Connecting to a Wi-Fi network is easy on an Android phone or tablet on a normal day. Other times, it’s a herculean task. If your phone is not connecting to a Wi-Fi network because it is stuck at ‘obtaining an IP address’, there is a problem. Usually, it’s safe to assume that the problem might be with your phone. Other times, it is the router that may be responsible for the error. Whatever the reason, we’ve compiled a definitive list of troubleshooting tips to fix when your Android phone is unable to obtain an IP address over a Wi-Fi network.
Wi-Fi connection problems are quite common on Android devices. Check out our detailed guides on how to fix simple Wi-Fi connection problems and complex ones. In this post, we will highlight eight (8) ways to fix ‘Obtaining IP address’ error on an Android device. Let’s start.
1. Disable and Enable Wi-Fi
Turn off your phone’s Wi-Fi and turn it back on. You can disable Wi-Fi by swiping down the notification panel and tapping the Wi-Fi icon. Or go to Settings > Network & Internet and turn off the Wi-Fi network.
Follow the same steps to re-enable Wi-Fi on your device. Now try to reconnect to the network and check if the ‘Obtaining IP address’ error persists.
2. Approach the Router
If you are outside of your router’s optimal connection range, your phone may find it difficult to connect to the network. Hence the ‘Obtaining IP address’ error. You should bring your phone closer to the router and check if the Android operating system can now connect to the Wi-Fi network.
3. Forget the Network
If the error persists after bringing your device closer to the router, try forgetting the Wi-Fi network and re-establish the connection. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi and select the network stuck in the ‘obtaining IP address’ loop. Then tap Forget to delete the network’s credentials from your device.
Reconnect to the Wi-Fi network, enter the authorization information i.e. the password (if any) and check if the error persists.
4. Confirm Network Credentials
This is another troubleshooting check you should run. Feeding an incorrect password can also cause the network to get stuck in the ‘obtaining an IP address’ loop. Check that you have the correct PIN/password for the network. If the error is occurring on a Wi-Fi network you have connected to before, check with the administrator to see if they changed the network credentials (SSID name and password).
If the network SSID or password/PIN has been changed, get the new details, forget the old network details on your device (see Method #3 above) and reconnect to the new network.
When manually connecting to a network, selecting the wrong Security type may also cause the status of the Wi-Fi network to hang in ‘Obtaining IP address’ on your device.
Therefore, you should make sure that you have all the correct details about the new network. If you have access to the router’s admin panel, you can recheck and confirm the network details. Or you can ask someone who knows.
5. Reboot Device
Yes, that can help too. Turn off your device and turn it back on after a few seconds. After that, reconnect to the Wi-Fi network. If the network connection status is still stuck while obtaining the IP address, continue to the next troubleshooting tip.
6. Is Your Device Blocked?
This connection error can also occur if your Android smartphone is blocked from the Wi-Fi network you are trying to connect to. If you can connect to other Wi-Fi networks effortlessly, but a particular network keeps getting stuck during the ‘obtaining IP address’ connection phase, your device may be blacklisted on that network.
You should also check that the router does not have a strict MAC address configuration preventing your device from connecting to the network. If the router has a limit on the number of simultaneous connections, your device will not be able to connect to the network. Therefore, you should check the device limitations of the router.
7. Check Router’s DHCP Settings
Your router’s DHCP server menu is where IP addresses are assigned to connected devices. If DHCP server settings are disabled on your router, it will not automatically assign an IP address to your smartphone (or other devices). This can put your phone in a ‘getting an IP address’ loop. To fix this, log into your router’s admin panel and enable DHCP settings.
Alternatively, you can manually assign a static IP address to the network as configured on your router during the authentication process. On your Android device, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi. Turn on Wi-Fi and follow the steps below.
Stage 1: Select the network you want to connect to and tap Advanced options.
Step 2: Now, tap the drop-down button in the IP settings section and select Static.
Stage 3: Finally, enter the details of the Static IP address you have assigned to your device into the router and press the Connect button when done.
8. Reset Network Settings
Resetting your Android device’s network setting can also help resolve this issue. You should note that resetting network settings on your Android device will delete some cellular settings, Bluetooth configurations, as well as saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords. Check out our detailed guide on resetting network settings to find out what happens when you reset your device’s network settings and how to do it on your Android phone.
Establish Connection
At least one of the fixes listed above should clear the ‘obtaining IP address’ error on your Android device. Quite often, the problem is usually simple. So, be sure to troubleshoot the problem carefully. Let us know which trick worked for you in the comments section below.
Next: Does the Wi-Fi feature turn off immediately when you turn on your Android smartphone? Or does it refuse to open for unknown reasons? Check out 7 ways to fix the problem in the guide linked below.
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