Apple Watch Does Not Automatically Connect to WiFi

[RabidMacFan]

Is it just me? I routinely have this problem with my Apple Watches, where they will not automatically connect to my wifi network. I've experienced this with Apple Watch 6, 7, and Ultra.

If I pull up the wifi in the watches control center and select an SSID, it will connect. I confirmed that the setting to "automatically connect" is enabled. However, after some time, or restarting my watch, it will not automatically connect back. This includes when my phone is in airplane mode or turned completely off.

I've had this on multiple watches, I don't see how a full reset and restore will help. I haven't tried resetting to set up new, as it will be too much trouble.

Anybody else? Any suggestions on what to try?

 

[BillGates1969]

Is it just me? I routinely have this problem with my Apple Watches, where they will not automatically connect to my wifi network. I've experienced this with Apple Watch 6, 7, and Ultra.

If I pull up the wifi in the watches control center and select an SSID, it will connect. I confirmed that the setting to "automatically connect" is enabled. However, after some time, or restarting my watch, it will not automatically connect back. This includes when my phone is in airplane mode or turned completely off.

I've had this on multiple watches, I don't see how a full reset and restore will help. I haven't tried resetting to set up new, as it will be too much trouble.

Anybody else? Any suggestions on what to try?

Exactly the same here. So much so, sometimes in the garden it goes to cellular rather than WiFi.

 

[RabidMacFan]

I think I may have solved this on my own! I reset my phones network settings, rebooted both devices, then reconnected to my home Wifi from my phone. The watch now automatically connects to my home Wifi!

Something must have gotten corrupted in there. Oh well. For anyone else that has this problem, I'll suggest this (Instructions for iOS 16):

On your watch-connected iPhone, go to Settings
General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings

It will ask for your phone password and possibly reboot on it's own.
While this is happening, restart your Apple Watch and iPhone.
Once it's started back up, connect to your home Wifi from the phone. Give your watch some time, and hopefully when you go to the Wifi settings, you'll see your preferred Wifi Network already selected and ready to go!

 

[frenchcamp49er]

I think I may have solved this on my own! I reset my phones network settings, rebooted both devices, then reconnected to my home Wifi from my phone. The watch now automatically connects to my home Wifi!

Something must have gotten corrupted in there. Oh well. For anyone else that has this problem, I'll suggest this (Instructions for iOS 16):

On your watch-connected iPhone, go to Settings
General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings

It will ask for your phone password and possibly reboot on it's own.
While this is happening, restart your iPhone.
Once it's started back up, connect to your home Wifi from the phone. Give your watch some time, and hopefully when you go to the Wifi settings, you'll see your preferred Wifi Network already selected and ready to go!

View attachment 2094612

So did this continue to work?

 

[Feek]

Yeah, I'm interested to know as well @RabidMacFan because I have the same problem.

 

[anthonypants]

It seems to have worked for me? Not thrilled about losing all the AP history on my phone, but after setting wifi on my home AP back up, telling my Series 7 to automatically connect, and then leaving wifi range and coming back a few times, it looks like I'm reconnecting to wifi on my watch.

Though, where @RabidMacFan says, "While this is happening, restart your iPhone," I'm assuming they meant Watch (because resetting network settings rebooted my iPhone anyway), so I shut my watch off at that point and powered it back on after setting up my home wifi on my iPhone.

 

[tranceking26]

I have something a little different, it will always connect to wifi, but doesn't always appear on my routers client list.

 

[anthonypants]

Did you turn off Private Address on your watch?

 

[RabidMacFan]

The reset network settings step it worked for me - for a while. But the problem came back when my phone was not available.
I think these issues stem from how how iCloud syncs Wi-Fi networks, whether or not I’ve ever told it to “forget” a network, etc.

Anyways, back to the settings, chose the Wi-Fi network, and looks like it’s working properly again

 

[ephendi]

Simple fix. Disable via settings on iPhone Bluetooth.
On apple watch manually connect to wifi. After connect on watch enter to wifi name. Disable auto connect.
Disable wifi on apple watch. Connect manually again to wifi.
Enter and enable auto connect.
Now will works as designed. When you disable Bluetooth via settings (not via dashboar) in five -ten seconds wifi will connect automatically.

 

[Feek]

Simple fix.

