# How to Set Wi-Fi Network Priority on iPhone, iPad, and Mac **URL:** https://www.compsmag.com/blogs/how-to-set-wi-fi-network-priority-on-iphone-ipad-and-mac/ **Author:** Ayushi Chauhan **Published:** 2022-01-24 **Updated:** 2022-01-24 **Categories:** Blogs **Tags:** Apple Guides, Blogs Daily, guiderobert, Guides and Tutorials, guiding12, How To Guide, How To Guides, internet tips and tutorials, ios Guides, iphones guides, office tips and tutorials, Tips, Tricks **Reading Time:** 6 min --- This tip is about the how to Set Wi-Fi Network Priority on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. So read this free guide, How to Set Wi-Fi Network Priority on iPhone, iPad, and Mac step by step. If you have query related to same article you may contact us. ## How to Set Wi-Fi Network Priority on iPhone, iPad, and Mac - Guide Wi-Fi has become so common that we're taking it lightly. Internet access has improved all over the world with the emergence of Wi-Fi networks that allow users to access the Internet out of nowhere. These days, public places without Wi-Fi networks are rapidly dying out. But sometimes having too many Wi-Fi options can really affect your internet browsing speed. This is because each Wi-Fi has its own specifications regarding your device. One might have better coverage while the other might have better speed. If you often travel to a place that has multiple Wi-Fi connections, it might be a good idea to prioritize them. Most operating systems have some sort of feature which prioritizes Wi-Fi networks according to various calculations. It's the same with macOS and iOS. But let's say you work in an office building with Wi-Fi networks on every floor. It is entirely possible for your device to use the network below you, even if the signal strength is better with Wi-Fi at your destination. This is because the operating system takes into account other factors such as network stability and availability. In cases like this, it's a good idea to prioritize some networks over others to ensure you have the best possible connection. You will be pleased to know that there is a native way to prioritize Wi-Fi connections on Mac computers. Even more, we can extend this capability to iOS devices, the iPhone. ## How to Set Network Priority on iPhone or iPad Actually, there is no way to set Wi-Fi network priority on iPhone or iPad. Instead, your device will do this automatically in the background. Built into iOS is a set of criteria for judging and joining Wi-Fi networks automatically. By following these criteria, your iPhone or iPad will generally connect to the best available network. iOS attempts to connect to Wi-Fi networks considering the following criteria: Your “most preferred” network The private network you most recently joined Private networks versus public networks As you can see, iOS considers a number of different factors to help automatically prioritize the best network for you to use. When considering each of these factors, iOS actually assigns a hidden score to different Wi-Fi networks to prioritize them. Your different actions when connecting to Wi-Fi change the score assigned to each Wi-Fi network. For example, if your iPhone connects you to one network and you instantly connect to another, the score for the first network will decrease. Unfortunately, Apple doesn't offer any further explanation on how the iPhone's Wi-Fi priority works, so there's no more information on the matter. But as long as it works, that's not a big deal. You'll be happy to know that there is a sneaky way around the lack of a Wi-Fi priority setting on iOS. If you have a Mac, you can set network priorities and sync them to your iPhone or iPad. You will need to be signed in with the same Apple ID on both devices and have iCloud Keychain turned on. To check these settings, open System Preferences on your Mac, click Apple ID and make sure the Keychain box is checked. On your iPhone, open Settings and tap your name at the top. Go to iCloud > Keychain and make sure it is turned on. As long as you have these two settings enabled, you are ready to sync your Mac's Wi-Fi priority settings to your iPhone. On your Mac, click the Wi-Fi icon on the top menu bar and click Network Preferences. Then you will need to click on Advanced. You will see a list of all your saved Wi-Fi networks. The networks at the top of the list have a higher priority than those at the bottom, and you can drag the networks in any order you like. Click OK and then Apply to save the changes. Once you've done that, your preferences will be saved and should automatically sync to your iPhone. If you notice that the settings have not synced to your iPhone, try restarting both devices. While this method isn't particularly difficult, you do need a Mac and it's a lot less convenient than a Mac. feature built directly into iOS. The Mac and iPhone work great together as part of the Apple ecosystem, but it's an unnecessary extra step to take. Fortunately, Apple is adding a way to set Wi-Fi priority directly on the iPhone soon. ## How to Manually Connect to a Network on iPhone or iPad Just to clarify, you always have the option to manually connect to a Wi-Fi network on your iPhone or iPad if Apple's auto-prioritization doesn't work. It's a little more inconvenient than having a Wi-Fi priority setting built into iOS, but it's easier than connecting your device to a Mac. On your iPhone or iPad, you can manually switch Wi-Fi networks from the Control Center or the Settings app. In Control Center, tap and hold the Wi-Fi icon in the top left section to bring up up in the larger panel, hold the icon again and choose another network from the list. In the Settings app, tap Wi-Fi in the first section and choose a network from the list. If you know that there is a better Wi-Fi network that you can connect to, this method works just fine. Unfortunately, you'll need to keep an eye out for other suitable networks. ## Final note I hope you like the guide How to Set Wi-Fi Network Priority on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. In case if you have any query regards this article you may ask us. Also, please share your love by sharing this article with your friends. --- *End of Article*