How-To

How to Turn Android Wi-Fi On Automatically

By Brian Burgess

Published November 6, 2022

Need to configure your Android Wi-Fi settings automatically? You can set your Wi-Fi to switch on or off automatically by following this guide.

On the move? When you travel with your Android phone across different Wi-Fi networks, you’ll want it to turn on Wi-Fi and connect to the network automatically. In addition, if you’re using battery saver mode, you may need to turn Wi-Fi on and off at the right times.

Your phone is continually scanning for a Wi-Fi network to connect with. But disabling Wi-Fi saves battery juice, and you must remember to turn it back on when in range of the network you need to connect.

To help with the issue, you can make your phone turn Android Wi-Fi on automatically and connect to the available network.

How to Enable Wi-Fi Automatically on Android

You need to enable a little-known setting to make your phone automatically turn on Wi-Fi. Accessing it is straightforward, provided you know where to look.

Note: We’re using a OnePlus (running Android 11) phone for this article. Keep in mind the steps and UI will vary based on the phone type and version of Android. However, this will show you what to look for.

To make your Android phone turn on Wi-Fi automatically:

1. Open Settings by tapping the home screen icon or swipe down from the top and tap the gear icon.
2. Tap Wi-Fi & Network or Network & internet on a Pixel phone.
3. Select the Wi-Fi option or tap on Internet on a Pixel phone.
4. Tap Wi-Fi preferences or Network preferences on a Pixel phone.
5. Now, on the following screen, toggle on the Turn on Wi-Fi automatically switch.

Enable Automatic Wi-Fi on Android

If you turn off Android on Airplane mode or other battery-saving processes, it may turn off Wi-Fi. Or perhaps you turn Wi-Fi off on your own so you can get through the long workday with a single charge. Turning it back on can be annoying; sometimes, you forget to switch it on.

There are other things you can do with Wi-Fi and Android. For example, you can turn your Android into a Wi-Fi hotspot or share Wi-Fi credentials with a QR Code. If Wi-Fi turns on automatically, it may not be connecting. In that instance, you need to find a Wi-Fi password on Android.

It’s also worth noting other cool tricks you can do on Android. For example, you can print text messages on Android or transfer photos from Android to a USB drive. Something else you might want to learn is how to block a number on Android and say goodbye to spammers and other unwanted calls and texts.