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WiFi is not auto-connecting to managed network

Solved
M
MDel
weshou

Good day, SOTI Community.

I've configured a Wi-Fi profile for my iPads so they should automatically join a specific network. The profile deploys successfully, and the devices show the SSID and credentials as expected. However, the iPads don't actually connect to the network on their own; they only join once I manually tap the SSID. After that first manual connection, they auto-connect normally.

Has anyone else seen this or know what might cause the first auto-join to fail? Or is this by Apple's design for security/privacy measures?

iPadOS v26.0.1
MobiAgent v2025.1.0.2051
SOTI MobiControl v2025.1.0.1010

Thanks,

MDel

iPadOS iOS apple wifi
7 days ago
SOTI MobiControl
ANSWERS
U
UTMOD@SOTI
7 days ago

Hi Mdel

Good day

Thanks for posting on SOTI Pulse.

This is a known and common iOS/iPadOS behavior, not a SOTI or configuration issue first connection often requires a manual join, even when the Wi-Fi profile is correctly pushed through MDM. This is due to Apple’s privacy and security design.

Incase of any further concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out.

 

Kind Regards,

Technical Support | SOTI Inc. |1.905.624.9828 | support@soti.net | www.soti.net |

Solution
RC
Raymond Chan Diamond Contributor
7 days ago

Apple provides documentation on how to configure managed Wi‑Fi networks via MDM, but it does not disclose the internal prioritization logic. To make a managed Wi‑Fi network eligible for auto‑join, the user typically must connect to it once manually.   Your observation—that networks not manually joined by the user are not automatically selected—is consistent with how iOS/iPadOS behaves, though Apple leaves this undocumented.

 

MD
Matt Dermody Diamond Contributor
7 days ago

It's reasons like this we generally would recommend against using iPads or iOS in general for mission critical use cases. I am not sure what management use case these iPads are used in but If you want to have comprehensive management control over your devices, especially in a line-of-business setting then Apple products are not a good choice. A fragile consumer grade tablet without a hot-swappable battery designed to stream Netflix on a home Wifi network is not an optimal device for a business critical function. 

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