Among the most used connections of our Android phones is Bluetooth, which allows us to link other devices such as smart watches or wireless headphones, but there is one that, without a doubt, we use practically every second. We are talking about WiFi connectivity, which is necessary to have access to the Internet and which will soon work even with airplane mode.
We have talked about it many times, not only useful to connect to the internet, but also how easy it is to share the WiFi password with these four methods. However, there is two hidden options which we should revisit, as they generate unnecessary battery drain while sharing our location.
What are these “network preferences” for and why disable them
If we go to the settings of our Android mobile, we can get lost among so many options and configurations. It’s natural, over the years, Android gains features offering us a high level of customization.
Due to, many of them are relegated to submenus, so it is more difficult for the user to find them. This is exactly what happens with those we are dealing with in this article, two switches that activate functions related to the WiFi connection.
We are referring to two settings labeled “Automatically turn on Wi-Fi” and “Warn me about public networks”. The first of them, as the name suggests, will make our mobile activate WiFi autonomously when it reaches places where it detects “high quality” networks. The second performs a similar function: receive a notification when public networks are available.
At first they don’t sound bad at all, in fact they seem quite useful, but we have to think about the consequences of activating them. On the one hand, for our phone to automatically turn on WiFi, you will need to locate us permanently. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know if where we are has any backed up networks or not. Here, Google is flexing its muscles and taking advantage of the entire framework of available services.
On the other hand, to fulfill the second function, our mobile will again need the localization. In this way, will be able to inform us where there are public networks. If we do not need to access the Internet in public places, it is always convenient to turn it off.
How to disable network notifications and auto-activation
To deactivate them, and moreover gain something in autonomy and intimacy, go to Settings > Networks and Internet > Internet. Once we see the list of nearby WiFi networks, we swipe down the screen. This will be where we will see the “Network Preferences” section.
It will suffice to touch on it to locate the two settings mentioned. As we have been able to observe, they are not in sight, but we must access several categories until we finally reach them. Now we only need press the switch say goodbye.
It is important to mention that the customization layers change the location of some settings, so they might be behind other names. Likewise, we will always move to the connections or WiFi section. We tested it on a Pixel with Android 13, so in brands that don’t change the “Made by Google” experience much, the route will be similar.
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