These iOS 13 changes make Bluetooth and Wi-Fi much easier and more private

Arguably more than anything else, our smart devices like iPhones and iPads help us stay connected. In iOS 13 and iPadOS, that’s especially true.

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The new software updates now contain some fairly significant upgrades to the way that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth work. The updates should make it much easier to find, connect to and manage your Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth devices in iOS 13 and iPadOS.

Here’s what you should know.

Key Wi-Fi Changes in iOS 13 and iPadOS

There are a slate of changes to Wi-Fi in iOS 13 and iPadOS aimed at making Wi-Fi connectivity much easier to deal with.

Easily connect to a Wi-Fi network

Here’s a major change: you can now easily connect to a Wi-Fi networks within needing to delve into the Settings app. Here’s how.

• Open the Control Center by swiping up from the bottom of the iPhone screen or down from the upper right-hand corner.
• Long press or firm press on the four-icon pane where Airplane Mode, Cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are.
• Long press or firm press on the Wi-Fi icon.
• From here, you’ll see a new pane pop up that lists all of the available Wi-Fi networks that are within range. (If you’re currently connected to a Wi-Fi network, it’ll appear at the top.)
• Tap on any of the networks to connect to them. You may need to enter a passcode if it’s a protected network.

If you’ve connected to a particular network previously, it should connect almost instantaneously as soon as you tap on it. You can also tap on Wi-Fi Settings… at the bottom to be brought to the primary Wi-Fi pane within the Settings app.

It is worth noting that it doesn’t appear to be a way to disconnect from a network within this quick menu. You’ll still need to go into the Settings —> Wi-Fi pane, select a network and choose Forget This Network.

The New Wi-Fi Pane in Settings

The new Wi-Fi pane within settings has also seen a slight redesign from past versions of iOS. It’s a minor change, but still worth noting.

Basically, every Wi-Fi network within range will be categorized into three parts: the network you’re currently connected to, networks you’ve previously connected to, and any other network.

This makes it much easier to spot other networks that you use regularly without needing to manually tap on them and see if a Wi-Fi password prompt comes up.

Persistent personal hotspots

There’s also an upgrade to how Personal Hotspots work in iOS 13 and iPadOS that should make using them with an iPad much easier.

Basically, you won’t need to manually connect an iPad to your iPhone’s personal hotspot. Instead, iPadOS allows Apple’s tablets to automatically connect to your nearby Personal Hotspot when there isn’t an available internet connection.

This connection is persistent, too. The iPad will continue to stay connected to the hotspot, even if it’s asleep. This can be a drain on your iPhone’s battery life, so make sure to keep an eye on that.

iPadOS also features a family sharing hotspot now. You can use your personal hotspot and share it with your family members who are in your family plan.

Other Wi-Fi changes in iOS 13 and iPadOS

There are some more miscenalleous and minor changes to the way Wi-Fi on iOS 13 and iPadOS works, but they’re still worth noting.

For one, Apple’s new slate of software updates now support the more secure and robust WPA3 standard. That’s a big win for Wi-Fi security and convenience.

In addition, iOS will also intelligent monitor nearby hotspots. As Apple puts it, “Your iPhone determines which Wi-Fi networks at your location are being used and notifies you if one is available.”

Bluetooth Changes in iOS 13 and iPadOS

The changes to Bluetooth in iOS 13 and iPadOS are sparser than Wi-Fi, but they’ll still improve the convenience and privacy of the platform.

Bluetooth connectivity

Just like with Wi-Fi, you can also easily connect to various Bluetooth devices that are within range using the Control Center.

• Open the Control Center by swiping up from the bottom of the iPhone screen or down from the upper right-hand corner.
• Long press or firm press on the four-icon pane where Airplane Mode, Cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are.
• Long press or firm press on the Bluetooth icon.
• From here, you’ll see a new pane pop up that lists all of the available Bluetooth devices and accessories that are within range.
• Tap on any of the devices to connect to them. (Make sure that the device is in pairing mode.)
• You can also tap on any of the devices to quickly unpair your iPhone or iPad from them.

You can also click on Bluetooth Settings… button at the bottom to be brought to the standard menu within the Settings app.

Bluetooth privacy options

In addition to the convenience of the Control Center option, Bluetooth in iOS 13 and iPadOS will also become much more transparent and security-focused.

For example, apps that want to connect to Bluetooth will need to explicitly get permission from a user with a new “allow this app to use Bluetooth” prompt.

Developers can also add a message that explains why their particular app need to use Bluetooth — including if it’s just for location accuracy.

We hope that you are excited about the upcoming iOS 13 and iPadOS. Please let us know if you have any questions or if you would like to share some of your favorite connectivity tips that we have not covered here.

Mike Peterson

Mike is a freelance journalist from San Diego, California.

While he primarily covers Apple and consumer technology, he has past experience writing about public safety, local government, and education for a variety of publications.

He’s worn quite a few hats in the journalism field, including writer, editor, and news designer.