Did you know that Nexus users can use Google’s Wi-Fi Assistant to connect to open Wi-Fi networks automatically? The Wi-Fi Assistant is only available on Nexus devices running on Android 5.1. If that’s what’s in your hand, pay close attention to minimize your cellular data usage.
Activate the Wi-Fi Assistant
This is how you automatically connect to open networks:
- Open your Settings app.
- Tap Google.
- Tap Networking.
- Click “On” next to the “Wi-Fi Assistant.”
You will be able to see in your notification bar and on the network connection that you’re connected via the Assistant. As with other connections, you can always “forget” a network you don’t want to connect to.
If you’re having trouble connecting to an open network, Google might not have verified that network. Meaning that they don’t regard it as good enough in terms of reliability and speed. Another reason could be that you already connected manually to the network. If the network requires several steps to set up a connection, you might also have issues. When in doubt, try to connect manually.
Give it a go if you have a Nexus, and if you have another device and want affordable data, check out our data plans page.
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