Where is keep Wifi online when idle?

[Trent HartNick]

in WP8 , i remember in Wifi settings we had an option to keep wifi enabled when screen idle/locked.
I dont see the same option in WP8.1

my memory is going bad now a days

 

[N_LaRUE]

According to the WiFi FAQ from the WP website - WiFi FAQ for Windows Phone | Windows Phone How-to (United Kingdom)

It should be under Manage in WiFi settings. I'm guessing you have to be connected to the WiFi network for the checkbox to show up.

 

[Annie UK]

I don't find the option there on my 1520.

 

[gomezz]

In 8.1 wi-fi stays actives regardless unless you explictly turn it off when it gives you the option to turn back on automatically in one hour, four hours, one day or until you turn it back on manually.

 

[foxbat121]

In 8.1, this setting is missing on all Lumia devices. Still exists on other brands.

 

[luxnws]

I liked the feature that turned off wi-fi when the lock screen was enabled.

But for whatever reason, MS made WP8.1 keep wi-fi always on so it maintains a persistent connection until you manually turn it off. So even when your WP phone is locked now, it's always searching for a wi-fi connection where ever you are, in a shopping mall, at the library, etc. unless you manually turn wi-fi off.

Why MS didn't keep 'wi-fi off on lock screen' as a option, who knows. Maybe they want your phone to always be pinging for a wi-fi connection?

 

[Aresjr21]

You can turn the wifi off and have it turn on automatically when near your favourite places. That requires a little effort on your part to mark those locations as well as the use of WiFi sense.

 

[gomezz]

That is not an option to those of us for whom Cortana is not yet available.

 

[mj0]

Maybe I'm not understanding this quite right but what's the point of having WiFi turned off while in lock screen mode? I for one don't want my phone to switch to mobile data when I'm at home connected to my WiFi (or any other place where I'm on WiFi for that matter).

 

[luxnws]

Maybe I'm not understanding this quite right but what's the point of having WiFi turned off while in lock screen mode? I for one don't want my phone to switch to mobile data when I'm at home connected to my WiFi (or any other place where I'm on WiFi for that matter).

The only example I can come up with is that I want lock screen on my smartphone to be like sleep mode on my PC. That's how it was in WP 8. Wi-fi was automatically turned off on lock screen. The brokanics fixed that in WP 8.1.

 

[gomezz]

How would you be able to listen to music with the phone in your pocket if Lock Screen == Sleep Mode?

 

[manicottiK]

...I want lock screen on my smartphone to be like sleep mode on my PC...

Well, they'll probably be the same again for you soon -- "sleep" mode is sort of disappearing on PCs as "connected standby" replaces it. The Surface Pro acts more like a cell phone in that pressing the power button turns off the screen and puts the processor in a very low power mode while the system is awake enough to keep some tasks running, to receive push notifications from servers, and to perform actions sort of like the periodic tasks that update live tiles on phones.

The "lack of real multitasking" that many of us hated (or still do) was really caused by us not knowing that Microsoft was trying to change the app life cycle. We're all used to apps starting and running continuously until we stop them (or they crash). To better support low-powered devices and because much of the times such apps aren't actually doing anything useful, the app life cycle is changing.

 

[foxbat121]

The only example I can come up with is that I want lock screen on my smartphone to be like sleep mode on my PC. That's how it was in WP 8. Wi-fi was automatically turned off on lock screen. The brokanics fixed that in WP 8.1.

So, do you want to turn off the cell radio as well?

Wifi does not always searching for signals in sleep mode. In fact I always leave it on on all my phones, WP or Android (both now defaults to on while locked). The OS is pretty smart to conserve the battery.

The advantage of leave wifi on (which is recommended on both Android OS and WP8.1) gives you much more accurate geo location without turning on GPS. This makes a lot of apps that relies on geo tracking or geo fensing very useful.

Not to mention, you can actually sleep soundly that your phone won't suddenly suck down GBs or cell data while your sleeping because wifi is turned off while sync emails or facebook. That's a real problem with old WP7x and 8 before GDR1.

As mentioned above, PCs now behave like phones as well.

I have no idea why Microsoft removed option for Lumia phone though. It is always good to have options.