A Pixel 9 Pro XL that drops Wi-Fi every minute or so is usually doing it on the 5 GHz band. A GrapheneOS bug report on this phone describes it disconnecting roughly every 60 seconds whenever it is on 5 GHz, with MAC randomisation switched off and on making no difference, while the same phone held a 2.4 GHz connection steadily. Test 2.4 GHz first: if the drops stop, the fault is the 5 GHz path (router band steering, channel overlap or the phone's 5 GHz handling), not the internet service.
Differential
Likely causes of “Google Pixel 9 family will not connect to Wi-Fi or keeps disconnecting”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A 5 GHz connection that drops and rejoins
What separates it Video calls stutter and downloads restart every minute or so; the same phone is steady on 2.4 GHz
How to confirm The bug report measured a drop about every 60 seconds; put the phone on the router's 2.4 GHz name for an hour and see
- 2
Router band steering or Smart Connect
What separates it The phone keeps changing between bands on a router that merges them under one name
How to confirm Reports advise turning band steering off, or giving the 5 GHz band its own network name
- 3
A crowded 5 GHz channel
What separates it The drops are worst in apartments or when neighbors are active
How to confirm Move the router to a clear channel; 5 GHz has more of them than 2.4 GHz
- 4
An app or a network setting
What separates it Wi-Fi is stable in Safe mode
How to confirm Uninstall the newest apps one at a time
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether the drops stop on the router's 2.4 GHz band
- The router make and model, and whether band steering or Smart Connect is on
- Whether other devices drop on the same network
- The Android version under Settings, About phone
Try in this order
0 of 4 completedJoin the 2.4 GHz network
ReversibleConnect to the router's 2.4 GHz name for an hour. If the drops disappear, the 5 GHz path is the problem.
Split the bands
ReversibleIf the router has one name for both bands, give 5 GHz its own name or switch band steering off, then join the 5 GHz name.
Change the 5 GHz channel
ReversiblePick a less busy channel in the router's settings.
Reset the radios if nothing helps
ReversibleOpen Settings, System, Reset options, Reset Wi-Fi, mobile and Bluetooth, and rejoin the network.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Hardware
- GSMArena lists the Tensor G4, 16 GB of RAM and a 5060 mAh battery with 37W wired and 23W wireless charging.
- Router settings that suit a Pixel
- If the Pixel 9 Pro XL drops Wi-Fi, set the router to mixed WPA2 and WPA3 mode, give the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands separate names and use an 80 megahertz channel on 5 GHz. Turn off Adaptive Wi-Fi for a test and check that the phone's Wi-Fi scanning is not stopping in battery saver.
- After an update
- If Wi-Fi faults began after a Pixel update, install the next patch and forget and rejoin the network. A restart clears a stuck state, and a reset of network settings is the last step before service.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If it drops on every 5 GHz network but holds 2.4 GHz, and a network reset does not help, ask Google for a hardware check
- !If every device drops on the network, the router or provider is at fault
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Google's order of checks and the network reset path.
A Pixel 9 Pro XL disconnecting about every 60 seconds on 5 GHz, opened 1 September 2024.
Tensor G4, 5060 mAh battery and tri-band Wi-Fi 6e/7.
Pixel 9, 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL battery, charging, chip, storage, Wi-Fi and display.
Exact questions
Common questions
Is 2.4 GHz a fix?+
It is a test. If the drops stop there, the phone and the 2.4 GHz router are fine and the 5 GHz band is the thing to change.
Is the Pixel 9 Pro XL Wi-Fi 7?+
GSMArena lists Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7 on tri-band for the Pixel 9 Pro XL, so a Wi-Fi 6 router is fine.
Did MAC randomisation cause the drops?+
The GrapheneOS reporter switched it off and on and saw no change.
Should I separate the Wi-Fi bands?+
It helps pin the phone to the band that works best.