How to connect a device to Wi-Fi

Joining a device to Wi-Fi takes a Wi-Fi name and a password. Both are usually printed on a label on your router, so have it to hand.

Before you start

• Find the router label. Look for Wi-Fi name (also called SSID) and Password or Wireless key.
• Passwords are case sensitive, and similar-looking letters and numbers, such as 0 and O, are easily mixed up.
• Many routers offer two networks, one ending in "5G". Either works, but 5G is faster at short range and weaker through walls.

Step by step

1. iPhone or iPad: open Settings, then Wi-Fi, make sure it is on, tap your network, type the password and tap Join.
2. Android: open Settings and look for Wi-Fi. It may be under Network & internet or Connections, depending on the make. Tap your network and enter the password.
3. Windows: click the network icon at the bottom right, pick your network, choose Connect, then enter the password.
4. Mac: click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar at the top, choose your network and enter the password.
5. Smart TVs and consoles: open their settings menu, look for Network or Wi-Fi, and follow the same steps.

If it will not connect

• Check you typed the password exactly. Many devices have a small eye icon to show what you typed.
• Move closer to the router.
• Restart the router and your device.
• If a device refuses a known network, choose Forget for that network and try again.

Do not join networks you do not know, and avoid doing banking on public Wi-Fi.

When to get more help

Stop and ask for help if you have lost the password and cannot find the label, the router has been replaced, or a device will not find any network at all. Please do not press the router reset button. Tell us the device, the network name, and what message you see.