Samsung Galaxy Wi-Fi Not Connecting After Android 14 Update

Samsung Galaxy Wi-Fi Not Connecting After Android 14 Update

What’s happening

After updating my Samsung Galaxy S23 to Android 14, I noticed Wi-Fi kept dropping or simply refused to connect. Sometimes the network appeared in the list but said “Authentication problem” or “Unable to connect.” It was frustrating because I rely on Wi-Fi for work calls and large downloads.

Where I got stuck

At first, I tried forgetting the network and reconnecting multiple times. I even rebooted the phone repeatedly, thinking it was a temporary glitch. Unfortunately, none of that worked. I also toggled Airplane mode a few times, which helped momentarily, but the issue came back after a few minutes.

How I fixed it (step-by-step)

1. Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi → Advanced
   Toggle “Turn on Wi-Fi automatically” off and then on. This took me a minute to find since the layout changed slightly in Android 14.
2. Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi → [Your Network] → Forget
   Then reconnect using the correct password. Make sure to double-check capitalization and special characters.
3. Settings → General management → Reset → Reset network settings
   This clears saved networks and can fix persistent authentication errors. Warning: you’ll need to re-enter passwords for all Wi-Fi networks.
4. Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi → Advanced → Manage networks
   Check if the network uses 5GHz or 2.4GHz band and switch if needed. Some Android 14 updates caused 5GHz connections to fail on certain routers.

What to avoid

• Don’t just restart the router repeatedly; it rarely fixes the Android 14-specific Wi-Fi authentication bug.
• Don’t reset your phone completely unless all network resets fail — it’s overkill and time-consuming.

Model-specific notes

On my Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+, Android 14 introduced a subtle Wi-Fi bug: the system sometimes tries to authenticate before the router is ready, especially on hidden networks or enterprise networks. Regional firmware variations also affect this; some S23 units in Europe had fewer issues than US models.

Quick test

After performing the steps above, check connectivity by opening a browser or running a speed test. If the Wi-Fi icon stays stable for 10–15 minutes without dropping, the fix worked. Human tip: some networks may still require a router restart after the reset.

Extra details

Android 14 changed how the OS handles Wi-Fi authentication and network handshakes. It now prioritizes networks differently and may cache old credentials. This can lead to intermittent connection failures even if the password is correct. For deeper info, Samsung’s developer documentation mentions network caching behavior in the latest update.