You connect to a public Wi-Fi — hotel, airport, café — and instead of getting online, your phone keeps reconnecting. The login page (captive portal) either won’t load, loops endlessly, or disappears after a second. Wi-Fi shows “Connected,” but there’s no real internet.
This is a very common issue on Android devices, especially on newer versions with stricter network validation. I’ve seen it frequently on Samsung (One UI) and Xiaomi devices where the system aggressively checks for internet access and resets the connection if it fails.
Why This Happens
Captive portal networks require a login page before granting internet access. If Android fails to detect or load that page correctly, it keeps reconnecting, assuming the network is broken.
It often happens when DNS settings, cached sessions, or network validation services interfere with the login process.
Possible Causes
- Cached captive portal session causing login loop
- Private DNS blocking portal detection
- Browser not triggering the login page properly
- Weak or unstable public Wi-Fi signal
- System network validation service glitch
- VPN or ad-blocking apps interfering with connection
Step-by-Step Solutions
Open the Login Page Manually
Connect to the Wi-Fi, then open your browser and go to a non-HTTPS site like http://neverssl.com.
This forces the captive portal to appear. HTTPS sites often fail because they block redirects.
Turn Off Private DNS
Go to Settings → Network & Internet → Private DNS → Set to “Off” or “Automatic.”
Private DNS (like Google or Cloudflare) can block captive portal detection completely.
Forget Network and Reconnect
Go to Wi-Fi settings → tap the network → Forget → reconnect again.
This clears any stuck session tokens from previous login attempts.
Disable VPN or Ad Blockers
If you're using a VPN, DNS changer, or ad blocker, turn it off temporarily.
These services often intercept traffic and prevent the portal from loading correctly.
Clear Browser Cache (or Try Another Browser)
Clear cache from Chrome or your default browser, or try a different browser.
Technicians often see portal loops caused by corrupted cookies or cached redirects.
Toggle Airplane Mode
Turn on airplane mode for 20–30 seconds, then turn it off and reconnect to Wi-Fi.
This resets network interfaces and can break the reconnect loop quickly.
Reset Network Settings
Go to Settings → System → Reset → Reset Network Settings.
This is a deeper fix if the issue persists across multiple captive networks.
Additional Tips
- Stay close to the access point — captive portals fail more often on weak signals.
- Avoid switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data during login.
- If the portal disappears, wait a few seconds before reconnecting — rapid retries can loop the system.
- Related issue with background connectivity: why background data fails on Android
If none of these steps work, try connecting another device to the same Wi-Fi. If it has the same issue, the network itself is likely misconfigured. In that case, only the network administrator can fix the captive portal behavior.