Alternative to Wi-Fi Assist on iPhone and iPad: Use Speedify for Always-On Internet

Speedify Helps You Assist Your Wi-Fi Connection on Your iPhone / iPad with 4G/5G Mobile Data

Apple’s WiFi Assist feature was supposed to be a breakthrough for Internet connectivity, but unfortunately it isn’t very smart and it uses too much data, according to user reports. It also prevents you from knowing how much data you are actually using.

In order to avoid using too much data you may want to disable WiFi Assist on your iPhone. However, if you still want to find a way to stay connected to the web at all times, without running up big data costs, there is an easy alternative. The Speedify app does more than what WiFi Assist claims to do, and does it well. It also gives you much more control over your data usage and comes with other helpful features.

Quick answer

Should you have a backup 4G, 5G, Starlink, or cable internet connection?

Yes — every internet connection goes down, including Starlink, which drops for ~34 minutes a day on average. A backup connection from a different provider means one outage never takes you fully offline. The most common options are a 4G/5G cellular hotspot, a cable or DSL line, or a second satellite dish.

Speedify bonds any two connections into one — automatic failover, more speed, no dropped calls.

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Speedify

Speedify gives you faster, steadier internet by combining Wi-Fi, cellular, and Starlink

Speedify bonds Wi-Fi, 4G/5G cellular, Ethernet, and Starlink into one connection at the same time, giving you more speed, automatic failover when one drops, and AES-256 encryption on every link.

Download Speedify ›

More speed

Upload and download speeds combine across every active connection on your device.

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Automatic failover

If a connection drops, Speedify moves your traffic to another in milliseconds. Calls stay connected.

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Always encrypted

Every link runs through an encrypted tunnel, including public Wi-Fi, cellular, and Starlink.

Speedify Feature · Pair & Share

Speedify Pair & Share: share cellular between your devices, both ways

Most hotspots give. Speedify's Pair & Share gives and takes. Two devices running Speedify pair up and each uses the other's cellular connection simultaneously, so you both get faster uploads, faster downloads, and a steadier connection. No extra hardware, no new data plans, no setup beyond a tap.

Learn how Speedify's Pair & Share works ›

More speed

Every device you pair with adds its cellular to yours, and yours to theirs.

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Stays connected

If a paired device drops out, Speedify keeps you online on the remaining links.

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Always private

Every shared connection runs through AES-256 encryption. Your traffic is yours.

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No new gear

Runs on devices already running Speedify, over your local network. Pair once, reconnects automatically.

How do I use Wi-Fi and 4G/5G cellular at the same time with Speedify?

Pick your two internet connections and your device below and we'll take you to the step-by-step setup guide.

I want to combine

Use the selectors below to find the setup guide for your exact combination of connections.

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How Wi-Fi Assist Works

While connected to a WiFi network, if the performance becomes poor, WiFi Assist will activate and automatically switch to cellular. As Apple clearly states, because you’ll stay connected to the Internet over cellular when you have a poor WiFi connection, you might use more cellular data.

Why Wi-Fi Assist Uses Too Much Data

The WiFi Assist isn’t smart enough. It only focuses on giving you a faster Internet connection at any given moment. It does not take into considerations your data caps, how data intensive your current Internet use is, or any other factors. You also have little control over WiFi Assist settings.

This means that you end up using a lot more data than is necessary to deliver the same Internet experience. If there is a heavy load on the WiFi you could be using your data for 100% of the time you thought you were on WiFi.

How to Disable Wi-Fi Assist on Your iPhone

Fortunately, disabling WiFi Assist can be done directly from your iOS device. It is on by default, so, to disable that:

  1. Go to Settings – Cellular. Then scroll down to the WiFi Assist slider.
  2. Tap the slider to disable WiFi Assist.

If you want to re-enable this functionality at a later date, just tap the slider again.

Use Speedify to Manage Wi-Fi and 4G/5G Mobile Data on Your iPhone

The idea behind WiFi Assit is a good one. It is nice to not have your Internet connection interrupted or performing poorly just because of a brief WiFi issue. But, the WiFi Assist just isn’t smart enough. What you need is the Speedify app.

Speedify can be downloaded on Android and iOS devices. It works in the background of your phone constantly monitoring the quality of your connections. It uses channel bonding technology to create a unified connection with your cell signal and your WiFi. But, you can tell Speedify to prioritize WiFi. Speedify will then use WiFi as much as possible, keeping your data costs low. It will only use data as a bridge or backup to keep you connected when WiFi fails or you are changing WiFi networks. When a WiFi network does fail, Speedify automatically reconnects as soon as it is back online.

Speedify is the smart way to stay connected and manage your data use. Download Speedify today and experience a safer, faster, and less data-intensive way to stay connected to the internet.

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Get started with Speedify today!

With Speedify you can combine Wi-Fi, 4G / 5G cellular, Ethernet, Starlink and other satellites into one bonded super-connection to improve livestreaming, video calling, gaming, web browsing, and everything else you do online.

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Download Speedify on the Apple App StoreGet Speedify on the Google Play Store

Speed

Get faster uploads and downloads for everything you do online.

Stability

Avoid buffering and disconnects while streaming, gaming, and browsing.

Security

Keep your personal data safe from hackers, snoops and cyber criminals

Speedify engineers love talking tech on YouTube, Tiktok, and Instagram!

Alex Gizis and the Speedify engineers discuss and explain technology including Starlink satellites, Wi-Fi 7 routers, Apple networking features, fiber optics, broadband internet, 5G mobile networks, AI, networking protocols, and much more. Follow Speedify on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn!

Alex and the Speedify team are always exploring the latest in networking and security technology—like 5G, 6G, WiFi 7, laser and satellite internet—and sharing it in new discussion content across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn every week.

Got a tech question? Let's go deeper! Pop into Speedify Office Hours live every Wednesday at 10 AM Eastern. Speedify CEO Alex Gizis and our network engineers are standing by to break down your questions about networks, tech updates, and Speedify features.

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