- By Prateek Levi
- Wed, 24 Sep 2025 03:15 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
After the "scratchgate" controversy, some iPhone 17 and iPhone Air owners are now reporting Wi-Fi and Bluetooth issues. The problems have been reported on Reddit, Apple's support forums, and other online communities, with users reporting interference in day-to-day features such as CarPlay and AirPods pairing.
What Users Are Experiencing
Tainted users note that their iPhone 17 temporarily drops Wi-Fi whenever they unlock the phone or visit the lock screen, to reconnect automatically after a second. Although this disruption is temporary, it has ripple effects on wireless CarPlay, resulting in skips in audio, slow responses, and random full disconnects.
Bluetooth connectivity is also said to be unstable, with AirPods and other accessories disconnecting occasionally. Some even claim the problem is present with unlocking the Vision Pro, which may indicate that Apple's new N1 wireless chip is at fault.
Apple Watch Connection Factor
Several reports actually indicate that the problem only arises when users are wearing an Apple Watch. One owner of the iPhone 17 described:
"When the watch is on my wrist and unlocked, Wi-Fi loses connectivity the second that I unlock my iPhone. CarPlay has to disconnect and reconnect. Makes sense given that CarPlay is Wi-Fi dependent."
This trend suggests a probable software-level issue between iPhone, Apple Watch, and CarPlay but not a hardware issue.
Software Fix on the Horizon
Early testers of the watchOS 26.1 beta indicate that Wi-Fi disconnects and Bluetooth disruptions no longer happen under the same circumstances. Installing the Apple Watch to watchOS 26.1 beta also appears to enhance stability over both connections. Apple will soon release iOS 26.0.1, which should have bug fixes mitigating these problems for the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air.
How Widespread Is the Problem?
Although online reports of problems have increased visibility, it is uncertain how many users are impacted. With millions of iPhone 17 series devices sold since their release, the reports could only be a fraction of the base. In our test, neither the iPhone 17 nor the iPhone Air had these connectivity issues.
For the meantime, the problem looks limited but real. Users must wait for the coming software updates, which are expected to fix most, if not all, of the noted Wi-Fi and Bluetooth issues.