How to turn Wi-Fi On or Off on Windows 11

These are the three quick ways manage Wi-Fi connectivity on Windows 11 without disabling the network adapter.

Windows 11 Wi-Fi settings
Windows 11 Wi-Fi settings
  • To turn Wi-Fi on or off on Windows 11, open “Quick Settings” with the “Windows key + A” shortcut and click the wireless button to manage the connectivity.
  • You can also manage wireless connectivity from Settings > Network & internet and turn the “Wi-Fi” option on or off.
  • Also, you can use the Airplane mode to manage the wireless connectivity.

UPDATED 10/21/2023: On Windows 11, turning on or off Wi-Fi without disabling the network adapter can come in handy in many situations. For example, if you want to disable wireless to conserve battery life on your laptop or in a place that doesn’t allow radio signals, like in an airplane.

Regardless, Windows 11 includes different ways to manage the state of wireless connectivity through the Taskbar and Settings app.

In this guide, I will outline the steps the quick ways to manage Wi-Fi connectivity on Windows 11.

Turn Wi-Fi On or Off on Windows 11

On Windows 11, you can manage the wireless connectivity from Quick Settings flyout, Network & internet settings, and using the Airplane mode. Here’s how.

1. Enable or disable wireless from Network settings

To enable or disable the wireless connection on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

  2. Click on Network & internet.

  3. Turn off the Wi-Fi toggle switch to disable the wireless connectivity.

    Windows 11 Settings turn off Wi-Fi

  4. (Optional) Click the Wi-Fi tab.

  5. Use the “Turn Wi-Fi back on” setting to specify when the adapter should connect again automatically.

    Wi-Fi schedule turn on

  6. Turn on the Wi-Fi toggle switch to enable wireless connectivity. (You can also turn on the feature from the “Network & internet” page.)

2. Enable or disable wireless from Quick Settings

To turn Wi-Fi on or off quickly from Quick Settings, use these steps:

  1. Click the network button from the Taskbar to open Quick Settings.

    Quick tip: You can also use the “Windows key + A” keyboard shortcut to open Quick Settings.
  2. Click the Wi-Fi button to turn off network connectivity.

    Wi-Fi disable connections

  3. (Optional) Click the Manage Wi-Fi connections (“>”) button.

    Manage connections

  4. Use the “Turn Wi-Fi back on” setting to specify when the adapter should re-enable automatically.

    Wireless enable connections automatically

    Quick note: This setting includes various options, including “1” and “4” hours or “1” day. If you choose the “Manually” option, the network won’t be available until you manually turn the wireless back on.
  5. Click the Wi-Fi button to turn on wireless connectivity.

If you can find the “Wi-Fi” button, click the “Edit quick settings” (pen) button in the bottom-right corner, click the “Add” button, choose the “Wi-Fi” option, and click the “Done” button.

3. Enable or disable wireless from Airplane mode

To enable or disable Wi-Fi with Airplane mode, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Click on Network & internet.

  3. Turn off the Airplane mode toggle switch.

    Enable Airplane mode

  4. (Optional) Turn on the Airplane mode toggle switch.

Once you complete the steps, you will be able to turn on or off wireless connectivity without enabling or disabling the network adapter.

Update October 21, 2023: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect new changes.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.