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iPhone & iPad: How to completely disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Over the last several software updates, Apple has made it harder to disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth completely. Apple keeps the radios running to have things like Apple Watch and AirDrop functionally properly.

However, users who are looking to disable both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth entirely may need to dig a little deeper to completely disable the radios.

iPhone & iPad: How to completely disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

  1. Fire up the Settings app.
  2. Go into either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
  3. At the top, manually toggle Wi-Fi or Bluetooth off.

Turning off Bluetooth or Wi-Fi in the Control Center simply “disconnects” it from paired networks or devices, but keeps the radios on for other system-level functions such as AirDrop, pairing and using an Apple Watch, and personal hotspot.

For more help getting the most out of your Apple devices, check out our how to guide as well as the following articles:


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