Wireless Internet - Turn off Private Wi-Fi Address on iPad and iPhone

Apple's Private Wi-Fi Address feature, introduced in macOS Sequoia and updated for iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, can cause connectivity issues when using campus Wi-Fi networks if not set to "off."

At this time, OIT strongly recommends turning off Private Wi-Fi Address for UCB Wireless and UCB Guest, as well as eduroam, while we investigate the network performance impacts of Apple's OS upgrades.

Because Private Wi-Fi Address is a per-network setting, OIT's recommendations apply only to CU Boulder networks. Learn more about these recommendations.


OS:
Layout:
one column
two columns

Step

Open the Settings app, then tap Wi-Fi.

Step

Tap the More Info button next to the network name.

Note: If the network you're trying to edit isn't listed, tap Edit in the upper-right corner to view additional Wi-Fi networks from your connection history.

Step

Configure the setting:

  • If using iPadOS 18, iOS 18 or later, tap Private Wi-Fi Address, then tap Off.
  • If using an earlier OS, turn Private Wi-Fi Address off.

iPadOS 18 Private Wi-Fi Address settings
iPadOS 18 Private Wi-Fi Address settings
iPadOS 18 Private Wi-Fi Address settings