Why does my iPad see Wi-Fi but not my iPhone 13?

My iPhone doesn't see the WIFI 6 SSID but my iPad does. My phone can literally be beside the modem an it still doesn't see the WIFI 6 SSID. I've already tried disconnecting and reconnecting to the WIFI and also rebooted my phone.




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iPhone 13, iOS 18

Posted on Apr 7, 2025 4:48 PM

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Posted on Apr 7, 2025 6:49 PM

Okay, so this isn’t Wi-Fi 6, it’s Wi-Fi 6E.


Try with the same SSID across all bands, per Apple Wi-Fi 6E recommendations:


Band steering would be an alternative approach to multiple SSIDs, though that can have mixed results.


10 replies

Apr 7, 2025 5:50 PM in response to mascf

mascf wrote:

My iPhone doesn't see the WIFI 6 SSID but my iPad does. My phone can literally be beside the modem an it still doesn't see the WIFI 6 SSID. I've already tried disconnecting and reconnecting to the WIFI and also rebooted my phone.

Does your iPhone work with other Wi-Fi networks? If it does, the problem is with your router. Try restarting it.


Do you have a 3rd party VPN installed, even if you are not using it? If so, delete the VPN profile in Settings/General/VPN & Device Management/VPN. Don't just turn it off; delete the profile. If that fixes it, you can try reinstalling VPN. VPN actually reduces your privacy, it does not enhance it, so you may want to rethink the reason you use VPN.

Apr 7, 2025 6:04 PM in response to MrHoffman

There’s no issue with the firmware, the ISP controls all updates. My iPad gets double the speed on wifi6 over wifi5, so there’s no issue with the modem. iPhone 13 connects fine to wifi5, it just doesn’t see the wifi6 ssid. There’s a lot of conflicting info on the internet about wifi6 and the iPhone 13.

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Why does my iPad see Wi-Fi but not my iPhone 13?

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