Ever get annoyed when your phone connects to the wrong Wi-Fi or Bluetooth device? Maybe it latches onto your secondary network instead of the main one or pairs with your earbuds when you want to connect it to your car. It happens more often than you’d like, but there’s an easy fix. You can set up network priority and device priority on your Android.
Setting Up Wi-Fi Network Priority on Android
Android phones don’t always pick the strongest or most preferred network by default, but you can change that with a few quick adjustments.
Some Android phones have integrated Wi-Fi options that can help you set up a priority network. To see if your phone has this feature, head to Settings -> Network & Internet -> Wi-Fi. (The exact path may vary, depending on your device and Android version.)
Choose your preferred Wi-Fi connection and enable the Auto-connect option. Disable this option for the rest.
If your device doesn’t offer built-in priorities, you can choose to forget all the networks you don’t want to connect to automatically. Just tap on the network name and select Forget.
If you want more control, some third-party apps like Wi-Fi Prioritizer can help. These let you reorder your saved networks, which makes your phone connect to the one you prefer first. Install the app, grant necessary permissions, and drag networks into your desired order.
For instance, you can add your home’s network as the first priority on your Android device, followed by your work Wi-Fi, and then your car’s network. Most such apps, however, are available as APK files, so we recommend scanning them to make sure they are virus-free.
Configuring Bluetooth Device Priority on Android
Managing Bluetooth connections is easy too. The first method is to forget the devices you don’t want your phone to connect to automatically. Head to Settings -> Connected devices -> Bluetooth, tap on the device you no longer need, and select Forget or Unpair.
If you don’t want to forget a device but still want to manage which one connects first, try manually connecting to the preferred device first. If you can’t locate your device, there are several solutions to help you find a lost Bluetooth device.
Android tends to prioritize the most recently connected device. For example, if you usually want your phone to connect to your car’s Bluetooth before your earbuds, connect to your car first. Over time, your phone will start favoring that connection.
If you want even more automation, consider using an automation app. With these, you can set up rules that tell your phone what to connect to and when. We tried Automate to demonstrate the steps:
Open Automate and click on the plus icon. In the next window, click on another plus icon to create a new flow. Choose Connectivity -> Bluetooth device connected?
Drag and drop it below the Flow Beginning block. Tap on the block, and pick your preferred Bluetooth device, then tap Save. Connect the bottom of the top block to the top of the bottom block.
Repeat the above process again, but this time, choose the Bluetooth device connect block mentioned above. Connect the bottom of the Bluetooth Device Connected? block to the top of the Bluetooth Device Connect block.
Tap on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner and choose Save. Go back to the home screen in the app, and choose the flow you just created. Press Start to begin the automation.
This will make your priority Android device automatically reconnect to your phone.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Even after setting up network priority and Bluetooth priority, things don’t always work perfectly.
One common issue is when your Android phone connects to a weaker Wi-Fi network instead of the one you prefer. This can happen if the weaker network was previously used or has a stronger initial signal. To fix this, forget the unwanted network or toggle Airplane mode to refresh connections.
Bluetooth issues are also common. If your phone refuses to connect to the correct device, turning Bluetooth off and on usually helps. Another frequent Bluetooth problem is devices failing to connect after an update. If this happens, restarting both your Android and the Bluetooth device can clear lingering glitches.
You may notice frequent disconnections. This often happens when you’re out of range or when physical obstacles disrupt the connections. If this happens, consider moving closer to the device or clearing the area of potential interference.
If you are relying on a third-party app, make sure the battery optimization settings of your Android aren’t causing the problem. Head to Settings -> Battery -> App Settings -> App, and select Don’t optimize to prevent the app from being shut down in the background.
If you’ve ever found yourself wrestling with your phone to connect to the right Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth device, you’re not alone. Thankfully, with a few simple tweaks, you can set the network priority or Bluetooth priority of your Android phone to automatically connect to the right network or device without any extra effort. Working with Windows? Learn how to change the network priority on your PC.
Image credit: DALL-E 3. All screenshots by Zainab Falak.
