How to Make an iOS Shortcut to Turn Off Wi-Fi Automatically

Keeping your iPhone and iPad Wi-Fi-connected while at home reduces cellular data usage and ensures a fast internet connection. It's best to turn Wi-Fi off when you leave home, though, to avoid connecting to unsafe networks and to reduce the battery drain that happens when your iPhone searches for available Wi-Fi networks.

If doing this manually seems tedious and difficult to remember, the Shortcuts app is here to help. With this handy app, you can set up your devices to automatically disable Wi-Fi when you leave home. Here's how to use Shortcuts to automatically turn off Wi-Fi when you leave home, and automatically turn Wi-Fi back on again when you return.

How to Turn Off Wi-Fi Automatically on iPhone When You Leave Home

The Shortcuts app is a convenient feature that makes various tasks easier for Apple users. One of these functions is the ability to program your iPhone and iPad to turn off Wi-Fi automatically when you leave your home. Here are the steps to set up a Wi-Fi Automation:

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1. Launch the Shortcuts app on your iPhone or iPad.
   
   
2. Tap the Automation tab at the bottom of the screen.
   
   
3. Select Create Personal Automation.
   
   
4. Tap Leave.
   
   
5. Select Choose next to Location.
   
   
6. If you’re setting up this automation at home, choose Current Location. You’ll notice that the street address appears at the top, along with a blue checkmark to the right of Current Location and a map at the bottom of the screen.
   
   
7. If this location information looks correct, tap Done. If not, you can edit it and then tap Done.
   
   
8. Review everything on this next screen for accuracy, and then tap Next.
   
   
9. Select Add Action and type “Wi-Fi” in the search bar.
   
   
10. Choose Set Wi-Fi from the search results and tap Next.
    
    
11. Tap on the blue word On to change it to Turn Wi-Fi Off.
    
    
12. Tap on Next at the top-right corner.
    
    
13. Tap Done to finish setup.
    
    

Use Shortcuts to Turn Wi-Fi Back On When You Arrive Home

Just like Shortcuts turns off Wi-Fi when not in range, it can also turn it back on when you return home. Here’s how to set up that automation:

1. Launch the Shortcuts app on your iPhone or iPad.
   
   
2. Tap on the Automation tab at the bottom of the screen.
   
   
3. Tap the + symbol at the top right corner to create a new personal automation.
   
   
4. Select Create Personal Automation.
   
   
5. Tap on Arrive.
   
   
6. Select Choose next to Location.
   
   
7. If you're at home, choose Current Location.
   
   
8. Review the address at the top and your location on the map. If this looks good, tap Done.
   
   
9. Review everything on this next screen for accuracy, and then tap Done.
   
   
10. Select Add Action.
    
    
11. Type “Wi-Fi” in the search bar. Choose Set Wi-Fi from the search results and tap Next.
    
    
12. You should already see the action Turn Wi-Fi On.
    
    
13. Tap Next at the top-right corner to confirm the instructions.
    
    
    
14. Tap Done to finalize the automation.
    
    

Using the Shortcuts app makes life easier and eliminates tedious tasks that are easy to forget. An automation to turn off Wi-Fi when you leave home is a simple way to enhance the security of your devices, so you spend less time worrying and more time enjoying your iPhone and iPad. Do you have a bunch of saved Wi-Fi passwords you no longer need? You can clear the clutter by learning how to forget a Wi-Fi network.