Connecting to Wi-Fi With Windows 11
It’s easy to find and connect to Wi-Fi with Windows 11. Your Network icon is located on the far right side of the taskbar (bottom-right corner of your screen).
- A Network icon displaying a globe with a circle and slash (the Disconnected icon) indicates that your computer is not connected to the internet.
- A Wi-Fi icon indicates an internet connection. The number of solid bars indicates signal strength (more bars = stronger signal).
Connecting to a local signal
Use Quick Settings to connect to a nearby signal.
- Click or tap the Network
or 
icon in the taskbar corner (bottom right corner of your screen). This will open the Quick Settings menu. Your WiFi connection status will be displayed at the upper left of the menu.
- A grayed-out button means that WiFi is turned off. Click the right-facing arrow, turn on WiFi, and select a signal.
- A brightly colored button indicates that WiFi is turned on. The connected network name is shown below.
- A grayed-out button means that WiFi is turned off. Click the right-facing arrow, turn on WiFi, and select a signal.
- From the menu, select the Wi-Fi name (also known as the SSID) that you want to connect to.
- Enter a password if necessary. If on a public network (hotel, café, etc.), you may also have to accept some terms of usage.
Public internet connections are not private even if they require a password! Always choose to make your connection private and hide your computer from others on the network.
If you see 
instead of , your computer has a wired (Ethernet) connection to the internet.
Note that Wi-Fi refers to a wireless technology that creates a connection that allows you to access the internet. A hotspot refers to a physical location where Wi-Fi is available.
Want to learn more about Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi safety? Take a look at our course Introduction to Wi-Fi: How to Set Up and Use Wi-Fi Safely.