In This Article
The Android Limited Connectivity warning means your phone is associated with a WiFi network but cannot reach the open internet through it. In 2026 the message wording shifts slightly across Android 15 and 16 builds, sometimes appearing as No Internet, Internet may not be available, or simply a strikethrough WiFi icon, but the underlying causes are the same set of six.
The fix order below is sorted by hit rate. Walking through it in order takes under five minutes and resolves the issue on a Pixel 8a, Galaxy S24, or any modern Android phone roughly nine times out of ten.
TL;DR
The pick: The pick: Toggle airplane mode for ten seconds, then forget and rejoin the network. This clears stale DHCP leases and resolves more than half of cases.
Runner-up: Runner-up: Reset network settings under Settings, System, Reset options, Reset WiFi mobile and Bluetooth. Heavier hammer, but it cleans every misconfigured handoff.
Skip if: Skip if: Your captive portal sign-in screen never appeared. That is a different problem covered in the captive portal section below.
What Android really means by Limited Connectivity
Android marks a network as limited when the device gets an IP address from the router but a captive probe to a Google connectivity check endpoint fails. The probe runs against connectivitycheck.gstatic.com on most regions and a regional equivalent in China, India, and parts of Europe. If the probe is blocked, redirected, or times out, you get the warning even when other devices on the same network are fine.
This means the warning is not always wrong. Sometimes the router is fine and the upstream is broken. Sometimes the router is silently filtering Googleâs probe endpoint but allowing everything else, which is common on hotel and airport networks.
Step one, the airplane mode dance
Pull down the quick settings, tap Airplane mode, wait ten seconds, tap it again. This forces every radio to reinitialize, which is enough to recover from a stuck DHCP lease, a stale ARP entry, or a roaming handoff that did not complete cleanly.
If that does not resolve it within thirty seconds, long press the WiFi network in Settings, Network and Internet, Internet, tap Forget, then rejoin and re-enter the password. This forces a full association cycle and clears any cached static IP that may have collided with the routerâs DHCP pool.
Step two, the captive portal check
Hotel, airport, cafe, and university networks usually require you to accept terms or sign in on a browser before granting internet access. Android usually pops a sign-in notification automatically. If it does not, open Chrome, type any non-HTTPS site like neverssl.com, and the portal will redirect you. Sign in, accept the terms, and the warning clears.
Some captive portals only allow HTTP redirects, so do not start with an HTTPS site, that hangs forever. The neverssl.com trick works specifically because it refuses HTTPS upgrades.
Step three, DNS and DHCP overrides
If the router is fine but the upstream DNS is misbehaving, long press the WiFi network, tap the pencil icon to edit, expand Advanced options, and set Private DNS to dns.google or one.one.one.one. That routes Androidâs captive probe through a working resolver and unsticks the connectivity check.
For a router that does not assign IP addresses cleanly, switch IP settings from DHCP to Static and assign a valid local address inside the routerâs subnet, with the gateway set to the router IP. This is rarely needed at home but solves the problem on misconfigured guest networks.
Step four, the network reset
If the first three steps fail, open Settings, System, Reset options, Reset WiFi mobile and Bluetooth. This wipes every saved network, paired Bluetooth device, and mobile preference. Reboot the phone, rejoin the network, and the warning is gone in almost every remaining case.
If even that does not work, the issue is upstream of your phone, the router itself, the modem, or your ISP. Reboot the router, then if the warning persists across multiple devices, call your ISP.
The setup, step by step
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1
Toggle airplane mode
Quick settings, tap on, wait ten seconds, tap off. Resolves most stuck-lease cases.
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2
Forget and rejoin
Settings, Internet, long press the network, Forget, reconnect with the password.
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3
Open Chrome to a non-HTTPS site
neverssl.com triggers any captive portal that did not auto-pop.
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4
Override Private DNS
Set Private DNS to dns.google in WiFi advanced options to unstick the probe.
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5
Reset network settings
Settings, System, Reset options, Reset WiFi mobile and Bluetooth. Reboot after.
FAQ
Why does only one device show Limited Connectivity?
Because Android specifically pings a Google captive probe endpoint that some networks filter or that gets blocked by a stale DHCP lease on your device alone. Other phones using the same network may be using a different probe destination or a cached lease that is still valid.
Will resetting network settings delete saved Bluetooth devices?
Yes. The Android network reset wipes saved WiFi networks, paired Bluetooth devices, and mobile carrier preferences. You will need to re-pair earbuds, smartwatches, and your car after the reset.
Does a VPN cause Limited Connectivity?
It can. An always-on VPN with the Block connections without VPN option enabled prevents Androidâs captive probe from completing. Disable the always-on toggle, sign into the network, then re-enable it.
Why does it happen on hotel WiFi?
Because hotel networks use captive portals that intercept the first HTTP request and redirect to a sign-in page. Until you complete sign-in, the portal blocks the captive probe, which is why Android flags the network as limited.
Bottom line
Limited Connectivity on Android is almost always one of three things, a stuck DHCP lease, an uncompleted captive portal sign-in, or a misbehaving DNS resolver. The five-step order in this guide hits all three in under five minutes. If you reach the reset step and the warning persists, the problem is the router or the ISP, not your phone, and you should rule those out next.
