How to fix Apple iPhone 8 Plus that cannot connect to Wi-Fi, having Wi-Fi connectivity problems [Troubleshooting Guide]

Need help dealing with Wi-Fi problems on your new iPhone 8 Plus? This article highlights some points that will help you diagnose and fix various Wi-Fi issues on the iPhone. Feel free to use this content as reference when needed.

One of the widespread and complex issues transpiring in mobile devices is on Wi-Fi. It can occur to any device at any time in various circumstances. Among the relevant symptoms include but not limited to no connectivity at all, slow browsing, intermittent connection, and other wireless access errors. Given the complexity of Wi-Fi issues, end-users find it a bit difficult to diagnose and solve the problem. But this post will help you get to the bottom of the issue.

Drop by our iPhone 8 Plus troubleshooting page if you have other issues with your phone as we’ve already addressed the most common problems. If you need more help, fill up our iPhone issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

Why does your iPhone 8 Plus unable to connect to Wi-Fi?

Many factors can trigger problems with your iPhone’s wireless connectivity features. In some cases, the main issue lies within the home network equipment (wireless router or modem) while others are isolated to the browser app in use. There are also some issues in which the iPhone settings are to blame like when Wi-Fi is disabled on the device or incorrect network password being used (for secured networks). But what appears to be the most prevalent among the possible causes is a software malfunction due to faulty updates to certain apps or iOS itself. Just like what usually occurs to many iPhone users after installing new iOS updates on their iPhone. Major updates to iOS are usually the triggers as they can override the current Wi-Fi settings on the device, and thereby causes some sort of conflict to the iPhone’s wireless connectivity functions.

Other factors that can affect your Wi-Fi connection are network outages and account-related issues. Wi-Fi problems that are tied to network outages need not to be troubleshoot as these are already on the network’s end. All you have to do in this case is to wait until the outage is over. You may need to contact your network service provider to verify some matters like estimated time frame as to when the outage would be over so that you’ll know when to try using the Internet again. For account-related issues, you need to settle whatever issue you may have with your account and once that is taken care of, your Internet services will likewise resume to normal.

In worst case scenarios, a Wi-Fi error may also transpire due to hardware problems on the iPhone from physical and/or liquid damages. This is when tech services are necessary.

How to fix Wi-Fi problems on your iPhone 8 Plus?

Again the solutions to Wi-Fi problems may vary depending on the underlying cause. As much as possible try to figure out what exactly went wrong so that you will know what particular aspect needs to be dealt with. For example, if the problem started after installing a new app or update, then most likely that’s the culprit since it did not occur prior to the app or update installation on the device. Usually you’ll get an error message telling you about what went wrong and what needs to be done in order to fix it. Be sure to read the entire message if prompted because it will serve as your hint in troubleshooting the problem. Otherwise, you’ll have to try every possible solution there is until you find the fix. That may take time but can be necessary for your new iPhone to get back online. If you are not certain of what to do or where to get started when troubleshooting Wi-Fi issues on your iPhone 8 Plus, then you may refer to the following options. Don’t forget to test your Wi-Fi connection after completing each method to see whether the problem is fixed. Proceed to the next applicable solution if necessary.

Reboot your modem/wireless router and your iPhone 8 Plus

This is by far the simplest yet most effective solutions to various types of connectivity issues in electronic and mobile devices. In fact, when you contact technical support when dealing with network-related problems, this will likely be the first offered solution. So if you haven’t already, try powering off or reboot your wireless router or modem and then turn it back on. Here’s how it is supposed to be done:

  1. Power off your wireless router or modem by pressing the Power button until it turns off completely.
  2. Unplug it from the power source.
  3. Wait for at about 30 seconds and then plug it back into power.
  4. Press the Power button again to turn it back on.
  5. Wait until the lights on the modem or router become stable.
  6. Now reboot your iPhone 8 Plus.
    • To do so, press and hold the Power button or Side button until the Slide to Power Off screen appears. Drag the slider to power off the device completely. After a few seconds, press the Power button again until the Apple logo appears.

In iOS 11, a new option to power off the iPhone is already embedded in the Settings menu. You can also use that option to restart your device. In the case where the iPhone gets stuck on certain website and become unresponsive, a force restart would be necessary.

  • To do a force restart on your iPhone 8 Plus, press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Then press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Finally, press and hold the Power button or Side button until the Apple logo appears.

Wait until your iPhone boots up completely then try to connect to back online through Wi-Fi and see if you can.

Toggle Wi-Fi off and then back on

Another quick possible solution to try when your iPhone is not connecting to Wi-Fi is turning the Wi-Fi feature off and back on. Doing so refreshes the Wi-Fi connection on your device. Make sure that Wi-Fi is enabled and that your network is available. Here’s what to do then:

  1. Tap Settings on your Home screen.
  2. Tap Wi-Fi.
  3. Verify and ensure that Wi-Fi is turned on or enabled.
  4. If necessary, tap a Wi-Fi network to join. You will know if you are already connected to the selected wireless network if you see a blue checkmark before the network name.

If the Wi-Fi button is grayed out and you cannot toggle it on or off, it may indicate a hardware problem with the Wi-Fi antenna on your device. This thing can happen to different iPhone models even with the latest iPhone models that don’t have a headphone jack. To rule out a possible software issue in this case, you can try to forget the network and then reconnect. If that doesn’t work, contact Apple Support or your iPhone carrier for other recommendations. You may avail for service warranty or unit replacement if necessary.

