How to Fix WiFi Authentication Error Occurred on Android

Several users are getting the “Authentication Error Occurred” error on their Android phones whenever they try to connect to a WiFi network. This issue can occur on both adding new network and the existing network. Most of the time this is related to an incorrect password for the WiFi network but there can be other possibilities about which we will discuss in this article.

What is Causing the Authentication Error on Android?

We managed to discover some of the most common causes that will trigger this particular issue. We have done this by looking at various user reports and the repair strategies that they used to get the issue resolved. Here is a shortlist with common scenarios that have the chance of triggering this particular error message:

This article will help you with different methods to resolve the “Authentication error occurred“. We will start from the most common and simple method to the detailed one.

Method 1: Recheck Your Password for the Network

This issue mostly means that your password for the network is wrong due to which it shows the authentication error message. You need to make sure that you have typed the correct password for your WiFi. Sometimes, your password resets on the router because of resetting your router or settings. You should also check your router settings to check your password in wireless settings. We are going to show you both options to check and confirm that your password is correct by following the below steps:

1. Go to your phone Settings and tap on WiFi.
2. Tap on the WiFi network name that is giving an error and then select Forget the network option.
   Note: For some phones, you need to tap and hold the network name and then select the Forget network option.
3. After that tap on the WiFi network, provide the password and make sure the show password icon is checked to see your password while typing.

   

4. If it still shows the error, go and check your router settings to confirm the password.
5. You can type the IP address ‘192.168.1.1‘ in your computer browser and provide login username and password.

   

   Note: The above IP address is the default for most, you can find yours by typing this command “ipconfig” in cmd.

   

6. Once you are logged in, go to Wireless > Security and check your password.

   

7. Some routers also have login and WiFi password listed on the back of the router as shown below:

   

Method 2: Turning On Airplane Mode

Most of the time, connectivity on the phone become glitched and needs a quick refresh. Turning ON the Airplane Mode will temporarily turn off all the connectivity of the device. You can simply do this by swapping down the notification bar on your main screen and tap on the Airplane Mode option. If you don’t have this option then you need to go to the settings of your phone or use the power button to get to Airplane Mode. After turning ON the Airplane Mode, wait for 30 seconds and then turn it back OFF by using the same method. After applying this method, you can now try connecting to your WiFi network.

Method 3: Reset Network Settings

There is a possible chance that the network settings on the phone can be glitched. Sometimes, the wrong settings of a network can mess up the WiFi network. Several users finding themselves in a similar situation solved this issue by resetting their network settings. You can reset the network settings by following the steps below:

1. Go to your phone Settings and open Backup and Reset.
2. Scroll down and tap on Reset network settings option.
3. Now tap on Reset Settings and confirm the action.

   

4. After resetting network settings go and connect the WiFi network again.

Method 4: Configure IP Address

Sometimes, the culprit can be the IP settings used to connect to the WiFi. When the IP configuration is wrong then the router will not allow internet access. In this method, we will modify the WiFi network connection settings and try the static IP to make it work by using the following steps:

1. Go to your phone Settings and tap on WiFi option.
2. Now tap on the WiFi network name that is giving an error, then choose the Modify settings.
   Note: For some phones, you need to tap and hold the network name and then select the modify option.

   

3. Check the Show Advanced Options if available or you can directly change the settings.
4. Tap the IP settings and choose Static for it.
5. Scroll down and change the IP address to “192.168.1.14“. The last digit can be changed to any number between ‘1‘ and ‘255‘.
6. Other options and DNS number should be the same as shown below:

   

   Note: Settings vary for each network, so you can also copy these settings from other devices that are connected to the same network by following the above steps.

7. After that, tap on Connect and wait for the network to connect.

If none of the methods shown above helped you at all, you will have to contact your ISP so that he can assist your further regarding this issue.