"Captive portal detected" means the WiFi you've joined wants you to sign in on a web page before it will let you online. Your device or security software has noticed the login page and is waiting for you to complete it. Nothing is broken. You just haven't signed in yet.
Quick fix: open a browser and go to http://neverssl.com (with http, not https). The network's login page should appear. Complete it, and the message should clear within a few seconds.
What a captive portal is
A captive portal is the sign-in page hotels, airports, trains, cafes and offices put in front of their WiFi. Until you accept the terms or enter your details, the network holds your device in a restricted state. Devices check for this whenever they join a network, and some apps and security tools report what they find. That's where the message comes from.
"Captive Portal Detected" on Zscaler
This is where most people meet the message: a work laptop running Zscaler Client Connector, on hotel or home-office WiFi. Zscaler normally routes all your traffic through your company's security service. A login page can't load that way, so when Zscaler detects one, it deliberately pauses protection for a short time so you can sign in. Zscaler calls this a "fail-open" state (Zscaler Help).
- Click Open Browser, next to the status in the Zscaler app.
- Complete the WiFi login page that appears.
- If the time window runs out, the status changes to Captive Portal Error. Click Retry and complete the login again.
- Still stuck? Click More > Restart Service. If that fails, contact your IT team, since the time window is set by your company's Zscaler administrator.
On Windows, Android and other devices
- Windows shows "Action needed" or a sign-in notification under the WiFi network. Click it, or open a browser and visit
http://neverssl.com. - Android shows a Sign in to network notification. Tap it, which opens the built-in Captive Portal Login app.
- iPhone, iPad and Mac open a login window automatically. If it doesn't appear, visit captive.apple.com in Safari.
If the login page won't open
- Turn off other VPNs and Private DNS until you've signed in.
- Use a plain HTTP address. HTTPS sites can't be redirected to the login page. NeverSSL is built for exactly this.
- Forget the network and rejoin to start a fresh session.
Step-by-step fixes for each device are in our guide on how to open the captive portal login page.
Seeing it on your home WiFi?
Home networks don't normally have a login page. If you see "captive portal detected" at home, something on the network is intercepting the device's connection check, such as a router feature, parental controls, DNS filtering or a broadband provider's activation page. Restart the router first. If it keeps happening, check those settings.
If you run the venue
Business travellers on locked-down laptops are the guests most likely to struggle with your WiFi. Make sure your portal is detected quickly and opens without guests having to type an address. It should also accept a login within the short window tools like Zscaler allow. Our Meraki, UniFi and FortiGate guides cover the setup.