Private networks seem to work just fine but sometimes trying to use a public WiFi can result in an ‘internet may not be available’ error, with the terms of service webpage not even appearing.
This can happen regardless of whether you are using Safari, Chrome or FireFox on your device. If you are experiencing this issue, try the following fixes to see whether you can solve it:
Fix #1: Force a Reboot
Many connectivity issues you face when using WiFi can be solved by simply restarting your device.
This is how to do a forced restart on the Android device:
- Press and hold down simultaneously the “Power + Volume Down” buttons until the phone power cycles (this should take about 10 seconds).
- Wait a few seconds until the “Maintenance Boot Mode” screen comes up and choose “Normal Boot“.
You can cycle through the options with the volume buttons then choose one using the bottom on the bottom left under the volume buttons.
It will take about 1½ minutes to complete the reset.
Fix #2: Do a System Cache Refresh
To load apps fast, Android uses a system cache, which is like a set of files. It is possible for the cache to get corrupted. Try to clear the cache partition often to make sure it is working well all the time.
Every couple of months or after an upgrade is good for clearing the cache. You can also do it for troubleshooting purposes, such as when you get the ‘internet may not be available’ error.
- Switch the phone off (if you can’t, wait until the battery runs out then charge it for 30 minutes).
- Press the “Bixby key” (button under the volume buttons) + “Volume Up” button and at the same time, press and hold the “Power button“.
- When you see the Android logo, release all the keys (it will show ‘Installing System Update’ for up to a minute then show the recovery menu).
- Highlight ‘Wipe Cache Partition’ by pressing the “Volume Down” key and select it by pressing the “Power” button.
- Now highlight ‘Yes’ by pressing the “Volume Down key” and again select it by pressing the “Power” button (you will see ‘Reboot System Now’ when the cache has been cleared).
- Restart the phone using the Power button
Fix #3: Forget WiFi Networks
Forgetting a WiFi network can refresh a device’s WiFi connections, which might solve the error if it is linked to the WiFi network in question.
This is how to make your Android phone forget the network:
- Swipe up or down from the middle of your display on the Home screen to open “Apps menu“.
- Go to “Settings” then “Connections” and then “WiFi” (make sure the WiFi switch is in the ‘On’ position).
- Select the WiFi network you want to remove and press “Forget“.
Fix #4: Reset Network Settings
Something else you can do is reset or clear your network settings. This wipes all WiFi networks along with VPN settings, WiFi passwords and cellular settings.
Ensure you know how to reconnect to your VPN or WiFi before resetting your network settings.
- Swipe up on the Home screen to open “Apps” and select “General Management“.
- Tap on “Reset Settings” and tap “Reset Network Settings“.
- Enter the PIN (if you set one up) and tap “Reset Settings“.
You will get a confirmation window once this is done.
Using following method you can also get rid of ‘Error Retrieving Information From Server RH-01’ android error.
Fix #5: Access WiFi Using Safe Mode
A third party app might be to blame for the “Internet May Not Be Available” error, so try to connect to WiFi in safe mode. This suspends third party apps and third party services.
If the WiFi works fine on safe mode, then you know a third party app is interfering with the connection.
This is how to get safe mode on your Android device:
- Turn the phone off.
- Press the Power key and keep holding it until ‘Phone Brand Logo’ comes up.
- Let go of the “Power key” and press and hold down the “Volume Down” button (keep holding it until the phone has restarted).
- In the bottom left of the screen it will say “Safe Mode” – let go of the “Volume” button when you see that.
- Now check if the WiFi is working.
You can figure out which app is causing the issue by taking the following steps:
- Boot your phone using safe mode to see if there is still a problem when using WiFi.
- Uninstall apps one-by-one, starting with the ones you added most recently.
- After uninstalling an app, restart your phone in normal (not safe) mode and check again.
Fix #6: Reset All the Phone Settings
This solution is like a factory reset without having to delete customizations and personal data. This is how to reset your Android settings:
- Swipe up on the Home screen to open “Apps“, select “General Management” and than “Reset Settings“.
- Enter the PIN and select “Reset Settings” again (you will see a confirmation window).
Fix #7: Install Updates
It can happen that code-related bugs might affect your phone, in which case you will need to patch the code by installing updates for both the operating system and the apps.
Install any pending updates and then check for the ‘internet may not be available’ error.
Fix #8: Full Factory Reset
If nothing else works, you might have to perform a full factory reset to fix any bugs in the Android operating system. This is a last resort because it wipes everything off your device.
Make sure you have everything backed up before attempting a factory reset:
- Switch the phone off and hold the “Bixby + Volume Up” keys.
- At the same time, press and hold the Power button.
- Let go of all the keys when you see the Android logo on the screen.
- It will say ‘Installing System Updates’ for up to a minute – then you will see the “System Recovery” options.
- Push the Volume Down key a few times to reach ‘Wipe Data/Factory Reset’ and push the Power button to highlight it.
- Now push the Volume Down button to select ‘Yes – Delete All User Data’ and push the Power button again.
- When the reset completes, you will see highlighted ‘Reboot System Now’.
- Press the Power button to restart the phone.
Conclusion
Now you now how to fix ‘Internet may not be available’ error on your Android phone. To get even more info, check our video guide below:
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