To reset network settings on an iPhone, open Settings, tap General, tap Transfer or Reset iPhone, tap Reset, then tap Reset Network Settings and enter your passcode to confirm. Your iPhone restarts and every saved Wi-Fi password, VPN profile, cellular setting, and Bluetooth pairing is wiped clean — but none of your photos, apps, messages, or accounts are touched. It is the fastest, safest fix for stubborn connection problems.

Step-by-step: reset network settings

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll to the bottom and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  4. Tap Reset (the option near the bottom, not “Erase All Content and Settings”).
  5. Tap Reset Network Settings.
  6. Enter your iPhone passcode, and your Screen Time passcode if you use one.
  7. Tap Reset Network Settings again to confirm.

The iPhone restarts on its own. When it comes back, all network preferences are at their factory defaults.

What actually gets erased

A network reset only touches connectivity settings, which is exactly why it is safe to run. It clears:

  • Every saved Wi-Fi network and password.
  • All VPN and APN (carrier) configurations.
  • Bluetooth pairings — headphones, car stereos, watches, and speakers.
  • Preferred and “forgotten” network lists, and per-network settings such as private Wi-Fi address.

It does not delete photos, contacts, messages, apps, or your Apple Account, and it does not remove an installed eSIM or cancel your cellular plan. Because saved Wi-Fi passwords disappear, jot them down first if you don’t have them memorized — especially for networks you can’t easily look up, like an office or a friend’s house.

When a network reset is the right fix

Reach for it when the problem is clearly connectivity-related and a simple restart hasn’t helped. Common cases:

  • Wi-Fi that shows full bars but won’t actually load pages.
  • An iPhone that repeatedly asks for a Wi-Fi password you know is correct.
  • Cellular data that drops or won’t turn on after a carrier or eSIM change.
  • Bluetooth that refuses to pair or keeps disconnecting.

If you’re chasing a storage or performance issue instead of a connection issue, a network reset won’t help — see our guide on how to free up space on iPhone for that.

Try these quicker fixes first

A full reset means re-entering passwords, so it’s worth trying faster steps first:

  1. Toggle Airplane Mode on for ten seconds, then off, to force the radios to reconnect.
  2. Restart the iPhone — hold a side button and a volume button until “slide to power off” appears.
  3. Forget just the problem network: Settings > Wi-Fi > tap the (i) next to the network > Forget This Network, then rejoin.
  4. Restart your router by unplugging it for 30 seconds if the trouble is on one network only.

If none of those stick, the network reset is your reliable next move.

After the reset: getting reconnected

Once the iPhone restarts, reconnecting takes a minute:

  1. Go to Settings > Wi-Fi, tap your network, and enter the password.
  2. Turn Bluetooth back on and re-pair your headphones, watch, or car — most devices need to be put into pairing mode again.
  3. If you use a VPN, reopen its app to reinstall the profile, or add it under Settings > General > VPN & Device Management.

Everything else — Face ID, your apps, your logins — is exactly where you left it. If your goal was to hand the phone on to someone else rather than fix it, a network reset isn’t enough on its own; you’d also want to turn off Find My iPhone and sign out of your accounts first.

iPad, older iOS, and eSIM notes

The path is nearly identical on iPad: Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Reset > Reset Network Settings. On much older iOS versions (iOS 14 and earlier), the option lived at Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings, without the “Transfer or Reset” screen — so if your menu looks different from the steps above, that’s why.

If you use a dual-SIM iPhone with more than one eSIM, the reset keeps the eSIMs installed but returns cellular options — preferred line, data roaming, and Wi-Fi Calling — to their defaults, so double-check those after reconnecting. Carrier features such as Wi-Fi Calling sometimes need to be switched back on under Settings > Cellular.

What a network reset won’t fix

It’s not a cure-all. A reset won’t help with a physically damaged antenna, an outage on your carrier’s side, a failing router, or a website that’s simply down. If every device on your Wi-Fi struggles, the problem is the router or the internet service rather than your iPhone — restart the router and contact your provider. And if the trouble is speed or storage rather than connectivity, look elsewhere: a sluggish phone is more often about free space than network settings.

Is it safe to reset network settings often?

Yes. There’s no harm in running it whenever connectivity acts up, and it won’t wear anything out or risk your data. The only cost is the mild inconvenience of retyping Wi-Fi passwords and re-pairing Bluetooth devices, so it’s a “try the easy stuff first, then this” tool rather than a first resort.