An iOS feature that I miss from Android

[SVTmaniac]

Please don't make this an Android vs iOS thread. I have been using my iPhone 5s for about 4 months now. Before that I was a die hard Android guy. So far I have been happy with the switch, but there is just one feature that is either missing or I can't find so maybe you can all help.

On my Android phones, there was a WiFi option in the advanced settings that allowed the phone to automatically switch the WiFi connection off if either the signal was too weak or there was no response from the internet.

On iOS i'm finding that when I walk out of my house and I'm working in the yard or my garage, my WiFi signal is strong enough to connect but not really strong enough to deliver a stable connection to my phone so I won't get any iMessages unless I turn WiFi off. Also if I go places with free WiFi but make you agree to terms before getting a connection and I forget to open my browser to agree to them, then I'm also missing any iMessages that come in until I realize it or turn WiFi off. Another scenario is if the internet at my house dies, the iPhone remains connected to my WiFi router, but all my iMessage, emails and Facebook notifications won't come in until I realize the internet died.

On my Android phones, in all three instances they would automatically have switched the phone over to the cellular connection for me and I wouldn't have had any interruptions in my data connection. I wish iOS had this feature or if it does I wish I knew how to turn it on.

Any help?

 

[Small White Car]

No feature like that, but here's the advice I'd give.

when I walk out of my house and I'm working in the yard or my garage, my WiFi signal is strong enough to connect but not really strong enough to deliver a stable connection to my phone so I won't get any iMessages unless I turn WiFi off.

I don't know what your router's options are, but I had this problem and I fiddled with the settings in the router enough to actually make the signal slightly worse so that my phone loses wifi when I go outside. I don't know if it's possible in your case, but worth a look. I think I messed with the radio frequencies and found one that made it work "better."

Also if I go places with free WiFi but make you agree to terms before getting a connection and I forget to open my browser to agree to them

There are two ways this can go, I can help with one of them.

In the exact scenario you've described, yeah, that's a pain because there's not a good way around it. You could turn on "Ask to Join Networks" and it would solve that, but I find it's not worth it. It causes more problems then it solves. Just leave it off and admit defeat in this area. (Or maybe try that wifi setting for a month and see if you disagree with me. Maybe you'll like it.)

But, something you might not know...when you specifically go into the settings to choose a public wifi spot, wait there in the settings a few seconds. A lot of them will pop up the agreement page in settings without you having to go to Safari. Most people miss that because it takes 5-10 seconds and they've already hit home and never see it.

So that's helpful advice sometimes, but not all the time, I know.

Another scenario is if the internet at my house dies, the iPhone remains connected to my WiFi router, but all my iMessage, emails and Facebook notifications won't come in until I realize the internet died.

I have no help here, but am just wondering how common this is. I feel like this is a once-a-year thing around here, at worst. Does it happen more for you?

 

[gordon1234]

I've never seen an option like that on Android. I just checked all the options on wifi settings for my Nexus 5 and didn't see any option like that. Sounds like a vendor-specific customization?

 

[eprisencc]

A lot wifi hotspots got a log on page that pops up on the wifi phone before you connect to the hotspot.

 

[gordon1234]

Actually this exact feature briefly appeared in an iOS beta version (6, I think) but was removed before release.

The problem is that it creates the potential for users to unknowingly use up all their mobile data when they think they're connected to wifi. I suspect this is why it never made it to a shopping release, and probably why it doesn't appear in stock Android either.

 

[I7guy]

The easiest thing is to use Siri or the control panel to turn off wifi.

 

[Armen]

Actually this exact feature briefly appeared in an iOS beta version (6, I think) but was removed before release.

The problem is that it creates the potential for users to unknowingly use up all their mobile data when they think they're connected to wifi. I suspect this is why it never made it to a shopping release, and probably why it doesn't appear in stock Android either.

I could have sworn that Craig discussed this feature at WWDC. I also don't blame them for pulling the feature due to what you mentioned.

 

[C DM]

Actually this exact feature briefly appeared in an iOS beta version (6, I think) but was removed before release.

The problem is that it creates the potential for users to unknowingly use up all their mobile data when they think they're connected to wifi. I suspect this is why it never made it to a shopping release, and probably why it doesn't appear in stock Android either.

It wouldn't really be any different than leaving a wifi area and switching to mobile data. Not sure why that would make people use up sometbinf I knowingly if they see what connection they have.

 

[GreyOS]

It wouldn't really be any different than leaving a wifi area and switching to mobile data. Not sure why that would make people use up sometbinf I knowingly if they see what connection they have.

