour ago.