Connecting to WiFi networks is among the most frequently used function on a smartphone. You will often connect to WiFi networks in coffee shops, restaurants, airports and more. Despite being a useful function, connecting to WiFi has never gotten the respect it deserves in iOS. A user had to dive into the settings to connect to a selected WiFi network. With iOS 13, however, Apple has made it much easier and faster to connect to a nearby WiFi network. In this article, we will detail how to quickly join WiFi networks in iOS 13.
Connect to WiFi via Control Center
Apple, with the iOS 13, introduced several Control Center tweaks, including a new feature allowing you to connect to WiFi networks. It is now possible to connect to WiFi networks without going to the Settings, where you had to work your way through the menus to select a nearby wireless network.
Connecting to a WiFi network from the Control Center was not possible in the iOS 12 or older. With the iOS 13, Apple introduced an interactive WiFi panel in the Control Center interface. Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, briefly talked about this functionality at the Worldwide Developers Conference 2019 in San Jose, California.
This new method to quickly join WiFi networks in iOS 13 is not necessarily fewer taps than the method via the Settings, but it is definitely faster. In the new method, you don’t have to close the current app, look for the settings app, open it, then open the WiFi option, select the desired network, close the Settings and then reopen the app that you were working on.
Using Control Center to quickly join WiFi networks in iOS 13 is a much easier process. The steps to quickly join WiFi networks in iOS 13 are mentioned below.
How to quickly join WiFi networks in iOS 13
First, open the Control Center on your iPhone. If you have an iPhone with no Home button, then swipe down from the upper-right corner. If you have an iPhone with a Home button, then swipe up from the bottom.
Second, now tap and hold on the wireless connections icon (Network card with WiFi and Bluetooth icons) in the upper right.
Third, after it expands, tap and hold (or 3D touch) the WiFi button, which is on the left side. A point to note is that if you just tap on the WiFi button, it will toggle off and on. You will now be presented with a list of nearby WiFi networks. From here, you can select the one that you want to connect to.
If the network that you are trying to connect to is password protected, you will automatically be taken out of the Control Center to the Settings → WiFi. You will be prompted to enter the password and then hit the Connect button. You can, however, switch wireless networks without leaving the Control Center, but only for the WiFi networks that you already have the passwords saved on your device.
The WiFi network that your iPhone or iPad is currently connected to will be displayed at the top of the WiFi list with a checkmark alongside the name. There is also a shortcut in the iOS 13 Control Center that is linked to Settings → WiFi, at the bottom of the menu. Clicking it will directly take you to the WiFi option under the Settings.
By following similar steps, you can also connect to Bluetooth accessories from the Control Center in iOS 13.
Join a nearby WiFi network via Contact
Another way to quickly join a WiFi network is via Contact. With the iOS 12, Apple added the ability to connect to a WiFi network if someone near you has saved you as a contact. This feature may not be useful on most occasions, but will come in handy if you are visiting a friend’s house.
For this method to work you should be on your friend’s contact list and your friend’s contact item for you must include your email address that you use with iCloud.
Follow the below steps to connect to a WiFi network via Contact:
First, ensure that your iOS device is near to your friend’s iPhone, iPad, or Mac as the feature depends on Bluetooth and proximity.
Second, tap on the network that you wish to connect to.
Third, a pop-up will now appear on your friend’s device, saying that you want to connect to their network. Your friend will now have to select Share Password.
Fourth, your device will now get the password, and it will automatically connect to the network.
Once you are connected, your friend will have to tap Done to dismiss the dialog.