I think the mentioned feature is/was to allow mobile data whilst connected to a WiFi signal that doesn't have an internet connection. You may want to stay connected to your LAN even if it doesn't have internet. So the downside here is that you see the WiFi icon but you're using mobile data - potentially confusing depending on the user.

That said I think that's slightly different to [edit: some of] OP's problem, where you're connected to WiFI but it's so weak you're effectively not on the internet. It's hard to imagine a signal strong enough that the system can still connect to it but so poor it can't send packets?? I'm not a networking expert though...

Just seems like iOS is trying too hard to hold on to a weak signal

 

[C DM]

I think the mentioned feature is/was to allow mobile data whilst connected to a WiFi signal that doesn't have an internet connection. You may want to stay connected to your LAN even if it doesn't have internet. So the downside here is that you see the WiFi icon but you're using mobile data - potentially confusing depending on the user.

That said I think that's slightly different to [edit: some of] OP's problem, where you're connected to WiFI but it's so weak you're effectively not on the internet. It's hard to imagine a signal strong enough that the system can still connect to it but so poor it can't send packets?? I'm not a networking expert though...

Just seems like iOS is trying too hard to hold on to a weak signal

Is that what that feature would be like? It sounded like it would actually disconnect you from WiFi just under some more circumstances than perhaps currently. Keeping you on it but using mobile data (without and indictor of any sort too) would be fairly bad, and rather odd if that was the actual implementation of sometning like that.

 

[Vandam500]

I've never seen an option like that on Android. I just checked all the options on wifi settings for my Nexus 5 and didn't see any option like that. Sounds like a vendor-specific customization?

Yeah, its not on stock. I've seen it on Samsung devices though.

 

[EvoXOhio]

Yeah, its not on stock. I've seen it on Samsung devices though.

I had a stock Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 and they both did have this feature. It was buried in advanced settings but it was there.

 

[stroked]

Please don't make this an Android vs iOS thread. I have been using my iPhone 5s for about 4 months now. Before that I was a die hard Android guy. So far I have been happy with the switch, but there is just one feature that is either missing or I can't find so maybe you can all help.

On my Android phones, there was a WiFi option in the advanced settings that allowed the phone to automatically switch the WiFi connection off if either the signal was too weak or there was no response from the internet.

On iOS i'm finding that when I walk out of my house and I'm working in the yard or my garage, my WiFi signal is strong enough to connect but not really strong enough to deliver a stable connection to my phone so I won't get any iMessages unless I turn WiFi off. Also if I go places with free WiFi but make you agree to terms before getting a connection and I forget to open my browser to agree to them, then I'm also missing any iMessages that come in until I realize it or turn WiFi off. Another scenario is if the internet at my house dies, the iPhone remains connected to my WiFi router, but all my iMessage, emails and Facebook notifications won't come in until I realize the internet died.

On my Android phones, in all three instances they would automatically have switched the phone over to the cellular connection for me and I wouldn't have had any interruptions in my data connection. I wish iOS had this feature or if it does I wish I knew how to turn it on.

Any help?

Have you looked for an app for that?

 

[Agent-P]

An iOS feature that I miss from Android

Related to the OP's comment on not remembering to enter in log in details for public WiFi, I love the feature on Windows Phone that automatically enters in a login for you in the background. It works well in my experience and I wish IOS would adopt that.

 

[EvoXOhio]

Have you looked for an app for that?

Apple doesn't allow apps to control Wifi like that.

 

[stroked]

Apple doesn't allow apps to control Wifi like that.

That isn't surprising, but I do wonder why.

 

[mattopotamus]

I've never seen an option like that on Android. I just checked all the options on wifi settings for my Nexus 5 and didn't see any option like that. Sounds like a vendor-specific customization?

It is not a stock option. Samsung has it built into their phones.

 

[EvoXOhio]

It is not a stock option. Samsung has it built into their phones.

It is a stock option, I had it on my Nexus 4 and Nexus 5.

 

[cynics]

It is not a stock option. Samsung has it built into their phones.

Stock Android Jelly Bean.

I can't comment for every Nexus device or whatever but Google has baked this option into Android.

 

[KALLT]

Actually this exact feature briefly appeared in an iOS beta version (6, I think) but was removed before release.

The problem is that it creates the potential for users to unknowingly use up all their mobile data when they think they're connected to wifi. I suspect this is why it never made it to a shopping release, and probably why it doesn't appear in stock Android either.

I remember that as well, they even mentioned it during the keynote. I haven't noticed that it never made it. It's a weak excuse though. Apple could have simply used a different icon to show where the data is coming from. Even now iOS doesn't show whether you're connected to mobile data. Alternatively, a simple toggle would have sufficed too.