Your phone says it is connected to the WiFi, yet nothing loads. On a hotel, cafe or restaurant network this is very common, and it is usually easy to fix. Here are the causes in the order we would check them.
1. You have not finished the login
On guest WiFi, joining the network is only step one. Many venues use a login page, called a captive portal, and the internet stays blocked until you complete it. Your phone shows a WiFi symbol because it is joined, not because it is online.
Open a browser and go to a plain http:// address. A site such as neverssl.com works well, because it does not use encryption and so can be redirected to the login page. If that does not work, our guide to opening the login page covers more ways.
2. The login page did not pop up
Phones normally open the login page by themselves. Sometimes they do not, especially when the screen was locked, or when you are on a VPN. Pause the VPN and any private DNS setting for a moment, then try the http:// trick above. Once the login is done, turn them back on before you browse.
3. The network has a stale connection
If you used the venue before, your phone may hold an old session that no longer works. Tap the network in your WiFi settings, choose Forget this network, then join again and complete the login.
4. Your phone is using a private address
On iPhone, the Private Wi-Fi Address setting gives your phone a different address for each network, and a Rotating address changes over time. When the address changes, a login page that remembers devices by address may ask you to sign in again. Our guide to the private WiFi address setting explains which option to pick.
5. Mobile data is competing
Some phones switch between WiFi and mobile data when they think WiFi is not working. Turn mobile data off for a minute, then try again so the phone focuses on the venue's network.
6. The venue's network has a fault
If all of the above fail, the problem may be with the venue's internet line or equipment. Check whether other guests are having trouble, and tell a member of staff. They can often restart the router or access point.
Quick order: open http://neverssl.com, then pause your VPN until you have logged in, then forget and rejoin the network, then ask staff.
If you run a venue and your guests keep running into this, a well-set-up login page can reduce the login-related problems. It cannot control a guest's VPN or DNS settings, mobile-data switching, address changes or a fault in the venue's internet line. Book a 15-minute demo and we will show you how CaptiveWiFi handles it.