Why do I need to go to airplane mode for wifi to work?

This will happen to me sometimes when I'm in a 4G area but the phone only picks up EDGE. Jumping in and out of airplane mode gets me back on 4G.

That's not common. Try rebooting your router first. If that doesn't solve it, Reset network settings on phone. if that doesn't work, restore your iphone through itunes. If that fails, return the phone for a replacement.

You are essentially turning the WiFi radio off and back on, causing your phone to log back into the network. Perhaps your router has a problem and is dropping the connection. Even if your phone has good signal strength, it may not actually be fully logged into the network.

- Do you have other WiFi devices at home that have this problem?
- Does your phone have a problem when connected to WiFi outside your home?

It may not be your phone that has the problem.

Some of the older routers only allow 3 to 5 devices on at one time.

The iOS WiFi driver is less than perfect. I've always had grief with the HotSpot till a reboot.

With laptops, if you have too many "preferred" networks, the thing gets confused. Fix: Delete hotspots you haven't used for a while, and only leave the 1-2 u use everyday.

Hmm sounds like there is a problem with your phone.