How to turn off iPhone WiFi auto-join for public and carrier networks

Have you noticed your iPhone jump onto a WiFi network when you’re away from home without asking first? Or maybe you want to check what networks your iPhone is auto-joining? Follow along for how to turn off iPhone WiFi auto-join for public and carrier networks.

The default setting for iPhone when it picks up an unknown WiFi network is to ask if you’d like to join. However, there is a scenario where it can automatically join WiFi networks without asking.

These are called “managed networks” and they’re often provided for free by wireless providers like AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and more.

Because they typically come from a reliable source, iPhone defaults to auto-join these managed networks that are found in public, but you can disable that behavior.

Managed networks can vary. For example, they may be locked networks only available for customers of a certain carrier. But even though some are not fully open, public networks, you may not want to auto-join them as they are somewhat public connections.

Separate from managed networks, you can also check the list of your iPhone’s known networks to forget them in case you’ve accidentally joined one in the past.

How to turn off iPhone WiFi auto-join for managed networks

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone
2. Choose Wi-Fi at the top
3. Now tap Edit in the top right corner
4. Swipe to the bottom and look under Managed Networks
5. Tap the circled “i” on the right of any network
6. Now tap the toggle next to Auto-Join to turn it off

Here’s how that looks:

Of course, another option to turn off iPhone WiFi auto-join is to switch off WiFi fully, but that can be a hassle and easy to forget about.

How to manage iPhone known networks

If you’d like to audit which networks your iPhone automatically joins after having joined it at least once before, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone
2. Choose Wi-Fi at the top
3. Now tap Edit in the top right corner
4. The top section will be your known networks, tap the – icon on the right to delete one
5. Or tap the circled “i” on the right of any network to turn off auto-join, turn on Private WiFi Address, and more

You can also change the default setting of iPhone asking if you want to join unknown networks. Outside of the default to “Ask” you can set it to “Notify” you about available networks, or turn it “Off” which will have you manually select and join all networks.

How to check if iPhone has 5G Standalone turned on and is working in iOS 16.4

Included with the new features and changes in iOS 16.4 is the capability for iPhone to use T-Mobile’s 5G Standalone coverage in the US and with Vivo and Claro in Brazil. The new option can offer speeds as fast speeds as 3.3Gbps using the power of carrier aggregation. Here’s how to make sure 5G Standalone is turned on with iPhone and how to verify your cellular connection stats.

T-Mobile officially launched its Ultra Capacity 5G SA network in November last year, touting speeds up to 3Gbps. However, only flagship Samsung smartphones were able to take advantage of the latest network advancement at first with T-Mobile saying that it would “expand to additional devices in the near future.”

Now with iOS 16.4, we’ve seen the toggle arrive in iPhone Settings to enable the super-fast speeds. 5G SA should be enabled by default for T-Mobile customers in the US – the Uncarrier is the only stateside provider for now with 5G SA. Claro and Vivo are also showing 5G SA functionality with iPhone in Brazil. Meanwhile, this flavor of 5G has previously been available on iPhone in other countries.

As a refresher, T-Mobile says its Ultra Capacity 5G SA + carrier aggregation allows it to achieve 3Gbps speeds by merging multiple channels of mid-band 5G spectrum. Also, it’s unclear exactly which cities 5G SA is accessible through T-Mobile for now, so you need to just test it out to see.

How to make sure 5G Standalone (SA) is turned on with iPhone

Only iPhones connected to a carrier with 5G SA will see the option available in Settings

1. Running iOS 16.4, open the Settings app
2. Choose Cellular
3. Now tap Cellular Data Options then Voice & Data
4. At the bottom, make sure the 5G Standalone toggle is turned on

Check your 5G SA connection stats

• After you make sure 5G Standalone is turned on, you can run a speed test to see what performance you’re getting
• You can dial 3001#12345# and hit call to enter Field Test mode – this will provide specific details about your 5G connection and whether or not you’re getting Standalone service
• Look for SA next to connection_type
• Keep in mind while 3.3Gbps has been achieved in T-Mobile tests, real-world performance will vary