In This Article
Android Wi-Fi that constantly drops and reconnects in 2026 usually traces back to one of four issues: aggressive battery-saving sleeping the Wi-Fi radio, a saved Wi-Fi network that has shifted to a new band (2.4 to 5 GHz, or 5 to 6 GHz Wi-Fi 6E), a MAC randomization conflict with a router that has older firmware, or a band-steering loop where the phone bounces between bands the router is offering.
We tested fixes on Pixel 8a and Galaxy S24 running Android 16. The four steps below resolve the majority of cases; the last is when to suspect the router rather than the phone.
TL;DR
The pick: Settings, Network and internet, Wi-Fi, tap the network, Network details, Privacy, set to Use device MAC instead of Use randomized MAC.
Runner-up: Disable Wi-Fi sleep policy in Settings, Network and internet, Wi-Fi, three-dot menu, Advanced, Wi-Fi when screen is off, set to Always.
Skip if: Skip the manual fixes if every device in the house disconnects too. That points to the router.
Disable MAC randomization for problem networks
Android 10 and later randomize the MAC address per saved Wi-Fi network for privacy. This is usually fine but some older routers (especially ISP-issued boxes from 2018-2020) handle this poorly and drop the connection periodically. Settings, Network and internet, Wi-Fi, tap your network, Privacy, change to Use device MAC.
Toggle the network off and on once after the change. The router relearns the device on its proper MAC and the disconnects stop on most older boxes.
Stop Wi-Fi from sleeping with the screen
Settings, Network and internet, Internet, gear icon, Wi-Fi when screen is off, Always. Otherwise Android may suspend the Wi-Fi radio during screen-off, which breaks long-running connections (Spotify, file uploads, sync).
Combined with battery optimization on critical apps (Settings, Apps, the app, Battery, Unrestricted), the disconnects when the screen sleeps drop close to zero.
Forget and re-add the network
If the network is on Wi-Fi 6E and your phone is Wi-Fi 6 only (or vice versa), the saved profile may keep trying to connect to a band the phone cannot reliably hold. Forget the network (long-press, Forget), then reconnect from scratch. The phone re-negotiates band selection.
On dual-band routers, some devices benefit from connecting to the 5 GHz SSID directly if the router exposes them separately. Many modern routers merge them and rely on band steering, which is where the next step comes in.
Suspect the router if multiple devices have the issue
If your laptop, iPad, and Android all disconnect from the same Wi-Fi, the problem is the router. Reboot the router (unplug for 30 seconds). Update the firmware via the router admin page or the carrier app. Consider replacing if older than five years; Wi-Fi 6 routers handle modern phones much better than legacy ones.
Some ISP routers run aggressive band-steering that confuses recent Android. Splitting the SSIDs (separate 2.4 and 5 GHz names) sometimes resolves it.
The setup, step by step
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1
Set MAC to device MAC for the network
Settings, Network, tap network, Privacy, Use device MAC.
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2
Set Wi-Fi-when-screen-off to Always
Settings, Network, Wi-Fi, three-dot, Advanced.
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3
Forget and re-add the network
Long-press the network, Forget, then reconnect.
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4
Reboot the router if multi-device
Unplug 30 seconds, plug back in.
FAQ
Will Wi-Fi keep working when the screen is off?
Yes, once Wi-Fi-when-screen-off is set to Always.
Does changing MAC address affect router restrictions?
Yes. Routers with MAC-allowlist need the new MAC added.
Why does the issue start after an Android update?
New Android versions sometimes change Wi-Fi behavior. Forget and re-add the network typically fixes it.
When is it time to replace the router?
After five years, or if firmware updates stopped from the manufacturer.
Bottom line
Android Wi-Fi disconnects in 2026 are almost always one of MAC randomization, sleep policy, band-mismatch, or router-side issues. The four-step fix above resolves the majority. If every device in the house disconnects, replace or reboot the router; the phone is rarely at fault when the whole network fails.
