How to find free Wi-Fi using Facebook

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How to discover complimentary Wi-Fi using Facebook

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Knowing how to notice gratuitous Wi-Fi using Facebook tin can save y'all lot of trouble when you're away from home.

It means you don't need to install a dedicated hotspot-finding app, you won't need to ask staff in a venue if they provide Wi-Fi, and you can get online easily when your cellular data connection drops or slows down.

Best of all, because the public Wi-Fi hotspots recommended by Facebook vest to local businesses that have been verified by the social network, they're trustworthy and commonly costless to use — for customers, at least.

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If you've never heard of Facebook'due south Wi-Fi finder, we wouldn't be surprised, as the characteristic is relatively well-hidden in the Facebook app for Android and iPhone (information technology'south not available in the iPad app.) Although it doesn't let you connect direct to Wi-Fi networks, it's still a useful means of pinpointing where they are.

In our guide below, we'll explicate how to find free Wi-Fi using Facebook's secret tool. As this is Facebook we're talking about, we'll also reveal how to protect your privacy while searching for nearby Wi-Fi hotspots, so that you're not tracked everywhere you go.

How to find costless Wi-Fi using Facebook: Observe nearby hotspots

1. Open the Facebook app on your Android phone or tablet, or iPhone. Tap the three-line menu push in the top-right corner of the app.

2. On the Carte screen that opens, swipe down to "Settings and privacy," and tap the arrow side by side to it. You should see the "Find Wi-Fi" option at the bottom of the list.

Why this useful characteristic is tucked away down there is everyone's guess!

(Prototype credit: Tom'due south Guide)

iii. Tap "Find Wi-Fi" and Facebook will show y'all details of businesses in your current area that offer public Wi-Fi hotspots. Information technology provides this information both on a map and as a list of the relevant places.

If you lot don't run across any nearby hotspots, tap "Search Once again." If that still doesn't work, see the section beneath nearly irresolute your location settings.

(Prototype credit: Tom'south Guide)

iv. Tap the "Run across More" push button adjacent to a place or tap a place on the map to acquire more about its Wi-Fi hotspot.

This information includes the network's name and sometimes details of its reported speed, also as the accost, contact details and opening hours of the venue. Sadly, it doesn't tell you whether the hotspot is costless or paid.

(Image credit: Tom'southward Guide)

5. Tap Save to save the Wi-Fi hotspot for future reference. You can too tap options to view the place on a map and go directions there via your device's default mapping app.

(Prototype credit: Tom's Guide)

6. You lot can tell Facebook to notify you lot when you're near a Wi-Fi hotspot. This can assist y'all reduce your cellular data usage.

Tap the gear icon in the elevation-right corner of the Find Wi-Fi screen, and choose "Manage Discover Wi-Fi notifications." Next, switch on "Information saving notification."

Y'all'll be alerted to nearby Wi-Fi hotspots via a push notification on your phone or Android tablet.

(Image credit: Tom'southward Guide)

How to detect free Wi-Fi using Facebook: Change your location settings

As mentioned above, Facebook might not observe any Wi-Fi hotspots in your area if your location settings aren't configured correctly. Equally, you probably don't desire Facebook tracking your location when you're not actively looking for Wi-Fi. Here'due south how to solve both those problems.

one. Tap the gear icon in the top-correct corner of the Facebook app's Observe Wi-Fi screen, and choose "Manage location settings."

2. On the next screen, tap "Go to Device Settings," then choose either "Android Settings" or "iPhone Settings."

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

iii. On an Android device, select Permissions, then Location and choose "Allow but while using the app" or "Inquire every time."

On an iPhone, select Privacy, then "Location Services," and choose Facebook in the list of apps below. Select "While Using the App" or "Ask Next Fourth dimension" from the available options.

This will stop Facebook secretly tracking y'all when you're non using the app, while still letting you find nearby Wi-Fi hotspots.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

four. Tap dorsum to the Facebook app's "Location settings" screen. Hither you lot can switch off "Location history," which gives Facebook another way of pinpointing where you are and where you've been.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Again, this option tin exist useful for locating Wi-Fi hotspots, but y'all may too feel it invades your privacy — which is non unusual for Facebook!

• More: How to see who's using your Wi-Fi network

Robert Irvine is How-To Editor at Tom's Guide. He has been writing tutorials about software, hardware, websites and other tech topics since the days of dial-upwards modems, and was previously the editor of Web User mag. Robert enjoys cooking, and makes a mean sausage casserole, but is definitely not the celebrity chef of the same name.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/how-to/how-to-find-free-wi-fi-using-facebook

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