Why does an exclamation mark appear next to the Wi-Fi icon on your phone?

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Your Samsung phone may be connected to the Wi-Fi network but cannot access the Internet. This may be due to a problem with the router or the Internet connection itself, or a defect in the phone’s settings.

When this happens, an exclamation mark may appear next to the Wi-Fi icon. This sign indicates that there is no Internet connection, even though the Samsung phone is connected to the Wi-Fi network.

But the problem is that the exclamation mark does not explain the reason for the Internet outage. The reason may be a malfunction in the modem connection, a problem with the router, or a malfunction in the phone itself, according to a report by the “BGR” website, which specializes in technology news, which Al Arabiya Business viewed.

To find out the source of the problem, try connecting a laptop or other device to the same Wi-Fi network, and check if it can access the Internet.

If the Internet doesn't work on the other device either, restart your modem and router, and leave them off for a few minutes before turning them back on. If the problem persists, the router may be down, although this is rare.

If the other device is connected to the Internet while your Samsung phone cannot access it, try turning the Wi-Fi connection off and on again from the phone settings, then restart the phone, or delete the saved network and reconnect to it.

The same exclamation mark may appear when connected to a public Wi-Fi network in a restaurant, hotel, library, airport, or similar places.

This usually happens because these networks require agreeing to a user agreement, or going through a login page before allowing access to the Internet, a page known as “Captive Portal”.

For example, the hotel may request that you enter your name and room number via a registration page that appears in the browser before the Internet is available. A government entity or commercial entity may require agreement to terms and conditions in exchange for allowing use of the network, which may impose restrictions on access to some sites.

The exclamation mark appears because the phone is connected to the network, but has not yet obtained Internet access.

If you open the registration page and agree to the terms, but the Internet does not work, contact your network administrator. In this case, you cannot control the external network or change the router settings, and some solutions, such as setting a static IP address, may not be available to you.

You can try some steps on your Samsung phone, such as restarting it, disconnecting Wi-Fi and then reconnecting, resetting network settings, or turning airplane mode on and off.

There's also a lesser-known setting on Samsung devices that can force the phone to automatically connect to the best network available in the area, and may be a simple solution to improving your internet connection.

Sometimes the exclamation mark may appear due to a software bug in the Android system, rather than a problem with the Internet connection itself.

Users have reported a bug in older versions of the system, such as Android 5.0 known as Lollipop, where the exclamation mark was not related to a problem with the Internet connection gateway. A similar bug may appear in newer versions as well.

In January, an update to Google Pixel phones caused unexpected wireless connectivity issues. This issue did not affect Samsung devices, but users reported similar issues after updates to Galaxy phones in early 2026.

According to TechRepublic, the proposed solution to the original bug in Lollipop was to set a static IP address on the device. But this requires direct administrative authority over the network and knowledge of some of its technical details.

You can also try resetting the network settings on your Samsung phone through the following path: Settings → General Management → Reset → Reset Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Settings.

If the problem is in a home network, or a network that you have authority to manage, check for firmware updates for your router and modem, make sure the Wi-Fi signal is strong, and then restart network devices after they have been unplugged for longer than usual.

The same problem may occur on the iPhone, but the way it appears is different.

If your iPhone connects to a Wi-Fi network without access to the Internet, a “No Internet Connection” message may appear below the network name in Wi-Fi settings.

The user may also notice that web pages do not load and applications do not connect to the Internet despite the Wi-Fi icon appearing at the top of the screen.