Phone keeps leaving the camera's Wi-Fi: how to make it stay
By the CloudTether team · Updated
Short answer: a camera's own Wi-Fi has no internet, so phones try to leave it for a network that does — your home or venue Wi-Fi, or mobile data. Tell the phone to stay connected, turn off Auto-Join for the network it keeps jumping to, switch off Wi-Fi Assist or the automatic switch to mobile data, and turn off VPNs. Better still, have the camera join your phone's hotspot, so the phone never leaves a working network.
Likely causes
- The phone treating the camera's network as broken because it has no internet.
- Auto-Join pulling the phone back to a remembered home or venue network.
- Wi-Fi Assist on iPhone, or adaptive Wi-Fi and “switch to mobile data” options on Android.
- A VPN that can't reach the internet through the camera's network.
- Distance, walls or your body between the camera and the phone.
- The camera sleeping, which takes its network down.
How to fix it, step by step
Choose to stay connected
When the phone warns that the camera's network has no internet and offers to switch, choose to stay connected. On Android, tick the option not to ask again for that network if it's offered.
Turn off Auto-Join for the network it jumps to
On iPhone, open Settings › Wi-Fi, tap the network the phone keeps returning to — usually home or the venue — and turn Auto-Join off for the day. You don't have to forget it. On Android, turn off auto-reconnect for that network, or forget it for the shoot.
Turn off Wi-Fi assistants
Switch off Wi-Fi Assist on iPhone (in the mobile data settings) and, on Android, options such as switching to mobile data automatically or adaptive Wi-Fi — the names vary by maker. They're built to abandon a weak or internet-less network, which is exactly what a camera's network looks like.
Turn off VPNs while you tether
A VPN tries to route everything through the internet and can fight the local link to the camera. Pause it for the shoot.
Flip the setup: the camera joins the phone's hotspot
Turn on the phone's hotspot and join the camera to it. The phone keeps its mobile data for uploads and never has to leave a working network. Many cameras only see 2.4 GHz, so turn on Maximise Compatibility in the iPhone's Personal Hotspot settings. On Canon, use the camera's Remote control (EOS Utility) function on the hotspot, as below.
- MENU
- Wireless features
- Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connection
- Remote control (EOS Utility)
Keep camera and phone close, and the camera awake
Bodies, walls and crowds weaken the signal; keep the phone on the same side as the camera, not in a bag. Raise the camera's auto power off, because a sleeping camera drops off the network.
Reconnect cleanly after a drop
Re-approve the connection on the camera if it asks again. If CloudTether can't find the camera, enter its IP address from the camera's network information screen in the connect screen.
Will uploads still work on the camera's Wi-Fi?
Yes, on a phone with mobile data. CloudTether uploads over mobile data while the phone stays joined to the camera's network. A Wi-Fi-only iPad has no mobile data, so on a camera's own network its uploads wait until it's back on a network with internet — use a hotspot or router instead.
Two wireless cameras need a shared network
A phone can only join one camera's own network at a time. To run two cameras over Wi-Fi, put both on the phone's hotspot or a travel router you control. On newer Nikon bodies such as the Z8, the camera joins it with Network menu › Connect to smart device › Wi-Fi connection (STA mode) › Create profile.
FAQ
Why does my phone keep disconnecting from my camera's Wi-Fi?
The camera's network has no internet, so the phone tries to switch to one that does. Stay connected when warned, turn off Auto-Join for your other networks, and switch off Wi-Fi Assist and VPNs.
Why does my iPhone switch back to my home Wi-Fi?
Auto-Join. In Settings › Wi-Fi, tap your home network and turn Auto-Join off while you tether.
Can my phone upload while it's on the camera's Wi-Fi?
Yes. CloudTether uploads over mobile data while the phone stays on the camera's network. A Wi-Fi-only iPad can't, so use a hotspot or router with it.
What's the most reliable Wi-Fi setup?
The camera joins the phone's hotspot. The phone keeps its internet, and it's the only practical way to run two wireless cameras.
My camera can't see my iPhone hotspot. Why?
Many cameras only see 2.4 GHz. Turn on Maximise Compatibility in the Personal Hotspot settings.
Tether your camera to your phone with CloudTether
Canon, Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm over USB or Wi-Fi, on iPhone, iPad and Android. Every full-resolution shot is copied off the camera and delivered to Dropbox, Google Drive, a client gallery or FTP while you keep shooting.