What Does “Reset Network Settings” Do on Android and iPhone?

Mehvish Mushtaq is a computer engineer by degree. Her love for Android and gadgets led her to develop the first Android app for Kashmir. Known as Dial Kashmir, she won the prestigious Nari Shakti award from the President of India. She has been writing about technology for 6+ years and her favorite categories include how-to guides, explainers, tips and tricks for Android, iOS/iPadOS, social media, and web apps.

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What Is “Reset Network Settings” on iPhone and Android?

Both Android and iOS provide several resetting options that help resolve issues without formatting our mobile phone or tablet. One of them is resetting network settings.

Resetting network settings, in simple words, resets your phone’s network settings, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, VPN, and cellular connections to default values. That is, a network settings reset brings back all the network-related settings to their original state.

By original state, we mean how they would appear and work in a new device or when youfully reset (factory reset) your device. So, you would have to set all the network settings up all over again from scratch.

Why Reset Network Settings on Android and iPhone?

What Does Reset Network Settings Do on Android and iPhone?

Let’s check what settings are affected by resetting network settings on iPhone and Android.

1. Wi-Fi Networks and Passwords

Wi-Fi is one of the major things affected by resetting network settings. Basically, it will remove all the saved Wi-Fi networks on your phone, along with their passwords. So, you must connect to a network and enter your Wi-Fi details again after resetting the network settings.

Note: On iPhone, Wi-Fi passwords saved in iCloud Keychain may also get deleted after resetting network settings. To be on the safer side, turn off Keychain on your phone before resetting network settings. For that, go to Settings > [Your name] > iCloud > Passwords and Keychain. Turn off the toggle for Sync this iPhone. After resetting network settings, turn on sync and your passwords will be there.

2. Bluetooth Connections

Similar to Wi-Fi connections, Bluetooth connections will also be removed from your phone. Resetting network settings will forget all the paired Bluetooth devices, so you will have to pair them again manually. It will also turn off Bluetooth on your phone.

3. Cellular Settings

Another area that gets affected is cellular settings. These include preferred mobile network types (2G, 3G, 4G, LTE, or 5G) and network selection modes. SMS, phone calls, and other traditional telephone services are not affected.

4. VPN Settings

Lastly, resetting network settings alters your VPN (Virtual Private Network) settings too. Any VPN information, such as server name, password, VPN type, etc., is deleted from your phone.

5. Personal Data

Resetting network settings will not remove any personal information from your phone. Any of your photos, videos, audio files, contacts, apps, etc., will not be deleted.

6. Other Settings

By resetting network settings on iPhone, its name is also reset, and any manually trusted certificates given to websites are set to untrusted. Similarly, on Android, resetting network settings will clear mobile data limits and remove app data restrictions.

However, the reset network settings storm doesn’t touch settings like a hotspot, wireless display, and AirDrop (on iOS).

How to Reset Network Settings

On iPhone

Step 1:Go toSettings. TapGeneral, followed byTransfer or Reset iPhone.

Step 2:SelectReset, followed byReset Network Settings.

Step 3:You will be prompted for your password (if kept). Then, tap the Reset Network Settings confirmation box to validate your action. Your device will restart, and your network settings will return to the factory version.

On Android

Step 1: OpenSettingsand go toSystem.

Step 2:TapResetoptions. SelectReset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetoothfrom the menu.

The location of this setting varies on Android phones. Here are the various places where you can find it:

For Samsung Galaxy phones, openSettings>General Management>Reset>Reset network settings.

Hopefully, resetting network settings should resolve all your network issues.

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Last updated on 20 August, 2024

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