Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune

Let’s check how you can turn off WiFi Hotspot auto connect using Intune. Wi-Fi Sense can connect you to open Wi-Fi hotspots collected through crowdsourcing, or to Wi-Fi networks that your contacts share with you through Wi-Fi Sense.

Wi‑Fi Sense can automatically make Wi-Fi connections on your computer so you can go online quickly in more locations. However, because an open Wi-Fi network doesn’t require a password to connect, anyone can connect to it.

By default, the OS might let devices automatically connect to free Wi-Fi hotspots, and automatically accept any terms and conditions for the connection. When you’re in range of one of these Wi-Fi hotspots, you automatically get connected to it. Other people might see info you send over the network.

The ability to turn off Wi-Fi Sense and Paid Wi-Fi Services will no longer be automatically connected to open hotspots that Windows suggests because the service is no longer available. Open Wi-Fi networks will still appear in the list of available networks, and you can still connect to them on your own.

Patch My PC

Microsoft recommends setting catalog profiles to create and manage security policies for all Intune managed Windows devices. The Intune Settings Catalog is the best place for all the policy settings in Intune (MEM). In the settings catalog profile, you will also get an option Duplicate to create a copy of an existing setting catalog profile.

Turn off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect Using Intune

The following steps help you to turn off to connect automatically to a wireless network using Intune –

  • Sign in to the Endpoint Manager Intune portal https://endpoint.microsoft.com/
  • Select Devices > Windows > Configuration profiles > Create profile.
Create Profile - Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune 1
Create Profile – Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune 1

In Create Profile, Select Platform, Windows 10, and later and Profile, Select Profile Type as Settings catalog. Click on Create button.

Select Platform, Profile type - Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune 2
Select Platform, Profile type – Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune 2

On the Basics tab, enter a descriptive name, such as Disable WiFi Sense AutoConnect or Turn off the automatic connect to WiFi. Optionally, enter a Description for the policy, then select Next.

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Provide Name - Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune 3
Provide Name – Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune 3

In Configuration settings, click Add settings to browse or search the catalog for the settings you want to configure.

Click on +Add settings - Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune 4
Click on +Add settings – Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune 4

On the Settings Picker windows, use the search box and type Wi Fi Sense, and click Search OR Select the Wi-Fi Settings category and double click on the category to see the settings name.

Select Allow Auto Connect To Wi Fi Sense Hotspots. After adding your settings, click the cross mark at the right-hand corner to close the settings picker. 

Select Wi-Fi Settings - Allow Auto Connect To Wi Fi Sense Hotspots
Select Wi-Fi Settings – Allow Auto Connect To Wi Fi Sense Hotspots

The setting is shown and configured with a default value AllowToggle the switch to block the setting that allows the device to automatically connect to Wi-Fi hotspots.

If this policy setting is set to block, both “Connect to suggested open hotspots,” “Connect to networks shared by my contacts,” and “Enable paid services” will be turned off, and users on this device will be prevented from enabling them.

If this policy setting is set to allow, users can choose to enable or disable either “Connect to suggested open hotspots” or “Connect to networks shared by my contacts”.

Set Block - Allow Auto Connect To Wi Fi Sense Hotspots
Set Block – Allow Auto Connect To Wi Fi Sense Hotspots

Under Assignments, In Included groups, click Add groups and then choose Select groups to include one or more groups. Click Next to continue.

Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune 1
Assignments – Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune 5

In Scope tags, you can assign a tag to filter the profile to specific IT groups. Add scope tags (if required) and click Next.

In Review + create, review your settings. When you select Create, your changes are saved, and the profile is assigned.

Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune 2
Review Profile – Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune 6

A notification will appear automatically in the top right-hand corner with a message. You can see that Policy “Disable WiFi Sense AutoConnect” created successfully. The policy is also shown in the Configuration profiles list.

Your groups will receive your profile settings when the devices check in with the Intune service the policy applies to the devices.

Intune Reporting

You can check Intune settings catalog profile report from Intune Portal, which provides an overall view of device configuration policies and deployment status.

To monitor the policy assignment, from the list of Configuration Profiles, select the policy, and here you can check the device and user check-in status. If you click View Report, additional details are displayed.

Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune 3
Intune Reporting – Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune 7

Additionally, you can quickly check the update as devices/users check-in status reports

Intune MDM Event Log

The Intune event ID 813 indicates that a string policy is applied to Windows 10 or 11 devices. You can also see the exact value of the policy being applied to those devices –

You can check the Event log path to confirm this – Applications and Services Logs – Microsoft – Windows – Devicemanagement-Enterprise-Diagnostics-Provider – Admin.

MDM PolicyManager: Set policy int, Policy: (AllowAutoConnectToWiFiSenseHotspots), Area: (Wifi), EnrollmentID requesting merge: (6C05885D-4A9C-4EF9-A8A7-1EE0190B36A9), Current User: (Device), Int: (0x0), Enrollment Type: (0x6), Scope: (0x0).
Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune 4
Event Logs – Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune 8

If you turned off the ability for your users to use Wi-Fi Sense, they can not turn it on locally. You can validate the applied settings by selecting Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Manage Wi-Fi settings, and then Connect automatically when in range is unchecked.

Turn Off WiFi Hotspot Auto Connect In Windows Using Intune 5
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