Considering that so much of the functionality of an iPhone and iPad is dependent on the internet, it’s pretty frustrating if you can’t join a wireless network because of a mystery “Unable to join the network [name]” error popping up on an iPad or iPhone,. You may encounter this alert trying to join a wifi network as usual, or by trying to manually join a network:
With such a nondescript error message, it’s hard to know exactly what the problem with the wi-fi is, but for most cases you can resolve the issue fairly quickly with the multistep process described below. Please try to join the network after every troubleshooting step.
Make sure that your router is on and that you’re within range
If you’re too far from your Wi-Fi router, you may keep getting Unable to join the network error when you try to connect to the network , so make sure that you’re within range.
Restart your iPhone and router
You might see an "unable to join the network" message due to a minor glitch with your iPhone or router. Restart your iPhone and router, then try to enter your password again.
Restart your iPhone or iPad by going to Settings > General > Shut Down. Drag the power off slider from left to right to shut down your iPhone or iPad. Wait a few seconds for your device to shut down completely, then press down the power button to turn your device back on.
Restart your router and cable or DSL modem by unplugging the device and then plugging it back in.
After you restart each device, see if you fixed the issue.
Check for issues with your Wi-Fi network
If iOS or iPadOS detects an issue with your Wi-Fi connection, you might see a Wi-Fi recommendation under the name of the Wi-Fi network that you’re connected to. For example, you might see the alert "No Internet Connection." To get more information, tap the Wi-Fi network.
Check your cables and connections
If you still can’t connect to the network on your iPhone or iPad, make sure that your router is connected to the modem and turned on.
Reset Network Settings
If the issue persists, try resetting network settings on your iPhone. Here’s how:
- Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings
- Enter the devices passcode and confirm the reset
- Let the iPhone/iPad restart, you’ll see a spinning cursor on the device as it finishes the reset before the device boots back on
- Go back to Settings > Wi-Fi and join the network again.
Resetting Network Settings resets Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and VPN and APN settings that you’ve used before. After completing this step, you’ll have to re-enter passwords and specific network information again.
At this point the iPhone / iPad should connect to the network fine as usual. If you’re still having trouble after taking the aforementioned steps, go forget the Wi-Fi network via the iOS Settings and then manually join it again. Manually joining networks is done by choosing “Other” from the Wi-Fi menu and entering the exact router name, network encryption type, and router password.
From personal experience, the “unable to join network” error seems to occur when connecting to certain Wireless N routers more often than anything else, so if you have a dual band router you may just opt for the other network and skip the troubled signal. Sometimes restarting the router can help too, but if you don’t have control over that, try other solutions explain in this article or ask the Wi-Fi administrator to reboot the router.