Unable to connect to my Wi-Fi after iOS 18 update / After iOS 18 Wi-Fi issues

razme209 see my reply to OP (et al) below thanks!

lpgk_ wrote:

I can't connect to my home's wi-fi, it's giving me error. "Unable to join the network". I tried forgetting the network, forcing shut down, everything. It is not helping and I dont wanna use all my data due to this issue! Sincerely, biggest mistake ever to update. Anyone having the same issue? Specially, someone that managed to solve it?

reset network settings on phone, restart your router.

Then Amazon river’s worth of catch 22 instructions/alerts? Yup. Mine is a iphone 11 (checked…compatible) exactly same will not successfully connect to wifi … sees it, connects to my wifi, then says (incorrectly) it has no internet connection and doesn’t show as connected on top area of home screen only minimal (normal) ATT bars.

WHILST ipad running 17.x latest update great wifi, macmini (pretty new year old?) Lan ethernet ditto all super fast as usual and nominal.

So far on phone:

1) Reset network connection no change

2) Will ‘reboot’ from ipad app but did unplug modem router for a bit replugged unchanged

3) I then reset ALL settings on phone no change but painful obv (n.b. Backed up fine no data loss concerns)

Seeing the #1 and #2 step response maybe i need to do both at the same time? Or some nuance like that?

Am afraid of digging deeper hole wiping phone lost sleep last night thinking it said it was going to ‘remove’ my longtime only ever cell number which … beyond having the OG zip code of my city ;-) and doing other smart 2FA etc things it still is part of my digital and personal identity (the latter … have gotten calls from people haven't talked to in decade) …sure sure workarounds…but feeling overly reliant on this number AND now physical phone (yes planning but put off full work life separation but can’t lol for now).

Sorry OP I don’t have solution but its peculiarly specific and (can at least say) it ISN’T just you.

LONG reply in case some element is helpful for not only me but others too (maybe those with ‘older’ iPhones have ‘this’ or similar). Thanks if any other advice for us as we spin our gears on this for a ton of hours.

P.s. Am able to iMessage and FACETIME from my apple ID EMAIL, but hit or miss on other things since cN’t exactly use cell number (does as ‘green’ sms) until able to log on to everything on the iphone again, which requires internet connection…thats some catch-22 that catch-22. Maybe a computer to phone internet hardline? Doesn’t seem to ne a thing.

I CAN connect my also older ipad 10.5 pro running latest 17.x update, and have my macmini ethernet from a lan off Verizon’s combo modem/router. That device is doing great i get close to a gb (byte bit whatev ya know 200 + is ok? I get over 900 up and download by wifi on the ipad I’m typing this on at times routines well over 600s using a third party speed test app). Verizon internet/router self diagnostics by their app on ipad all nominal unchanged). Ipad didn’t offer to do ios 18.

Found the iphone on verizon ipad app by it’s MAC (whatever … long string of two characters with ‘:’ colon after each pair) # in ‘I know that device but not currently connected’ list

I don’t think it is my internet/wifi

Nor work permissions* as enticing as that sounds describing below (anything is possible but…)

*There’s no indication that the work extra access permissions it has are the problem or has general work IT heard of this from others. I can’t get to the coms sub sub sub group who do ‘this’ until Monday it’s not a personal or work critical ‘crisis’ (just leaking some ‘soul’ but I take part of blame broke excellent practice/procedure of waiting for the first sub update (eg 18.1)).

I have never seen ‘this’ (flavor) of problem before but its painful. I was able to make a couple phone calls but it won’t use iMessage nor let me sign in nor let me confirm my phone passcode lock.

Solved MINE (got a feeling solutions may differ but this wasn’t what I expected) by getting a tip elsewhere amongst troubleshooting list of things that the EXISTENCE of a 3rd party VPN app was unexpectedly causing my near brick-age of my iPhone 11.

i uninstalled (deleted) it off the phone, then ultimately the phone did finish whatever process it got hung up on and it worked fine after that.

THEN (as this tip apologies don’t recall from where / who but was on web) I reinstalled and used the VPN no problem. For the sake of my own even somewhat anonymity, correct, I didn’t say which VPN provider but the majority of people here have heard of the ‘organization’ that has that among other products. It also wasn’t, to be crystal clear, anything to do with apple’s native private relay.

So wow frustrating … i DID all the other troubleshooting things and THINK I’m close to having picked up almost all the quirks that ‘resetting all settings’ lead to (specifically an annoying side effect was unexpected notifications including some being ‘dang the torpedos and your dnd will deliver as time sensitive.’ I was fortunate to not lose more sleep with those. I’m not certain but it seems like i had to respecify notifications more than once. Perhaps the sync/use across all devices contributed to the havoc.

Obviously I’m not a programmer or actual under the hood expert but while atandard trouble shooting tips OFTEN ARE the answer (tech support; ‘is it plugged in?’ I hear this is a real thing (with desktop ‘dead’ calls).

Closing all apps shutting down / restarting device goes a long way and is pretty painless. I mention this to ask: did ANYONE have this similar problem as the OP (and ‘me too’) and resetting all preferences to default or other cumbersome but well intended expert similar advice fixed it for you? Maybe we’ll never know many read but don’t post.

i’d ask those who are experts (I am a content independent problem solver so learn as i go but NOT a actual expert here) who I saw several posting similar trouble shooting as the preferences thing, to specify if a proposed solution dunno a) actually fixed this specific problem, and/or b) has fixed similar seeming problems in the past, or even c) mechanistically this MAY work here’s why i suggest this.

As a voluble communicator I’m often flummoxed by the lack of ‘why?’ and follow up in general. A lot of people seem to have had this issue. Given the recs that experts put out, what follow up can we all learn from this from the experts? There’s multiple strings out there I don’t wish to call anyone out more say (sure, a lot but maybe a little more from others would lead me to have less to say ;-) am replying (with that worked for me note) but also general points as food for thought. Thanks to those who know stuff who selflessly try to help us non actual techies as well!

🤣🤣parque gang