Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup only launched last Friday, but some early adopters are already flagging unexpected Wi-Fi problems. Owners of the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air are reporting intermittent connectivity drops that cut out and then reconnect within seconds, making everyday use frustrating.
The issue has been widely discussed on platforms like Reddit, X, and the Apple Support Community over the past four days, with hundreds of posts from affected customers. One common pattern described by users is that Wi-Fi disconnects right after unlocking the device. Since Apple’s CarPlay relies on Wi-Fi to maintain its link with the dashboard, some drivers are experiencing sudden disconnections while on the road. Others say the problem also disrupts AirDrop and AirPlay, with the wireless stack appearing to reset before reconnecting.
Several reports suggest the bug is linked to wearing an unlocked Apple Watch paired with the iPhone. Users noticed Wi-Fi is more stable if the watch is locked or removed, though the issue does not seem limited to any specific Apple Watch model. One Reddit user described it as “like the chips that control Wi-Fi and Bluetooth get reset every time you wake the phone,” which lines up with the behavior others have experienced. Another user shared the following:
Same issue. So far, turning watch off, putting it on charger resolves the issue. Disable unlock iPhone, unlock watch settings did not resolve the issue. Disabling wifi on watch did not resolve the issue. I came from iOS 26, watchOS 26 betas. Trying to unpair and re-pair watch now…
Apple has not commented publicly, but multiple customers say they were told by support staff that their reports have been escalated to Apple engineers.
What makes this situation notable is that the iPhone 17 family is the first to use Apple’s in-house N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread connectivity. Previous generations relied on Broadcom hardware. Apple highlighted the N1 chip in its launch coverage, with wireless software VP Arun Mathias telling CNBC that it improves efficiency by using Wi-Fi access points for background location tracking instead of GPS, helping conserve battery life. Apple also promised more reliable AirDrop and Personal Hotspot connections with this new design.
It is still unclear if this is a hardware or software issue, but Apple has a history of resolving early bugs with software updates. iOS 26.0.1 is expected soon, and it could include a fix, though there is no confirmation yet. Until then, new iPhone 17 owners dealing with the bug may need to fall back on cellular data more than they would like.
