I primarily use my cellular Apple Watch for on-the-go communication, which means my iPhone and iPad often remain unused and charging for several days. Unfortunately, after about two to three days of inactivity, I notice that the WiFi connection on both devices drops. The iPhone defaults to 5G while the iPad completely disconnects from the internet. They won’t reconnect automatically unless I physically unplug them and unlock the screens, at which point they reconnect to WiFi instantaneously.
This recurring disconnection disrupts Handoff and Continuity features with my Mac. When my iPhone switches to 5G, my Mac fails to send or receive SMS messages and cannot accept FaceTime calls from the iPhone. Additionally, iPhone Mirroring does not work because both devices must be on the same WiFi network for synchronization. My Apple Watch is also affected, as it cannot receive calls or messages meant for the iPhone.
I often realize this after returning from work, leading to missed communications. However, notifications to the Watch itself continue to function normally. I have confirmed that my internet connection is stable since various Android tablets, both old and new, maintain their WiFi connections without issue. I suspect this is an intentional ‘feature’ of the iPhone and iPad, as the problem persists even on iOS 18, so it cannot be blamed on a beta version.
Is there a way to disable this disconnection feature? I would like to ensure that my devices remain connected to WiFi at all times.
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