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How to Turn Off Automatic Wi-Fi Connection on iPhone and Android

Turn off Auto-Join or Auto-connect to stop rejoining one saved Wi-Fi network while keeping its password. Android also has a separate setting to stop Wi-Fi activating near saved networks.
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To stop your phone rejoining one saved Wi-Fi network, turn off that network’s automatic-join setting: on iPhone, switch off Auto-Join; on Android, switch off the saved network’s Auto-connect option if your phone provides one. These controls keep the network’s password saved. If you want Wi-Fi itself to stop turning on near saved networks, use Android’s separate Turn on Wi-Fi automatically setting instead.

Stop an iPhone from automatically joining one saved network

  1. Open Settings > Wi-Fi.
  2. Tap Edit to view known networks.
  3. Tap the More Info button beside the network.
  4. Turn Auto-Join off.

The network and password stay saved, so you can still connect manually. The change takes effect after the iPhone disconnects—for example, after Wi-Fi is turned off and back on, or when the phone leaves the network’s range. A managed or supervised iPhone may not show this control.

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Stop an Android phone from automatically joining one saved network

  1. Open Settings > Network & internet > Internet.
  2. Open the saved network’s settings.
  3. Turn off its Auto-connect control, if available.

Android’s menu labels and paths vary by manufacturer and version. Google says an Android device with Wi-Fi on automatically connects to nearby networks it has connected to before; Android also supports disabling automatic connection for an individual saved network. If your phone does not show an automatic-connection switch, choose Forget for that network. You will need to select it and provide its credentials again to reconnect.

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Stop Android Wi-Fi from turning itself on near saved networks

If the problem is that Wi-Fi turns on by itself, rather than that the phone joins one particular network, look for Turn on Wi-Fi automatically under Settings > Network & internet > Internet > Network preferences and turn it off. This setting controls automatic Wi-Fi activation near saved networks; it is not the per-network setting for joining a particular network once Wi-Fi is on. The option may not be available on every Android device or version.

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Forget a network instead of keeping it saved

Forgetting removes the network’s stored credentials. On iPhone, open the network’s info/settings screen and choose Forget This Network. On Android, open the saved network and tap Forget. Afterward, the phone will not rejoin it unless you connect again and, when prompted, provide the credentials.

On iPhone, forgetting a network can also cause other devices using iCloud Keychain with the same Apple Account to forget it. Choose the per-network Auto-Join or Auto-connect switch instead if you want to retain the password for future manual connections.

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Other automatic Wi-Fi settings on iPhone

These settings control different behaviors, not whether the iPhone rejoins a known saved network:

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  • Ask to Join Networks controls whether the iPhone asks about available new networks.
  • Auto-Join Hotspot controls joining a nearby Personal Hotspot when no Wi-Fi network is available.

For a specific known network, change that network’s Auto-Join setting instead.

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Choose the setting that matches the problem

What you want Setting to change Credentials kept?
Stop joining one known network automatically iPhone: that network’s Auto-Join; Android: that network’s Auto-connect, if available Yes; connect manually when needed
Stop Android Wi-Fi from activating near saved networks Turn on Wi-Fi automatically under Network preferences Saved networks remain on the device
Remove a saved network from the phone Forget This Network on iPhone or Forget on Android No; credentials are removed

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