With the upgrade to iOS 9, there is a new feature called WiFi Assist which is turned on by default on your iPhone. While this feature helps in fast and uninterrupted internet browsing, it can also eat through your data very quickly. In this article you will learn How to Turn off WiFi Assist on your iPhone.
What is WiFi Assist?
WiFi Assist is a new feature introduced by Apple in iOS 9 which automatically makes your iPhone switch to using your phones data plan when it detects a weak WiFi signal.
The switch from WiFi to Data plan is swift and seamless, making internet browsing appear faster.
An example of WiFi Assist working is if you move to a different room in your house and the WiFi signal drops, then WiFi Assist will automatically start using your mobile phone data. This way the music, movie or video that you were watching on your iPhone will continue to play.
WiFi Assist Advantages
WiFi Assist is a good feature designed to improve your internet browsing experience. This feature will be liked by those who have unlimited data plans.
As you can imagine, without WiFi Assist your internet browsing could be slowed down and interrupted in case you move out of WiFi range, due to your iPhone taking its own time to recognize that you are indeed out of range.
During such annoying times you may remember shutting off WiFi on your phone and manually turning on data. You may also recall forgetting to switch back to WiFi.
Now after iOS 9 update, you can expect your iPhone to seamlessly switch between WiFi and Cellular networks, in order to provide you with the best user experience.
WiFi Assist Disadvantages
The worrying thing about WiFi Assist is that users who have data caps can incur overage charges, as the feature switches to phone’s data plan automatically.
Most users may not notice their phones switching over to data, unless they are continually monitoring the status bar. Hence, it is recommended that WiFi Assist feature be turned off, especially if you have a limited data plan and want to rule out the possibility of incurring absurdly high overage charges.
• Can lead to data overage costs as it automatically switches over to data.
• It is hard to know if you are using WiFi or mobile data, unless you are continually monitoring your status bar.
How to Turn Off WiFi Assist
Follow the steps below to turn off WiFi Assist on your iPhone, in case you are concerned about your phone automatically switching to mobile data, leading to overage charges,
1. Go to Settings
Locate the settings app icon on your home screen and click on it.
2. Cellular/Mobile Data
From the settings page find Cellular or Mobile Data (the name is different depending on where you live) and tap on it. (See image below in step 3)
3. Turn off WiFi Assist
Now toggle off WiFi Assist by scrolling down to the bottom of the page and using the slider to turn off WiFi Assist. (See image below)
How to Turn on WiFi Assist
In case you are convinced about the advantages of WiFi Assist and have an unlimited data plan, then you can continue to use WiFi Assist which should be ON by default on your iPhone.
You can use the following steps to turn On WiFi Assist feature on your phone, in case it is switched off on your phone.
1. Settings
On your device’s home screen locate the settings app icon and open it up.
2. Cellular/Mobile Data
Once on the settings page locate and tap on Cellular or Mobile Data.
3. Turn on WiFi Assist
Now scroll down to the bottom of the Cellular settings page and toggle on WiFi Assist.
