Are you experiencing slow Wi-Fi on your iOS 26 device? You’re not alone. Many iPhone users have reported connectivity issues since updating to Apple’s latest operating system. There could be several reasons for this, and it can get quite annoying when it happens. In this article, we have listed ten useful tips that can help fix the slow Wi-Fi speed in iOS 26.
Why is my Wi-Fi slow after the iOS 26 update?
Several factors can contribute to iOS 26 slow Wi-Fi speeds. These include:
- System Optimization Issues: New iOS updates often require time to optimize, which can temporarily affect performance.
- Background Processes: iOS 26 introduced enhanced background app functionality, which may consume more bandwidth than previous versions.
- Network Setting Conflicts: The iOS 26 update might have changed your network configurations or introduced compatibility issues with certain routers.
- Software Bugs: Early versions of iOS 26 have shown connectivity bugs affecting some users, as documented in Apple Support Community threads.
How to Troubleshoot iOS 26 slow Wi-Fi Speed on iPhone
1. Restart Your Wireless Router
Sometimes, the simplest explanation is the right one. If Wi-Fi speed is slow after iOS 26 update, try rebooting your router: Unplug the router, leave it off for 10 seconds or so, and thenplug it back in.
2. Restart Your iPhone
You may also want to restart your iPhone if resetting the Wi-Fi router doesn’t fix the slow internet speed. To do this, hold down the sleep/wake button and either one of the volume buttons and then swipe right on the power slider to turn off the device. Wait until it fully turns off, then press down on the sleep/wake button to turn it back on. Oftentimes, this simple solution is all you need to fix slow Wi-Fi on iOS 26.
3. Experiment With Router Placement
If you use traditional hardware, such as a standard router provided by your ISP, you must remember that the farther away your iPhone is from your router, the higher the risk of connection problems, slow speeds, and dropouts.
A simple solution is to move your router — or invest in a Wi-Fi extender to boost signal strength.
Objects, too, can impede connections between your iPhone and a router. If possible, try to keep clutter around your router to a minimum.
To check the strength of your connection on an iPhone, look at the cone-shaped stripes at the top-left corner, which indicates Wi-Fi strength. Three bars mean the signal is strong, two bars are moderate, and one bar means it’s weak.
4. Remove or Change Your iPhone Case
Most of the materials used in the production of phone cases don’t block or interfere with Wi-Fi signals. However, some can—these are usually metal cases. Metal disrupts the transmission from the antenna, which is located somewhere near the top of your iPhone.
If your phone case is metal-plated, swap it out for a silicone, plastic, or leather one instead. You should also avoid using metal rings or PopSockets that stick to the back of the phone.
It doesn’t hurt to remove whatever case you have on your iPhone, especially if it’s thick, so that the iPhone’s Wi-Fi antenna isn’t blocked by anything and can get a better signal.
5. Cut Down on Network-Heavy Activity
Downloads, streaming, and certain apps can hog your available bandwidth. You should check what’s using your bandwidth to pinpoint any clear culprits. If this doesn’t turn anything up, you’re going to have to run each app or function individually, one at a time, to see which ones are affecting the Wi-Fi.
Thankfully, there are also a few ways to cut down the amount of bandwidth your iPhone uses. First, you can check which apps tend to gobble up the most bandwidth by viewing their data usage on your iPhone. Depending on when you last reset the statistics, however, this might not be very accurate.
To check data usage on your iPhone:
- Go to Settings > Cellular.
- Scroll through the list of apps in the current period and view their data usage right below the names.
Next, you can turn off automatic app updates to reduce bandwidth usage in the background:
- Go to Settings > Apps > App Store.
- Turn off App Updates.
With this disabled, you’ll need to manually update apps instead:
- Open the App Store app.
- Tap your avatar at the top-right.
- Choose Update next to each app under Available Updates.
VPNs require additional bandwidth, so it might be worth turning that off at home if you use one.
Since streaming can put a lot of strain on your network, opt for downloading media (at non-peak times) over streaming wherever possible, especially media that you repeatedly consumed, such as music. This will require a bit of storage space, but reduces strain on your network in the long run.
6. Check for iOS update
A bug in iOS 26 could be the cause of slow Wi-Fi on your iPhone. Luckily, iOS updates fix bugs and improve the overall operability of an iPhone, including network performance. Make sure that your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS 26 update.
- Go to Settings > General.
- Tap Software Update.
- If there’s an update pending, tap Update Now.
7. Forget and Re-Add the Wi-Fi Network
Forgetting a network removes its password and all other network information from your iPhone. This can help clear up issues with connecting to specific networks. Keep in mind that you’ll need the password to reconnect after forgetting a network.
To forget a network on iPhone:
- Go to Settings > Wi-Fi.
- Tap the i icon next to the network you want to forget,
- Tap Forget This Network.
For best results, try restarting your phone before rejoining the network.
8. Change DNS Options
Sometimes, the reason for slow Wi-Fi on your iPhone could be bad DNS servers. You can change these servers on your iPhone to improve Wi-Fi speed.
To change the DNS server on your iPhone:
- Open the Settings app and tap Wi-Fi.
- Tap the encircled i next to your network.
- Scroll down and tap Configure DNS.
- Select Manual, then tap Add Server.
- Type in Google’s DNS servers (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4).
- Tap Save when done.
To revert back to the default DNS settings, follow the above step to return to this menu. Then, instead of Manual, select Automatic and hit Save to confirm.
9. Run a speed test on another device
Usually, during peak times or when there is a major event, internet speeds might worsen due to increased load.
In these situations, the issue may be from your network provider’s end and not you. To test, run a speed test on another phone or computer connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If the speed is also significantly down on that device, then the problem is from your network provider’s end. In this situation, you can contact their service center or wait a while for normal, fast speeds to resume. If the speed on another device is fine but not on yours, then move to the last troubleshooting step.
Note: Sometimes, it’s also possible that the website or streaming service you’re trying to access is having issues and, therefore, not loading quickly or playing videos in the highest quality. In this case, force quit the app and reopen it.
10. Reset All Network Settings
If all of the above failed, try resetting the network settings on your iPhone. This will clear all saved Wi-Fi networks; you may also need to set up VPNs and cellular options again.
To reset network settings on iPhone:
- Open the Settings app and tap General.
- Scroll down and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap Reset.
- Choose Reset Network Settings.
This will ask for your iPhone passcode to confirm, then reboot the device.
Faster Wi-Fi Speed in iOS 26
The above-mentioned tips should help you fix the slow Wi-Fi issues on your iPhone running iOS 26. If none of them work, then the problem could be with the Wi-Fi router or with your Internet Service Provider (ISP). You should contact your ISP and have their technician visit your home to fix the problem.
See also: iPhone battery drain after iOS 26 update? How to fix it!