In the case where you couldn’t access the Internet through your selected wireless network as it’s prompting you to enter a password, it means that the Wi-Fi network is password-protected so you need to enter the correct password for access. If you don’t know the password like if someone else set up your network, ask that person for help. Otherwise, contact your network service provider or router manufacturer to reset the password if necessary.

Forget Wi-Fi network

Sometimes the problem is isolated to the wireless network you are connected to. To rule this out from the possible causes, try to forget the current network, set it up again, and then reconnect. It could be a minor glitch on the network settings that’s causing you a problem and forgetting the network is one way to rectify the glitch.

  1. To forget Wi-Fi network on your iPhone 8 Plus, go to Settings-> Wi-Fi.
  2. Then tap the blue i icon next to the Wi-Fi network.
  3. Tap the option to Forget this network.

Reboot your iPhone 8 Plus then try to re-join to the network afterwards.

If you’re getting an error message saying that you’re “unable to join the network” or “an incorrect password entered” try to forget the network, restart all your devices, then attempt to reconnect.

Forgetting the wireless network can also rule out a software issue that is tied to a grayed out Wi-Fi button.

Reset network settings on your iPhone 8 Plus

Misconfigured options or incorrect configuration on the network settings on your device can also cause you the same problem. This is usually the case if your iPhone is suddenly unable to connect to Wi-Fi or getting Wi-Fi errors after making some changes to certain network options. If you are certain of which setting has changed and caused you a problem, then try to revert the changes and see if that will do it. But if you couldn’t figure this out, then you may opt to a network settings reset instead. Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, VPN and APN settings that you’ve used before will be erased so be sure to take note of this information beforehand. Once you’re all set, follow these steps:

  • Tap Settings from the Home screen.
  • Tap General.
  • Tap Reset.
  • Select the option to Reset Network Settings.
  • Wait for your device to delete all the Wi-Fi networks along with pertinent information stored on your iPhone.

After the reset, reboot your device, set up your wireless network, then attempt to reconnect. Again, you’ll need to reconnect to all your Wi-Fi networks and enter their passwords again.

DFU Mode restore

If your iPhone 8 Plus is still unable to connect to any Wi-Fi networks at all after you’ve reset network settings and verified that there are no outages whatsoever with your network service provider, try to restore your iPhone in DFU Mode and restore it from a backup. This however should only be deemed the last resort if all else failed to fix the problem as it will wipe or erase everything from your device.  You may refer to our separate guide on how to perform a DFU mode restore on your iPhone 8 Plus for a step-by-step guide on how to do it properly. If that doesn’t work, then there is a good chance that your iPhone needs repair.

Other Recommendations

  • Check your wireless router. If the problem persists and your iPhone 8 Plus still cannot connect to Wi-Fi after resetting all networks, it might be an issue with your network equipment in use like wireless router or modem. When you connect your iPhone to Wi-Fi, two things are involved — your wireless router and your iPhone itself. It is possible that your iPhone couldn’t establish a proper connection with the wireless router or modem, thus it doesn’t have access to the Internet. This is often the case if your device cannot connect to your home network but can connect to other networks. Should this be the underlying cause, you can fix the problem by resetting the modem or wireless router. To do so, locate the tiny reset button (usually in a hole on the back or bottom of your router) then use a pen to press down that button for about 30 seconds. Just leave your router plugged in while doing this. After the router resets, everything in it will go back to factory defaults and acts the same way it did when use it the first time. For further assistance on how to reset your modem or wireless router, contact your router manufacturer or Apple Support.
  • Check cable connections. If you still cannot connect to your network or go online make sure that your router is connected to the modem and that both devices are turned on. If you are using the wireless router-to-modem setup for your home network, be sure to do so. It’s possible that the modem gets disconnected (physically) from the wireless router so you need to work on that first.
  • Don’t forget your iPhone warranty. If your device is still under warranty, then you can save time and effort in setting up service appointment by availing for your iPhone 8 Plus warranty instead. All you have to do is give your carrier or Apple Support a call and ask how.

Connect with us

If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the new Apple iPhone 8 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 8. 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.

2 thoughts on “How to fix Apple iPhone 8 Plus that cannot connect to Wi-Fi, having Wi-Fi connectivity problems [Troubleshooting Guide]”

  1. This is ridiculous. I’ve been dealing with apple support for 2 days now and nothing has been resolved. I’ve had the phone less than a month. My data is being used up completely!

    They’ve had me restore my phone (which deletes everything), reconfigure my router, reset my network, restore factory settings, you name it we tried it. I have to constantly repeat myself every time they transfer me.

    It’s obviously an iPhone 8 plus issue as every other device in our house connects just fine: 2 macbook pros, imac, iPhone 6 & 5, Roku, and our raspberry pi.

    The iPhone 8 Plus connects and then after a couple of minutes will disconnect and then will say that the password is incorrect when I attempt to reconnect. The password is 100% correct as I’ve disconnected and reconnected from my other devices. Sometimes if I put the phone in and out of airplane mode it will reconnect with no problem, but again only for a few minutes before disconnecting again.

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