How to Fix ‘Failed to Obtain IP Address’ on Android Devices

If you’ve ever encountered the ‘Failed to obtain IP address’ error on your Android, then you aren’t alone. Looking at the various forums online, the issue is common across all Android phone models and software versions.

Despite the recent technology advancements, the field isn’t perfect and has its fair share of issues. This can be seenwhen one tries to access internet via Wi-Fi and instead, you get an error message. An error like your Android device will hinder your phone from connecting to Wi-Fi. This will leave you annoyed and frustrated especially when on a limited mobile data plan.

To fix ‘Failed to Obtain IP Address’ on Android, turn on and off Airplane mode, forget the network, restart the router & device, rename your device, change the encryption type, assign your device a static IP address, or perform a factory data reset on your device.

What causes this error?

This error occurs when you try connecting to a Wi-Finetwork. For your Android device to connect to a Wi-Fi network, the device needs to be assigned an IP address. Failure to which, the device won’t be able to connect to the network which leads to the error. The exact cause of the error itself is hard to exactly pinpoint because it might even be a network that you’ve connected to a thousand times without an issue. Some of the probable causes include poor Wi-Fi signal, your Android device is having an issue with the encryption method, your router, software or configuration issues with your device.

How to fix

1. Toggle Airplane mode

Your Android device might be experiencing software issues that might be preventing it from connecting to the network. This method is designed to cut off all connections to the device which helps refresh the phone settings and all the networks. To enable Airplane mode on Android is simple, swipe down from the top of your device’s screen, locate the Airplane Mode button which resembles an airplane and then tap on it. Wait for a few minutes and then tap it again to turn it off. Alternatively, on some models, press and hold the power button until the power options appear and then tap on ‘Airplane mode’.

1. Forget the network

The next thing to attempt is to forget the network you’re trying to connect to and then connecting to it again. To forget a network, go to Settings on your device and select ‘Network & internet’. On the next screen, select ‘Wi-Fi’ and then locate the network. Select and long-press the network then from the pop up menu, tap on ‘Forget network’. Select the network again and in to it.

1. Restart your device and router

Another method to solve the issue is by restarting both your Android device and the router. This works if your device or router is experiencing a software glitch. To restart your device, press & hold down the power button until the power options appear and tap on ‘Power Off’. With your router, go ahead and unplug its power cord from the power outlet and wait for a few minutes then plug it back in. Power on your Android device and wait for both devices to fully power back on. Once they are turned on, check to see if the error has cleared.

1. Rename your Android device

Changing your Android device’s name has also proved to resolve this error. On your device, open Settings and select ‘About phone’. On the next screen, tap ‘Device name’ and then edit the name and finally tap on ‘OK’. Try reconnecting your device to the router.

1. Change the encryption type

Some Android devices don’t work properly with some encryption methods such as WPA, AES, and TKIP. The best encryption method to use that will be compatible with any Android device is WPA2-PSK. To configure these settings, go to your router’s admin panel on your browser and depending on your router brand and model, go to the Security tab and look for Encryption Method/Mode or a similar field and change the encryption method.

1. Assign static IP address

Since your device cannot obtain an IP address automatically, you should try assigning one manually. This is a temporary fix and you’ll need to reconfigure your network settings, turn off the Wi-Fi and then restart the device every time you connect it to a different network. Open Settings and then select ‘Network & internet’. On the next screen, select ‘Wi-Fi’ and then long press on the network that you want to assign a static address. From the pop up menu, select ‘Modify network’ and navigate to the bottom of the screen and tap on ‘Advanced’ to view advanced options. Under ‘IP settings’, select ‘Static’ and then in the IP address field, change the IP address’ last numbers between 1-225 and try connecting.

A Summary table

FAQs

 What is an IP address?

An IP address is a unique numerical label assigned to a connected device on a network. This enables connected devices to communicate with each other successfully.

How do I find my phone’s IP address?

To find the IP address on your phone, open Settings and select ‘About device’. On the next screen, select ‘Status’ and on the screen, locate the public IP address.