Difficult time finding wi-fi assist.

[eagleglen]

I read one of those click-bait articles on secret iOS 9 features and it mentioned wi-fi assist which switches you to your cellular signal if your wi-fi signal gets weak (less than one bar). It's on by default and the option is located in settings > cellular, then scroll to the very bottom, below the long list of your apps. This seems like a very worthwhile feature. What I found frustrating was that the option does NOT appear when you do a search of the wi-fi options in Settings. The new search feature in settings was intended to help find these obscure options that are buried in a sub-menu, but failed in this instance. Hopefully it will improve.

Has anyone noticed if wi-fi assist has actually worked for them?

 

[KALLT]

The new search feature in settings was intended to help find these obscure options that are buried in a sub-menu

Says who?

Has anyone noticed if wi-fi assist has actually worked for them?

No, hasn’t worked for me. When my Wi-Fi connection is poor, the phone will drop the connection altogether and switch to LTE. When I switch off my router’s Internet connection, the feature doesn’t work either. I think Wi-Fi Assist is probably for exceptional cases.

 

[chabig]

No, hasn’t worked for me. When my Wi-Fi connection is poor, the phone will drop the connection altogether and switch to LTE.

That's what wifi assist does. It's switching networks to use the best connection.

 

[KALLT]

That's what wifi assist does. It's switching networks to use the best connection.

No, Wi-Fi Assist means that it is technically still connected to Wi-Fi but it will give LTE a higher priority (from what I’ve heard you will see both the Wi-Fi and LTE icons in the status bar, the former greyed out). What I said was that my phone actually drops the Wi-Fi connection and gives way to LTE. It has always done that before.

 

[cynics]

Android has had this for years. It detects a usable wifi connection in relation to connection strength and switches to cellular if it needs to.

I immediately notice this feature working for me. Every single day when leaving work I would be connected to my works wifi but at such a great distance it didn't work. So yesterday I grab my phone to switch off wifi and low and behold for the first time ever, I was already on cellular.

Edit : by the way the setting for it is under cellular.

 

[CTHarrryH]

I didn't know about that feature but I have noticed it working - I have one room in my house with very poor WiFi and I have noticed the phone switching to cellular when there.

 

[C DM]

No, Wi-Fi Assist means that it is technically still connected to Wi-Fi but it will give LTE a higher priority (from what I’ve heard you will see both the Wi-Fi and LTE icons in the status bar, the former greyed out). What I said was that my phone actually drops the Wi-Fi connection and gives way to LTE. It has always done that before.

It supposedly didn't do to the same degree before. I haven't heard of it working in a way where it would have both connections and show both icons in the status bar--where have you seen that information?