How to fix an iPhone 7 Plus that won’t connect to Wi-Fi after an update [Troubleshooting Guide]

by

Post-update issues are part of major and minor iOS rollouts. While many people would end up having a smooth system upgrade, others are not lucky enough to have the same positive experience. In fact, you would see a lot of reported issues following the release of a new software update. And one of the commonly raised issues is on wireless connectivity error. Here in this context, I will tackle a pertinent post-update issue that is particularly transpiring on the iPhone 7 Plus. Read on to find out how to deal with a problem on your iPhone 7 Plus that won’t connect to Wi-Fi after installing a new software update.

Before going any further though, if you have other concerns with your new iPhone, make sure you drop by our iPhone 7 troubleshooting page for we have already started supporting the device. Moreover, if you need further assistance, you can always contact us by completing our iPhone issues questionnaire and providing us with sufficient information about the problem.

How to troubleshoot iPhone 7 Plus that won’t connect to WiFi

Before you begin to troubleshoot your iPhone software, verify and ensure that your Wi-Fi status is active and your iPhone is connected to your Wi-Fi network. A quick glance on the Wi-Fi icon on the status bar will let you know if your device is connected to Wi-Fi or not. You can also try power-cycling your wireless router and/or modem to fix random glitches caused by minor firmware crashes on your network equipment. Once you’ve checking and doing all these requisite steps and your iPhone still cannot connect to Wi-Fi, then you may proceed to these workarounds.

First solution: Reboot your iPhone (soft reset).

A soft reset or device restart is usually done to apply recent changes made on your device settings. It is also the simplest effective solution to minor issues caused by random glitches on the phone system. If you haven’t yet restarted your iPhone, then you should do so right now. For starters, here’s how a soft reset is done on the iPhone 7 Plus:

  1. Press and hold the Power button until the Slide to Power off button icon appears.
  2. Drag the slider to power off your device.
  3. After 30 seconds, press and hold the Power button until the Apple logo appears.

Second solution: Turn Wi-Fi off and on.

Some updates would implement new changes that might have triggered your iPhone’s Wi-Fi feature to turn off by automatically. Or it may still be turned on but no Internet access so you won’t be able to connect or go online. To fix this, turn Wi-Fi off and on again on your device. Here’s what you should do then:

  1. Swipe up from the bottom of the Home screen to open the Control Center.
  2. From the Control Center, tap the Wi-Fi icon to turn Wi-Fi off for a few seconds and then tap to turn Wi-Fi on again.
  3. Alternatively, you can also access the Wi-Fi settings by navigating to Settings-> Wi-Fi, then tap the Wi-Fi switch to turn the feature off and on again.

This will also help refresh the Wi-Fi connection on your device. If that doesn’t work either, then move on to the next solution.

Third solution: Forget your Wi-Fi network then reconnect.

It’s also possible that the update has caused your Wi-Fi network to crash, get corrupted. And therefore needs to be reconfigured. For that matter, forgetting the Wi-Fi network can help. This will delete your Wi-Fi network from the phone and then you can reconnect. So it’s like letting your phone connect to your wireless network as if it’s the first time. If you wish to give it a shot, then follow these steps:

  1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
  2. Tap Wi-Fi.
  3. Tap the blue i or information icon next to the Wi-Fi network you want to forget or delete.
  4. Tap the option to Forget This Network.

If you see other Wi-Fi networks in the list, then delete them all too so as to prevent any of them from causing conflict with your Wi-Fi network in use.

Restart your iPhone then set up and connect to your Wi-Fi network again. Here’s how to scan and connect to a Wi-Fi network on your iPhone 7 Plus:

  1. Go to Settings-> Wi-Fi.
  2. Tap the Wi-Fi switch to turn Wi-Fi on, if necessary.
  3. Wait for your iPhone to scan for Wi-Fi networks in range.
  4. Scroll to and tap the Wi-Fi network you want to connect to.
  5. If prompted, enter the Wi-Fi password to continue.
  6. Then tap Join.

Wait until your phone is connected.

Fourth solution: Reset network settings on your iPhone.

Resetting the network settings might be the key to resolving the problem especially if the update has altered all your network settings automatically. Such problems usually occur when a major update is implemented. To perform a network settings reset on your iPhone 7 Plus, follow these steps:

  1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll to and tap Reset.
  4. Select the option to Reset network settings. This will delete your wireless networks and passwords along with other network options.
  5. If prompted, enter your device passcode to continue.
  6. Then tap the option to confirm network settings reset.

Your iPhone will reboot automatically when the reset is finished. When it’s booted up completely, set up and connect to your Wi-Fi network again.

Fifth solution: Factory reset your iPhone (master reset).

A full system reset should be your last option if all else would fail to fix the problem and that your iPhone still won’t connect to Wi-Fi. The new update might have contained some tough bugs that messed up your iPhone’s network system thus halting your device from establishing firm connection with your Wi-Fi network. But please note though that this will wipe everything out from your phone’s internal memory, meaning all your important data, apps, customized settings, and personal information will be deleted. This therefore denotes the need to create a backup of your iPhone data. Once everything is set, follow these steps to reset and restore your iPhone 7 Plus to factory defaults settings:

  1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll to and tap Reset.
  4. Select the option to Erase all content and settings.
  5. Enter the device passcode when asked.
  6. Then tap the option to confirm iPhone reset.

Wait until the reset is finished and your iPhone reboots. By then you can proceed with the initial device setup and set up your Wi-Fi network then attempt to reconnect.

Seek more help

Escalate the problem to your carrier or Apple Support if none of the prior methods is able to fix the problem and that your iPhone 7 Plus still won’t connect to your Wi-Fi network. There might be a more serious issue that requires the use of advanced network software from your service provider’s end.

Connect with us

If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the new Apple iPhone 7 smartphone, feel free to visit our Tutorial Page. There you can find a list of how-to contents, step-by-step tutorials, as well as answers to FAQs regarding iPhone 7. If you have other concerns or encountered some troubles while using the phone, you can reach us through this form. Just be sure to tell us more details of the problem or device issue(s) you may have and we will be more than happy to assist you further.

Posts you may also like to read:

Leave a Comment