Have you experienced connecting to a WiFi network on your android phone only to receive a WiFi authentication error even with your username and password?  It’s normal and it happens even if you’ve connected to that WiFi network before. This problem isn’t necessarily serious, and in most cases, it can be easily fixed. Let’s take a look at why it happens when you are trying to connect and how we can solve this problem.

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The WiFi authentication error occurs when your android phone cannot successfully connect to a WiFi network when you want to connect even if you’re using the correct password or sometimes if you are on airplane mode. Under normal circumstances, your phone will automatically connect to the wireless network if you’ve already connected to the WiFi network before. You may encounter issues if you have an unstable signal, which you can improve by using cell phone signal boosters.

If you have accidentally enabled the Airplane mode in your network settings, then your phone will not connect to any network on your android devices. But sometimes, the authentication problem is more than your phone is in airplane mode. The following are some of the common reasons why you get a Wifi authentication error:

There are simple methods to fix the WiFi authentication problem. The right solution depends on what caused the error to occur. The following are some of the common solutions and ways to fix the error which you can easily try.

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These 4 simple methods will help you fix WiFi authentication error. Read on to know how to solve WiFi authentication error with a step-by-step guide.

The most common solution for a WiFi authentication error or to fix authentication problem is to reset the WiFi connection in your network settings. You can do this by forgetting the network (name (the one you’re having problems connecting with) on your android device before you try connecting again. Here are the steps to do it.

Go to Settings on your phone and look for “Wireless & networks.” Some smartphones instead have “Connections.” Tap this and go to the WiFi option.

Once you click the WiFi option on your network settings, you will see a list of nearby WiFi networks, including the ones you’ve already connected to before. Tap on the network name you’re having issues connecting with.

When you choose the network, you’ll see a “Forget network” option on your network settings. Tap this to reset the settings of the network selected. Once reset, try to enter the password by connecting to the network. You’ll be asked for the authentication password. Just type in the password and connect.

If this step didn’t fix your WiFi authentication error on android, move on to the next one.

Go to your WiFi settings on your android device and look for the connection you’ll change.

There will be a list of the nearby WiFi networks. Just choose and press the wireless network you’re having issues with (or the one you want to connect to) and try to connect.

When you press the wireless network, you will either see a Modify or Manage network option. Tap it.

In the WiFi settings, you’ll see an “Advanced Settings” option on your android device. Choose this option and look for “IP Settings.” From there, change the IP from DHCP to Static. Finally, enter the IP address (the one found at the back of the router) in the field. Save the settings, then reconnect. This fixes the WiFi authentication error for most people; if this fix doesn’t work for you, try out the other steps.

If the first 3 methods didn’t fix your WiFi authentication error, the issue might be due to the router itself. Restarting the router might do the trick and restore the internet connection. There are 3 ways to restart your router, depending on the type of router you’re using. They are as follows:

For regular routers, the best and common way to restart it is to disconnect the power cable. Doing this will turn the router off. Wait for a few minutes before reconnecting the power cable and turning on the router again.

However, if you are using a wall-mounted router, then there’s another way of restarting it. Since it’s hard to access disconnect the power cable, you can instead push the power button to turn the router off. You can also use the warm reboot to automatically reset the connection.

If there is an internet connection but you can’t still connect, it may be because many users are already connected to the router, and you have reached the maximum allowed connections. Just simply adjust the maximum number and restart the router.

After restarting the router, restart your device and see if you’ll still encounter the WiFi authentication error. If the error still

If the first 3 methods fail, or if your phone suffers from other random errors aside from WiFi authentication errors, then your phone might have software issues. This happens when you install a firmware update, custom ROM, or a faulty application.

Note: Before anything else, I recommend that you clear the app cache of any recent apps you’ve downloaded, especially if you gave the app permission to access your network before you do factory reset.

The best way to solve software issues and reset settings is to reset your phone to factory settings. Although at the cost of deleting all of your data. Just make sure that you’ve backed up your data. The best way to do this is to backup your phone first to the cloud. Once you have done this, you can then reset your device settings. Just follow the steps below.

Go to settings and then just scroll down to find the “Backup & Reset” option. Tap it to open.

You’ll see the Automatic Restore option. If it’s not turned on, make sure that you turn it on.

Find the “Factory Data Reset” option and tap it. Then tap the “Reset Phone” button to confirm the action. The process will take a few minutes. This will boot your phone’s system. If the problem is indeed due to software issues, then you can connect to the network.

Unless your phone has hardware problems, this will fix your WiFi authentication error problem on your device.

As with all kinds of troubleshooting, you should start with the easiest possible solutions and, if they don’t work, make your way through progressively more complex solutions. The easiest thing you can try is to put your Android phone in airplane mode, which disables most or all of the radios on your device. It’s akin to rebooting your Wi-Fi radio.

Follow these steps to put your android phone in airplane mode,

Step 1: Swipe down from the top of your phone 

Step 2: You can see the quick access icons.

Step 3: In those icons, tap “Airplane mode.” (The icon will be shaped like an airplane.) 

Step 4: Wait several seconds and tap the icon a second time to turn it off. Check your Wi-Fi and see if it now connects properly.

Another common issue users face is that they can’t connect to 5 Ghz WiFi. Let me tell you, to be able to connect to 5 Ghz bandwidth, your phone should support it in the first place.

To check it, press and hold the WiFi icon in the notification tray or go to Settings > WiFi > Advanced > Frequency band and check which band is enabled – 2.4 Ghz, or 5 Ghz, or automatic. If your phone doesn’t support 5 Ghz, it won’t show in the frequency bands. To enable 5 Ghz frequency, select the 5 Ghz frequency band.

Note that, 2.4 Ghz connects across a long-range but the speed is low whereas the 5 Ghz band provides faster speeds but for a shorter range.

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This means that that you have unsuccessfully connected to WiFi even if you’re using the correct password. Normally, the device would automatically connect and save the password to a particular network. However, if there are issues, that’s the time the authentication error occurs.

Galaxy S3 has been reported to have an issue with authentication error. The abovementioned methods normally work to fix the error.

The most common fix is to change the security protocol, for instance, from WPA to WPA2. You can also reset the network manually by clicking “Forget Network.”

Register the WiFi network again by resetting your Samsung Galaxy S8 device. To reset, go to Settings > General Management > Reset > Reset Network Settings > Tap Reset Settings. Next, register your WiFi network again and re-enter the password to connect.

In Samsung Galaxy devices, the WiFi authentication mostly occurs due to incorrect password. Change your WiFi network password and retry to connect.

The 4 methods mentioned in this article would normally fix authentication issues. If the problem persists even after trying out all 4 methods, then it could be due to a hardware issue. If all else fails, the best and safest way to do is to seek help from professionals. Have your phone checked and let the experts and your service provider fix the problem.

I hope you found this article helpful! Share your comments and suggestions below!

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