{"id":362970,"date":"2026-03-28T16:35:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T16:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/362970\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T16:35:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T16:35:10","slug":"wifi-warning-as-millions-across-uk-urged-to-disable-key-feature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/362970\/","title":{"rendered":"WiFi warning as millions across UK urged to disable key feature"},"content":{"rendered":"

You should check your settings ‘as soon as possible’<\/p>\n

Sophie Buchan Money and Lifestyle Writer<\/p>\n

12:27, 28 Mar 2026<\/p>\n

\"Woman<\/p>\n

You may be at risk and not know it(Image: Getty\/Sally Anscombe photographer 2024)<\/p>\n

People across the UK are being warned to be extra cautious when using Wi-Fi<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One feature that could put you at risk, making it a setting you want to turn off. Experts at Which?<\/a> explain that some devices automatically reconnect to networks you\u2019ve used before, including public Wi-Fi, which can be dangerous if the network isn\u2019t secure<\/a>. The team at Which? advises checking your current settings <\/a>as soon as possible and updating them if needed by following the steps below:<\/p>\n

If you have an iPhone: Go to Settings > wi-fi and select the I icon next to the network. Disable Auto-Join. From the wi-fi screen, you can also select Ask to Join Networks > Ask. If no known networks are available, you will be asked before joining a new one.If you have an Android: Head to Settings > Network and Internet > Internet. Select the Cog icon next to the wi-fi network, then toggle Auto-connect.If you are using a device with Windows 10 and 11: Visit Settings > Network & Internet > wi-fi > Manage known networks. Choose a network, select Properties and toggle Connect automatically when in range.If you are using a Mac: Open the Apple menu and choose System Preferences > Network Preferences. Click Network > wi-fi > Advanced > Manage known networks. Select a network and then toggle Automatically join this network.<\/p>\n

The experts suggest that, to be extra safe, you can delete a Wi-Fi network from your device entirely.<\/p>\n

Similar Wi-Fi names\"Cropped<\/p>\n

If you don’t need a password, be vigilant(Image: Getty\/2025 Yiu Yu Hoi)<\/p>\n

So, what else do the tech experts recommend? Which? warns people that not all public Wi-Fi hotspots are equal. While some are secure, others may be set up with malicious intent to trick you into connecting and unknowingly sharing your information.<\/p>\n

Worryingly, these can be easy to fall for. A network might be labelled something like \u201cCoffee_wifi_official\u201d while you\u2019re in a caf\u00e9, or use a name very similar to the place you\u2019re visiting to make it seem legitimate.<\/p>\n

Before connecting, make sure the public Wi-Fi is legitimate. For networks at restaurants or hotels, ask staff or check official signs. Be cautious as unsafe networks often don\u2019t need a password, while safer ones usually ask you to sign up or agree to terms first.<\/p>\n

Remember ‘https’<\/p>\n

Make sure you only visit websites that use HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure). This ensures the data sent between your device and the site is encrypted and better protected.<\/p>\n

Although this is good to look out for, Which? warn: “Crucially, HTTPS doesn’t guarantee that a website is 100% secure. It is, however, a good indication of trustworthiness.”<\/p>\n

Sites designed to steal your information often use HTTP instead, as it looks similar, so make sure it reads “https:\/\/\u201d before the “www.”<\/p>\n

When was the last time you updated your phone?<\/p>\n

If your phone needs an update, install it as soon as you can. According to TechRadar<\/a>: “Software updates can in some cases also improve the overall stability or efficiency of your phone.<\/p>\n

“And your phone will also receive security updates that patch vulnerabilities. These are less exciting, but are arguably even more important, as they help prevent your phone from getting hacked.”<\/p>\n

For more tips, visit the Which? website here<\/a>. You can also check out our Tech news, reviews and updates here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You should check your settings ‘as soon as possible’ Sophie Buchan Money and Lifestyle Writer 12:27, 28 Mar…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":362971,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[85,46,321,125,1516],"class_list":{"0":"post-362970","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mobile","8":"tag-il","9":"tag-israel","10":"tag-mobile","11":"tag-technology","12":"tag-wi-fi"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=362970"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362970\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/362971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=362970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=362970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=362970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}