I'm struggling to understand all these steps, perhaps it's the way it's worded. Can anyone help please?

 

[BigMcGuire]

My watches, for the last several generations have preferred cellular and bluetooth to my iPhone to wifi. I figured this was by design?

I have a Mesh Wifi system where I live so every floor has beyond excellent wifi signal. Yet my Apple Watch Ultra does not connect to wifi without me going to WiFi and selecting my wifi router and connect manually.

I remember reading somewhere on here, Macrumors that watches do this to save power? Especially if your iPhone is within bluetooth range? <shrug> I probably couldn't find it if I looked (yeah I tried a few searches and came up with nothing).

 

[Howard2k]

My watches, for the last several generations have preferred cellular and bluetooth to my iPhone to wifi. I figured this was by design?

I have a Mesh Wifi system where I live so every floor has beyond excellent wifi signal. Yet my Apple Watch Ultra does not connect to wifi without me going to WiFi and selecting my wifi router and connect manually.

I remember reading somewhere on here, Macrumors that watches do this to save power? Especially if your iPhone is within bluetooth range? <shrug> I probably couldn't find it if I looked (yeah I tried a few searches and came up with nothing).

Yep, right here:

Connect your Apple Watch to Wi-Fi - Apple Support

Choose which Wi-Fi network your Apple Watch connects to when your iPhone isn't nearby.

support.apple.com

When your iPhone isn't nearby, your Apple Watch can connect to Wi-Fi. To choose which Wi-Fi network your Apple Watch connects to, you need watchOS 5 or later.


And here:

About Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular on your Apple Watch - Apple Support (CA)

Learn about Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for your Apple Watch and how your watch uses both. And learn how cellular on GPS + Cellular models fits in.

support.apple.com

Your Apple Watch uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to communicate with your paired iPhone. If you have cellular, your watch can also stay connected through a cellular network. Your watch switches between these intelligently to choose the most power-efficient connection. Here's how:

• Your Apple Watch uses Bluetooth when your iPhone is near, which conserves power.

 

[DonJimmy]

I'm struggling to understand all these steps, perhaps it's the way it's worded. Can anyone help please?

- Disable bluetooth completely on your iphone
- Connect your apple watch manually to wifi
- Disable auto connect (on your watch) for the wifi you just connected to
- Disable wifi on your apple watch
- Enable wifi on your apple watch
- Connect your apple watch manually to the wifi network (again)
- Enable auto connect for that network on your apple watch

 

[- rob -]

Was this set of steps successful? It sounds like this behavior is actually intended?

The Bluetooth connection to iPhone is a pretty bad experience. Especially because I need feedback of success like in dictation of a message or reminder immediately.

If I wasn’t in a rush to do something I’d bother with the iPhone.

This non Wi-Fi connection problem has plagued me on watches for last few years at least. I finally searched on this and am somewhat glad others are in same boat.

When I do connect it to Wi-Fi, it is fast and does the job. I’d much rather ability to disable other higher power things to get Wi-Fi.

 

[Feek]

Was this set of steps successful? It sounds like this behavior is actually intended?

Not for me, no. It didn’t make any difference.

 

[DonJimmy]

It worked at first for me. But after a while it stopped working and now I still have the same issue again.

 

[- rob -]

This behavior is bad when you are at home but at the max distance or just out of Bluetooth range.

Siri is super laggy, to the point of being worse than useless. Or, it just says there’s no connection to iPhone available.

It does the latter even if it is in Wi-Fi range. It doesn’t seem to want to even try to connect instead.

Why even have Wi-Fi on the watch if it doesn’t make good use of its availability.

 

[RabidMacFan]

I haven’t really had a problem since resetting my phones network settings. When my phone is off, I confirm that my watch connects to Wi-Fi.

The worst is when you are just at the limits of Bluetooth distance. The watch will still have a connection to the phone, but not fast enough for certain things to work and not bad enough that it will prefer wifi.

 

[whsbuss]

Yes I have the same issue here. Running eero 6 Pro 2-node and you see the drops right from the app. But as I understand, Apple designed this connectivity to be a slave to the iPhone. Same as when you want to steam music on the watch, not downloaded to the watch, but from the internet. No matter what you do, unless the app is only on the watch, it will use the iPhone via airplay.