How to Connect to Wi-Fi Networks Faster in iOS 13

Originally published at: https://tidbits.com/2019/10/07/how-to-connect-to-wi-fi-networks-faster-in-ios-13/

In iOS 13 and iPadOS 13, Apple has added a new, faster way to connect to a Wi-Fi network, upping the total number of methods to four. Glenn Fleishman explains each of them.

Making a QR code yourself in Shortcuts is even easier without downloading or installing any apps, as explained here.
http://www.hyperinfo.ca/GS.Sunatori/2017-06-09.html#333

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I find that keeping a copy of the QR code for my home WiFi network in my “wallet” app to be a useful place to store that information for rapid retrieval when a friend needs access and, for whatever reason, the other automated connection methods fail to operate. I just open my wallet and they grab the code from there.

What is the URL that the code is pointing to? Does it contain the password also? Do you use a desktop program to generate and print the code?

Use the link in the article to generate an image of a special WiFi QR code that includes the SSID and the Key. Remember this is not secure (does indeed contain the password) but if you keep it in your wallet it doesn’t
really need to have its own encryption. Just for convenience really.

Really useful bit about the control centre: I’d found you can long hold to get more info on which network you’re connected to, but didn’t think to long hold again.

But… on iPad it doesn’t show my phone hotspot as an easy choice, so I still have to open Settings for that.

I have finally started to see “popular” network popups. I was at the Apple Store on Sunday, and even though I thought I had already connected, this message appeared. I tapped Join and was connected.

I’ve had something like this pop up on my iPad, offering my iPhone personal hotspot, when no other networks were nearby.

But… it’s erratic in its appearance. It doesn’t always show up.

That’s been my experience too—sometimes I’m offered my personal hotspot, but mostly not.

I have also seen the “popular” network notification at least once now too, I think.

Same here. I saw it once recently. And for the life of me I couldn’t figure out what made it choose exactly that network in that city at that time. :confused:

Glenn actually posted a theory about this yesterday on the MacWorld site (https://www.macworld.com/article/3482122/what-the-new-ios-13-wi-fi-message-means-about-nearby-available-networks.html).

Pretty sure this has to be it, after I read through a bunch of possibilities. Everything else involves Apple scanning data packet headers, which seems fairly invasive compared to the probes.