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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- iPhone 17 users are reporting that Wi-Fi sometimes cuts out.
- The issue seems to affect all four iPhone 17 models.
- A fix will hopefully arrive with iOS 26.1 or sooner.
A new iPhone lineup invariably triggers complaints from buyers who run into one bug or another. That’s almost a given with any new device as it ends up in the hands of millions of people. This time around, buyers of new iPhone 17 models are reporting an annoying glitch with Wi-Fi connectivity.
Wi-Fi briefly cuts after unlocking
Some new owners of the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air alike are saying that the Wi-Fi briefly cuts out and then reconnects after the phone is unlocked, as reported on Monday by MacRumors. The issue has also been affecting CarPlay connections in vehicles that use a Wi-Fi connection.
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So far, affected iPhone 17 users have been chiming in on several different forums, including the Apple Support Community, MacRumors forums, and Reddit. Some people say the problem pops up when they’re wearing an Apple Watch. Others have said that using a VPN may be causing the issue. These could be contributing factors, but not necessarily the source of the glitch.
Also unknown is the scale of the problem. Though several people are reporting this bug, there aren’t signs of it affecting a huge number of iPhone 17 owners, at least not yet. So far, the assumption is that it’s impacting only the iPhone 17 lineup and not older iPhones, even ones that have updated to iOS 26.
Is the new wireless chip to blame?
One possible culprit, though, could be the new wireless chip in the latest iPhones.
The entire iPhone 17 lineup uses Apple’s N1 wireless chip, which controls the included Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread radio. This marks a switch from previous iPhone models that relied on third-party components for the wireless technology, Since the N1 is a first-generation chip, there could be unexpected performance or reliability issues that haven’t surfaced until now.
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A fix might be coming
The good news is that a fix may be around the corner. One Redditor who installed the first developer beta of iOS 26.1 reported that the problem seems to have been resolved, or at least is no longer reproducible.
“I updated only my iPhone to the 26.1 B1,” the Redditor wrote. “It’s only been 20 minutes, but under the same circumstances that my Wi-Fi and Bluetooth would turn off and on, it has not. This means that Apple, either intentionally or unintentionally, fixed the issue. This also means this is very likely a software issue that can be patched.”
Also: Why I’m recommending this iPhone 17 model to most people (and it’s not the Pro Max)
With the first developer beta of iOS 26.1 only now just out, Apple likely won’t release it to all iPhone owners for at least another month or two. In the meantime, the company is also reportedly working on iOS 26.0.1, which is said to be imminent. Affected users should keep their fingers crossed that this first update will squash the Wi-Fi bug, otherwise you’ll have to wait until later in the year for a resolution.