Key Takeaways

• Resetting your iPhone's network settings is a quick way to fix internet and connectivity bugs and glitches.
• Try less drastic measures first, such as restarting your device, rebooting your modem and router, toggling Airplane Mode, and installing iOS updates.
• Resetting network settings deletes customized settings, turns off Wi-Fi, removes Wi-Fi passwords, and resets cellular data preferences.

Your iPhone is a device capable of all kinds of fantastic things. However, like all advanced pieces of technology, it can also be uncooperative and frustrating. One area where your iPhone may occasionally offer resistance is when you need it to connect to a network. Occasionally, something gets a little funky, and connecting to cellular or Wi-Fi becomes challenging.

When your beloved iPhone is experiencing network issues, you have two options: throw your phone out the window in a fit of rage or fix the problem by resetting your iPhone's network settings. Personally, I think fixing the problem is the smarter way to go, but if you really want to throw your phone out the window to make yourself feel better, at least make sure it has a protective case so there's a chance it survives the fall.

When should you reset the network settings on your iPhone?

Before going into how to reset your network settings, we need to take a look at whether a reset will fix the problem. First, it's important to note that you won't hurt your iPhone by resetting network settings. Everything will work fine after a reset, but you will need to manually reconfigure your settings, Bluetooth devices, and Wi-Fi networks to get them back to how they were before you started the process. This is a bit of a pain to do, so you don't want to reset network settings unless it's absolutely necessary.

A reset is a quick way to fix internet and connectivity bugs and glitches. If you're experiencing these problems, it's an option, but try these less drastic measures first:

• Restart your device (this is the go-to quick fix for many problems)
• Reboot your modem and router if the issues are Wi-Fi-related
• Toggle Airplane Mode on and off
• Install any available iOS updates

If you've tried all those possible fixes, and you're still experiencing network connectivity issues, then it's time to reset your iPhone's network settings to see if that resolves the problem.

How to reset network settings on your iPhone

Thankfully, when things are going sideways from a network connectivity perspective, Apple makes it relatively easy to jump into the Settings app and fix the problem. The option is a few menus deep, so we'll show you exactly how it's done.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap General.
3. Select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Tap Reset.
5. Tap Reset Network Settings (the second option from the top).
6. Enter your passcode.
7. Tap the red Reset Network Settings button.

What happens when you reset network settings on your iPhone?

What happens to your iPhone when you go through the above process? You're deleting all the network-based settings you've customized on your iPhone and returning them to factory defaults (how they were when you first took the phone out of the box).

Here are a few things that'll happen if you choose to reset network settings:

• VPN settings that are removed (with some exceptions)
• Wi-Fi is turned off and then back on
• Wi-Fi passwords are removed (make sure you know how to log back into your Wi-Fi)
• Cellular data roaming is turned off
• Bluetooth device connections are removed
• Cellular data preferences such as LTE or 5G are returned to default
• Manually trusted certificates from websites will be set to untrusted

Here are some things that won't happen when you reset network settings:

• VPN settings installed by a configuration profile won't be deleted
• Network settings installed by mobile device management won't be removed
• Mobile carrier information and eSims are not deleted