My older iPad Pro, probably the first 12.9-inch model, suddenly stopped connecting to my home Wi‑Fi. It worked normally earlier in the day, but now repeatedly says the password is incorrect even though I'm entering the right one. Other devices, including a Nintendo Switch and a work phone, are still connected. I've tried sharing the password from another phone, forgetting and reconnecting to the network, resetting network settings, disabling private Wi‑Fi, and checking the date and time. The Wi‑Fi briefly connected once, then went back to rejecting the password. My iPhone 8 Plus is also having a separate Wi‑Fi problem, so I'm wondering whether this could be related to the router or the older devices. I'm not very tech-savvy and would appreciate simple troubleshooting steps.
3 Answers
A correct password can still be rejected if the router’s security mode is incompatible with an older iPad. If your router is set to WPA3-only, try changing it to WPA2-Personal with AES, or use a WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode. Also make sure the 2.4 GHz network is enabled, since older devices can sometimes have trouble with newer 5 GHz or combined network settings. After changing anything, restart the router and forget and rejoin the network on the iPad.
Since more than one Apple device is having Wi‑Fi trouble, restart the modem/router by unplugging it for about a minute, then reconnect it and wait for the network to return. Restart the iPad completely too, rather than only closing the cover. If possible, test the iPad on another network or a phone hotspot. If it connects elsewhere, the issue is probably the router settings; if it fails everywhere, the iPad’s Wi‑Fi hardware or software may be failing.
The “incorrect password” message is sometimes just a generic connection failure, not proof that the password is wrong. Check the router app or administration page for blocked devices, device limits, or a recent security update. You can also temporarily create a separate 2.4 GHz WPA2 network with a simple password as a test. If the iPad still cannot join that network, especially after a full restart, it may need repair rather than another password reset.
I already reset the iPad’s network settings and tried forgetting the network, but I haven’t checked the router’s security settings or tested a hotspot yet. I’ll try restarting everything and checking whether WPA3 is enabled.