Having issues with your iPhone 16 or 16 Pro’s Wi-Fi? Especially if speeds are sluggish or the reception feels pretty weak, you’re not alone. These models have been flagged by users for weird Wi-Fi behavior, and honestly, it’s kind of frustrating because Apple doesn’t always make troubleshooting obvious. Sometimes minor tweaks can make all the difference—things like disconnecting VPNs, toggling certain settings, or even just updating iOS. This rundown covers some common, potentially effective fixes that might help get things back on track, so you can keep browsing without feeling like you’re on dial-up.
How to Fix Wi-Fi Speed Issues on iPhone 16/Pro
Fix 1 – Disconnect the VPN connection
Basically, VPNs can mess with Wi-Fi in bizarre ways sometimes. When they’re active, your connection might slow down or become unstable because of how the VPN routes all your traffic. So, if your Wi-Fi feels sluggish, turning off the VPN can often clean things up. On some setups, disabling the VPN even restores normal speeds right away, which is pretty wild. Just a heads-up: some might have to completely remove the VPN profile or app if things don’t go back to normal after toggling off.
- Go to Settings.
- Tap on General, then scroll down to VPN & Device Management.
- Tap on your active VPN profile or toggle the VPN switch off. To remove the VPN entirely, tap Remove VPN.
- If you’re using a dedicated VPN app (like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, etc.), open that app and disconnect, then uninstall it if needed.
After doing this, disconnect from Wi-Fi and reconnect. Often, this quick change clears up Wi-Fi speed weirdness. On some machines, this definitely feels like a hit-or-miss—sometimes works on the first try, other times needing a reboot, but it’s worth a shot.
Fix 2 – Turn off Wi-Fi 6e mode
This is kinda weird, but your iPhone defaults to connecting to Wi-Fi 6e networks if available—which, honestly, can sometimes cause slowdowns or compatibility hiccups. Disabling Wi-Fi 6e might revert your connection to a more stable mode, especially if you’re on a crowded or noisy network environment. It’s worth a shot if your Wi-Fi speeds took a dive after a recent update or just suddenly felt sluggish.
- Head over to Settings, then tap Wi-Fi.
- Tap the info button (ℹ️) next to your current network.
- Toggle the Wi-Fi 6e mode switch to Off.
Once turned off, you might need to reconnect to Wi-Fi. Sometimes this fixes those stubborn slow speeds. No guarantees, but on one setup, it totally boosted speeds after a tricky update.
Fix 3 – Reset network settings
This one’s a classic. Resetting network settings wipes out your saved Wi-Fi passwords, VPN configs, and all that jazz, which can fix weird glitches. It’s a bit of a pain, because you’ll have to rejoin networks, but if your Wi-Fi is behaving badly, this is often the secret sauce.
- Go to Settings, then General.
- Scroll down and select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap on Reset, then choose Reset Network Settings.
The iPhone will reboot, resetting all network preferences. After that, reconnect to your Wi-Fi network with the password fresh. Sometimes, this clean slate is all it takes for speeds to improve. On some devices, this step is hit-or-miss, but worth trying if nothing else works.
Fix 4 – Check for iOS updates
Apple’s software updates sometimes fly under the radar but include critical fixes for bugs messing with Wi-Fi. So, if your connection has suddenly slowed down after upgrade or for no obvious reason, it’s worth checking for updates.
- Open Settings and tap General.
- Tap on Software Update.
- If there’s an update pending, hit Download and Install.
Let your iPhone do its thing. Newer iOS versions often include network stability patches, so updating might just fix your Wi-Fi woes. Fair warning though, sometimes updates cause their own issues, but generally, they’re worth doing.
And of course, because iOS is not perfect and Apple sometimes pushes out buggy updates—well, this might not fix everything right away, but it’s a good starting point.