In iOS 11 toggling the WiFi and Bluetooth simply disconnects the device. It doesn’t turn off the actual modules. Fortunately there is a Workaround for this.
Its been less than a month since the iOS 11 came out on Sept 19, 2017. It is packed with hundreds of new features and a new redesign for both iPhone and iPad. There have been mixed feelings about the looks of the iOS 11 and especially the customizable Control-Center .
One thing that seems to bother many people though, is that when toggling WiFi and Bluetooth from the Control Center it doesn’t really deactivate the actual modules on the device. It just disconnects it from the network.
According to Apple’s documentation:
“In iOS 11 and later, when you toggle the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth buttons in Control Center, your device will immediately disconnect from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth accessories. Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth will continue to be available…”. Instead the user has to go in the Settings app and switch-off the WiFi and Bluetooth radios accordingly.”
PSA: iOS 11 new control center WiFi and Bluetooth toggles don’t actually turn off their respective radios.
— Andrea Barisani (@AndreaBarisani) September 20, 2017
There is a workaround
Last night I was playing around with the Settings of my iPad and I found a way to actually turn off the WiFi and Bluetooth antennas when toggling them from the Control Center. I just turned on “Airplane Mode” and then toggled on again the WiFi. My iPad was connected to the internet. Then I toggled off the WiFi again and when I checked it from the Settings app. Surprisingly the WiFi radio module was off!! Then I tried it with Bluetooth and it worked there too.
Of course this disables the Cellular connectivity. This means that if the user is on an iPhone or on an iPad with cellular, they wont be able to receive or make phone-calls and text messages. They will also not be able to use Cellular Data at all. Therefore, I would say that this workaround is only for iPads and iPod touches.