Force iPhone to log into home network while connected to public hotspot?

[Tronic]

So I have a public wifi hotspot right outside my building that my iPhone is set to auto login to. The only problem with this is when I come home, my phone stays connected to the public wifi instead of switching to my home network. Is there any way to force my iPhone to automatically log into my home network as soon as the signal becomes available?

Ps. My home network name is alphabetically listed before the public hotspot.

 

[C DM]

I believe there are some third party apps that allow you to actually set priority of networks. That said, if you are connected to one and have a decent signal I'm not sure it would disconnect and connect to another one that might be of higher priority (as opposed to not being connected and then looking for a connection and then taking the higher priority one at that point).

 

[I7guy]

8.3 includes additional options for Wi-Fi networks, seemingly under certain circumstances as I don't see these options now with my home wi-fi. Selecting the (i) icon will bring you to a screen that has additional options of auto-join and ask.

Might want to take a look at the settings for the public wifi network outside your building and see if they might help.

 

[Tronic]

Thanks, although neither of these suggestions resolved my problem. Any other ideas?

 

[richwoodrocket]

Thanks, although neither of these suggestions resolved my problem. Any other ideas?

Forget the public network.... Why did you connect to it in the first place if you would prefer to use your home network?

 

[bransoj]

Turn off the auto login to the public network...if for some reason you need it at some point just go to Wifi and connect to it manually.

 

[C DM]

Forget the public network.... Why did you connect to it in the first place if you would prefer to use your home network?

Perhaps to use it outside where the home network is not available?

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Turn off the auto login to the public network...if for some reason you need it at some point just go to Wifi and connect to it manually.

So let's say you login to connect to it and 15 minutes later you are at home, seems like you'd still be connected to it.

 

[GreyOS]

I sent an enhancement request 'bug' to Apple last summer requesting a way to prioritise wifi networks on iOS. Fingers crossed for iOS 9?

 

[C DM]

I sent an enhancement request 'bug' to Apple last summer requesting a way to prioritise wifi networks on iOS. Fingers crossed for iOS 9?

I wonder if that would really do the trick in a situation like this. It would still connect to the public network first when outside of range of the home network and as you get into range of the home network the public network still has a signal and a connection already so I'm not sure it would drop it at that point and switch to the home network just because that one is of higher priority (which is generally more of priority for connectivity when not already connected to a network as I recall).

 

[GreyOS]

I wonder if that would really do the trick in a situation like this. It would still connect to the public network first when outside of range of the home network and as you get into range of the home network the public network still has a signal and a connection already so I'm not sure it would drop it at that point and switch to the home network just because that one is of higher priority (which is generally more of priority for connectivity when not already connected to a network as I recall).

b
no but it would become as simple as turning wifi off and on again from CC

 

[C DM]

b
no but it would become as simple as turning wifi off and on again from CC

Yes, I suppose that should do the trick.

Given how iOS is set up to work with WiFi networks, based on the article at https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202831, it seems that that trick might work even as is given the supposed preference for private networks over (public) hotspots.

Aside from that, there also seem to be ways to create some priorities with a bit of work, based on information at http://nootrix.com/2012/01/prioritize-wifi-on-iphone/. I think it mainly works based on enabling/disabling some auto-join settings.