Multiple iPhone 17 models suffering from Wi-Fi bug — what you need to know

News
By last updated

Disconnecting while locked

Apple iPhone 17 review.
(Image credit: Tom's Guide / John Velasco)

New iPhones mean new problems, and the iPhone 17 is absolutely no exception to that trend. In fact, some early adopters have already reported issues with the Wi-Fi cutting out intermittently on iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air. Which doesn't sound like a good thing.

The issue in question seems to affect users by disconnecting Wi-Fi at random points, only to reconnect when they unlock the phone. Now you may think that this isn't a major problem, because why would you need Wi-Fi if your phone is locked? But you would be wrong.

CarPlay issues

An photo of Apple CarPly in use

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

For starters, Apple's wireless CarPlay relies on a Wi-Fi connection to operate, and losing that connection means your car and phone can't communicate. Naturally, trying to unlock your phone while you're driving is a spectacularly bad idea. Disconnecting from Wi-Fi also means that any data services will either stop or start eating up your cellular data allowance.

Data is expensive, and the last thing you need is to unlock your phone and find you've eaten up your entire month's allowance because you left your iPhone downloading TV shows from Netflix in the background.

iPhone 17PM- wireless issues from r/iphone

It's not exactly clear how many people are affected by the problem, although they have been posting about their experiences on various online forums, including Reddit, Apple's Support Community and the MacRumors Forums. Some users have said that it seems to happen when they're wearing an unlocked Apple Watch, but it isn't entirely clear if this is causing the problem. Because that would be a very strange glitch.

Apple's N1 to blame?

A screenshot on a colored background showing a picture of Apple's N1 wireless chip

(Image credit: Apple/Tom's Guide)

The new iPhones are the first models to come with Apple's custom N1 wireless chip, which handles Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread connectivity. It is possible that some unseen glitch in the chip managed to slip through the cracks unnoticed — though my money is on this actually being a software issue. If that's the case, the problem should be fixable with a software update.

When the appropriate update might arrive is another matter entirely. We know that Apple has identified at least one "rare" glitch in the iPhone 17 Air and 17 Pro's camera, and has promised a fix is incoming. It's possible that the update could fix the Wi-Fi issue as well — but until Apple gives us some information, there's no way of knowing.

So if you have a new iPhone, keep an eye on that Wi-Fi connection. And if you are having connectivity problems when the phone is locked, make sure to plan accordingly — especially when CarPlay is concerned.

Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

More from Tom's Guide

TOPICS
Tom Pritchard
Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.