Short answer: start by checking whether other devices can join the same network. If they can, the router is fine and the problem is the one device. Then follow the symptom: a network that doesn’t show up usually means the device can’t use the band it’s on, or it’s out of range; a password that’s rejected is usually a typo, letter case, or a security setting the device doesn’t support. A router restart, a firmware update and, as a last step, resetting the device’s network settings cover most of what’s left.

This page is for a device that never manages to join. If it joins but nothing loads, see Wi-Fi connected but no internet; if it joins and then keeps dropping, see Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting.

First: can other devices join?

Apple’s first check is the same one we’d suggest: if other devices can connect to the network, the router and the network are working, and the problem is the device you’re holding. If nothing can join, go straight to If nothing works.

The network doesn’t show up

Check the basics

Both Apple and Google start with the obvious: make sure Wi-Fi is turned on and airplane mode is off, and move closer to the router. Turn Wi-Fi off and on once to make the device scan again.

The device can’t use that band

Every Wi-Fi device only works on certain bands, and a network on a band it doesn’t support is simply invisible to it.

  • 6 GHz: only Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 devices can use it. If your router gives the 6 GHz band its own network name, older phones and laptops won’t see that name at all.
  • 2.4 GHz-only gadgets: many smart-home devices can’t use 5 GHz. TP-Link, for example, says most of its Tapo cameras support only 2.4 GHz connections. If your 2.4 GHz band is off, or has a separate name you’re not using, the device can’t find the network.

Apple also suggests trying a different band if your router offers them separately, for example 5 GHz instead of 2.4 GHz. 2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz vs 6 GHz explains which devices use which band and whether to give the bands one name or separate names.

It’s out of range

If the network appears only near the router, the device is at the edge of coverage. Wi-Fi dead zones walks through why.

The password is rejected

Re-enter it carefully

It’s easy to mistype a password on a phone or TV keyboard, so check capital letters and similar-looking characters. ASUS routers, for example, accept passwords of 8 to 63 characters, so a long one is worth checking character by character. If you changed the password recently, the device may still be trying the old one: forget the network on the device and join again.

The device may not support WPA3

WPA3 has been required in new Wi-Fi certified devices since 2020, but older devices may not support it; ASUS notes that some aren’t compatible with WPA3. If your router is set to WPA3 only, those devices fail at the password step even with the right password. The fix is WPA2/WPA3 transition mode, which lets WPA2 and WPA3 devices join with the same password. WPA2 vs WPA3 explains the trade-off.

Smart-home devices that won’t pair

When a smart plug, camera or doorbell won’t pair, check the two causes above first: whether it needs 2.4 GHz, and whether it can handle the router’s security setting. Check the device’s requirements, make sure the 2.4 GHz band is on, and try transition mode if your router is set to WPA3 only. Wi-Fi bands has more on getting 2.4 GHz-only devices connected.

If nothing works

Apple’s remaining steps apply to any device:

  1. Update the router’s firmware, and check it supports your device.
  2. Restart the router and the cable modem by unplugging them and plugging them back in.
  3. Reset the device’s network settings as a last resort. Apple warns that this removes every saved Wi-Fi network and password, as well as VPN settings, so only do it once the other steps have failed.

If no device can join at all after a router restart, the problem is the router itself: see how to reset your router before buying anything new.