Take back control and stop those pesky popups
What to do if someone is stealing your Wi-Fi
Find out what harm someone can do by hacking into your Wi-Fi network and be sure to follow these steps to kick them off. Kurt ‘The CyberGuy’ reports.
It can be very convenient to log into the Wi-Fi network easily via password sharing when visiting a new location or a family or friend's house. Instead of having to dig around for the password or struggling to share long, alphanumeric passwords with symbols, you can simply use password sharing to "drop" a password to your intended friend or family member.
But what if those notifications asking if you want to share your Wi-Fi password with devices nearby are persistent and annoying?
The good news is that it’s just as easy to stop sharing Wi-Fi password notifications as it was to share them. We’ll show you how to quickly stop Wi-Fi password-sharing popups on your Apple and Android phones.
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Wi-Fi Password Popup on iPhone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)
How to stop Wi-Fi password sharing popups on iPhone
When the Wi-Fi password-sharing popups become too persistent, here are several options to address this issue:
Option 1: Disabling Wi-Fi Network Suggestions
- On your iPhone’s main page, go to ‘Settings’
- Tap Wi-Fi
- Tap ‘Ask to Join Networks’
Steps to stop Wi-Fi password sharing popups on iPhone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)
- Tap Off
Steps to stop Wi-Fi password sharing popups on iPhone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)
Now your iPhone will only automatically join networks it knows. You should stop receiving prompts to share your Wi-Fi password with others.
Option 2: Forgetting and rejoining the Wi-Fi network
Occasionally, it can help to reconfigure the network.
- On your iPhone’s main page, go to ‘Settings’
- Tap ‘Wi-Fi’
- Find your Wi-Fi network and tap the ‘i’ icon next to it
Steps to forget the Wi-Fi network on iPhone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)
- Tap ‘Forget This Network’
- Tap ‘Forget’ in the popup box to confirm that you want to forget this network
Steps to forget the Wi-Fi network on iPhone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)
- To rejoin, tap the network you want to join
- Enter your Wi-Fi password and tap ‘Join’
Steps to forget the Wi-Fi network on iPhone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson )
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Option 3: Removing contacts from Wi-Fi password sharing
Under your contact information, you can remove the iCloud email addresses of the people you shared your Wi-Fi password with.
- On your iPhone’s main page, go to ‘Contacts’
- Scroll to the contact you want to edit
- Select the contact
Steps to remove contacts from Wi-Fi password sharing (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)
- Scroll down to where it says ‘LINKED CONTACTS,’ and if there is an iCloud email address associated with this contact, you will see it here
- Tap on the ‘iCloud’ option
- Tap ‘Edit’ on the top right corner
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Steps to remove contacts from Wi-Fi password sharing (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)
- Scroll down and tap ‘Delete Contact’
- Tap ‘Delete Contact’
Steps to remove contacts from Wi-Fi password sharing (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)
These options should minimize the persistent Wi-Fi password-sharing popups. It, however, is part of the iOS feature to help make sharing networks with contacts you know easier. You can also provide Apple with feedback to impact future changes, here.
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How to stop Wi-Fi password sharing popups on Android
When the Wi-Fi password-sharing popups become too persistent, here are steps to address this issue on your Android. Please note that exact steps may vary for specific device models.
- On your phone, open ‘Settings’
- Select ‘Network & Internet’ or ‘Connections’
- Select a listed network, then tap ‘Wi-Fi options’ or ‘Advanced settings’
- Toggle off ‘Wi-Fi sharing’ or ‘QR code’
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Kurt’s key takeaways
While the Wi-Fi password-sharing feature has been created to be more convenient for their users, the persistent notifications to share your password can be annoying and distracting. Luckily, there are multiple options for turning off this feature on both Apple and Android devices.
Have you used the Wi-Fi password-sharing option between nearby friends or family? Are the popups persistent or measured? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
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Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
