My iPhone Won’t Share WiFi Passwords! Here’s The Real Fix.

You want to wirelessly share a Wi-Fi password with your friend, but it’s not working. Since iOS 11, it has been easy to quickly share Wi-Fi passwords with friends and family. However, the process doesn’t always work as it’s supposed to. In this article, I’ll explain why your iPhone won’t share Wi-Fi passwords and show you how to the fix the problem for good.

What To Do When Your iPhone Won’t Share Wi-Fi Passwords

1. 1. Make Sure Your iPhone And The Other Device Are Up To Date

      Wi-Fi password sharing only works on iPhones, iPads, and iPods running iOS (or iPadOS) 11 or newer and Macs running macOS High Sierra or newer. Both your iPhone and the device you want to share a Wi-Fi password need to be up to date.

      To check for a software update, go to Settings -> General -> Software Update. If iOS is already up to date, you’ll see a message that says “Your software is up to date.”

      If an update is available, tap Download and Install. Keep in mind that in order to perform the update, your iPhone needs to be plugged into a power source or more than 50% battery life.

      On Macs, click on the Apple logo in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. Then, click About This Mac -> Software Update. Click Upgrade Now if a macOS update is available.
      

   2. Restart Your iPhone

      Restarting your iPhone will give it a fresh start, which can occasionally fix minor software glitches and technical issues. To turn off an iPhone without Face ID, press and hold the power button until the slide to power off slider appears on the display. If your iPhone has Face ID, simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until slide to power off appears.

      Swipe the red power icon from left to right to shut down your iPhone. Wait approximately half a minute, then press and hold the power button once again until the Apple logo appears directly in the center of your iPhone’s screen.

   3. Turn Wi-Fi Off, Then Back On

      When your iPhone won’t share Wi-Fi passwords, the problem can sometimes be tracked down to its connection to the Wi-Fi network you want to share. We’ll try turning Wi-Fi off and back on to fix any minor connectivity issues.

      To turn Wi-Fi off, open the Settings app and tap Wi-Fi. Tap the switch next to Wi-Fi to turn it off — you’ll know Wi-Fi is off when the switch is gray and positioned left. Simply tap the switch again to turn it back on.

      

   4. Make Sure Both Devices Are Connected To Bluetooth

      Both devices need to be connected to Bluetooth in order for Wi-Fi password sharing to work. On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings and tap Bluetooth. Make sure the switch next to Bluetooth at the top of the screen is on. If it’s already on, try quickly turning the switch off and on again.
      

      On Macs, open System Preferences and click Bluetooth. Make sure that it says Bluetooth: On. If Bluetooth is already on, click Turn Bluetooth Off, wait a few seconds, then click Turn Bluetooth On.
      

   5. Make Sure Your Devices Are In Range Of Each Other

      If the devices are too far apart, your iPhone won’t be able to share a Wi-Fi password. We recommend holding your iPhone and the device you want to share a Wi-Fi password with right next to each other, just to eliminate any possibility that the devices are out of range of one another.

   6. Sign Into iCloud Using Your Apple ID

      Your iPhone needs to be signed into iCloud before you can share Wi-Fi passwords. Open Settings and make sure your name appears at the top of the screen. If it doesn’t, tap Sign in to your iPhone and enter your Apple ID and password.

   7. Add Each Other As Contacts

      Wi-Fi password sharing won’t work if you and the person you’re trying to share the password with aren’t saved as Contacts that include your Apple ID email addresses.

      To add a new contact, open the Contacts app and tap the plus (+) button. Make sure to add the person’s Apple ID email address by tapping add email. When you’re finished, tap Done.

      To update an existing contact, open Contacts and tap on the name of that contact. Tap Edit, then tap Add Email. Once you’ve added the email address, tap Done to save the updates.

   8. Reset Network Settings

      Our last software troubleshooting step is to reset network settings, which will erase all of the Wi-Fi, VPN, cellular, and APN settings currently saved on your iPhone.

      I’d like to point out that if you’ve made it this far, it might just be easier to have your friend or family manually type in the Wi-Fi password, because after you reset the network settings, you’ll have to reconnect to the Wi-Fi network and enter its password.

      To reset network settings, open the Settings app, then tap General -> Transfer or Reset iPhone -> Reset -> Reset Network Settings. You’ll be prompted to enter your iPhone passcode, then tap Reset Network Settings when the confirmation alert appears on the screen.

      

Repair Options

If you’ve completed the steps above, but your iPhone still isn’t sharing Wi-Fi passwords, it may be a hardware issue causing the problem. There’s a tiny switch inside your iPhone that allows it to connect to Wi-Fi networks as well as Bluetooth devices. If your iPhone has recently been experiencing lots of Bluetooth or W-Fi related issues, that antenna may be broken.

If your iPhone is still under warranty, we recommend taking it to your local Apple Store. Just make sure you schedule an appointment first!

WiFi Passwords: Shared!

You’ve fixed the problem your iPhone was having and now you’ll be able to wirelessly share Wi-Fi passwords! Now that you know what to do when your iPhone won’t share Wi-Fi passwords, make sure to share this article on social media to save your friends and family from similar frustrations.