10 Ways To Fix Obtaining IP Address Error On Android (2023)

Mostly, when you connect to Wi-Fi on your Android phone, it connects within seconds. However, if your phone keeps showing “obtaining IP address” without moving to “connected” or shows the message “Failed to obtain the IP address.”

This “Obtaining IP Address Error On Android” may be due to any issues with the router or the phone.

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Causes of the Wi-Fi Obtaining IP Address on Android

Poor Wi-Fi signals
The router’s encryption mode is not supported by your phone
Google Play Services cache is corrupted
Incorrect Wi-Fi configuration on the phone
The router may be filtering out your phone’s MAC address
The DHCP server is not working correctly
Wireless interference in your area

How To Fix the Failed to Obtain IP Address Error on Android Devices?

As always, restart your phone to check if it fixes the problem. If not, move to the listed solutions:

Forget the Network and Reconnect
Clear Google Play Services Cache
Restart the Router
Turn Off MAC Address Filtering on the Router
Change the Router’s Encryption Method to WPA2-PSK
Assign a Static IP Address to Your Phone
Change Your Phone’s Name
Disable the Open Network Notification Feature
Reset Network Settings of Your Android Device
Factory Reset Your Router

1. Forget the Network and Reconnect

Navigate to Settings > Wi-Fi.
Tap the arrow icon or the cogwheel icon next to the connection name.

Choose ‘Forget network’. Depending on your Android version.

Settings of a selected Wi-Fi network on Android

Tap forget when you’re asked to confirm.
Restart your Android phone.
Now, open Wi-Fi to see available networks. Tap your network and enter the password.

2. Clear Google Play Services Cache

Google Play Services is an Android utility that works in the background to ensure the proper functioning of system features and installed apps.

Clear the Google Play Store cache to solve the “obtaining ip address error on android” problem of your wireless network.

Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > See all apps.
Choose ‘Google Play Services’ from the apps list.
Select ‘Storage & cache’.

App info of Google Play Services on Android

Tap ‘Clear cache.

Storage & cache section for Google Play Services on Android

3. Restart the Router

A common cause of the “obtaining IP address error on android” is minor glitches in the router. These glitches aren’t severe and a restart fixes them.

Plug out the power cable of the router from the wall outlet.
Wait for 10 minutes.
Plug the cord back in.

For battery-powered Wi-Fi devices, take out the batteries or turn off with the power button or reboot them from their web interfaces.

4. Turn Off MAC Address Filtering on the Router

If you’re getting the obtaining IP address error on Android when connecting to someone else’s network, they may have enabled MAC address filtering.

Ask them to turn it off or allow your MAC number to connect to the network.

For your own Wi-Fi, here’s how to turn off MAC filtering settings or whitelist your phone’s MAC:

Launch a web browser app on your phone and visit the web interface (192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1)
Enter the username and password. The default login details are written on the sides or bottom of the router.
From the menu on the side panel, select ‘Wireless 2.4GHz’ or ‘Wireless 5GHz’ or ‘Wireless Settings’.

This will open a sub-menu. Pick ‘Wireless MAC Filtering’.
To completely Disable it, press the button ‘Disable’.

Wireless MAC filtering settings of a router

Press the ‘Save’ button.

In case you don’t want to disable MAC filtering, allow your phone’s MAC address.

Find out your Android phone’s MAC number by navigating to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi Preferences.

Now, open the web interface of the router, select your Wi-Fi and choose ‘Wireless MAC Filtering’.
Choose ‘Allow the stations specified by any enabled entries in the list to access’.
Press the ‘Add New’ button.

Enter the MAC address and select ‘Save’.

5. Change the Router’s Encryption Method to WPA2-PSK

Routers offer various encryption protocols to secure your network traffic. If your phone doesn’t support the encryption type your router is using, you will face the obtaining IP address error on Android.

Check the settings and change the encryption method to WPA2-PSK.

Open a web browser and go to your router’s settings page (192.168.1.1)
Select your wireless network and choose ‘Wireless Security’.
Tap the drop-down menu next to ‘Version’ and pick ‘WPA2-PSK’.

Wireless Security settings page of a router

Press the ‘Save’ button.

6. Assign a Static IP Address to Your Phone

You’re getting the IP address error on Android, which means the DHCP feature is not working correctly. To fix it, manually assign an IP address to your Android smartphone.

Open your phone’s Settings.
Navigate to Network & internet > Wi-Fi.
Tap the arrow icon or settings icon of the Wi-Fi you want to connect to.
Select ‘Forget’.
Open the available Wi-Fi network and tap your Wi-Fi.
Enter the password and then press ‘Advanced options’.

Connecting to a Wi-Fi network on Android

Under ‘IP Settings’, select ‘Static’.
For ‘IP Address’, type 192.168.1.x. The symbol X can be any number between 1 to 255. If your router’s web interface address is 192.168.0.1 then type 192.168.1.x
Under ‘Gateway’, enter your router’s web interface address (192.168.1.1).
In the DNS field, put in 8.8.8.8. and 8.8.4.4

Advanced options when connecting to a Wi-Fi network on Android

Tap ‘Connect’.
In case it shows that the IP address is in use, enter any other number in the IP Address field.

7. Change Your Phone’s Name

Some Wi-Fi connection issues are because of a minor problem like the device name. Change your phone’s name to fix the obtaining IP address error on Android.

Head to Settings > My Phone > Device name.
Change the name. Use simple alphabets and numeric. Don’t utilize symbols and special characters. For example; type ‘My Samsung 5’.

8. Disable the Open Network Notification Feature

Android phones have a Wi-Fi option enabled by default that notifies you of open Wi-Fi connections. This feature is also known to fiddle with Wi-Fi network connections.

Launch Settings and navigate to network & internet > Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi preferences.
Toggle off ‘Open network notification’.

Go back and select the network that was showing the error and choose ‘Forget’.
Now, find the network again in available Wi-Fi networks and enter the password.

9. Reset Network Settings of Your Android Device

Your phone’s cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth settings and data are removed. It will delete saved networks, paired Bluetooth devices, and other data. So, whatever is causing the obtaining IP address error on Android, it’ll most likely be fixed.

Launch the Settings app.
Go to System > Reset options > Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth

It’ll show the settings that will be reset. Tap the button ‘Reset settings’ and confirm.
After the reset, check Wi-Fi connections, tap your network, and enter the password to connect.

10. Factory Reset Your Router

If you have tried all the above solutions yet can’t connect to your Wi-Fi and see “failed to obtain IP address”, then there may be a problem with the router’s settings.

Check the back or either side of the router where it has ports for different purposes.
Look for a reset button. It may be a button or a small hole. Long press it with your thumb or use a paper clip to press it if it’s a small hole.
Keep it pressed until all the lights of the device flash.
Release the button.
You will need to set up the Wi-Fi again because all of your personal configurations have been deleted.

Conclusion

The obtaining IP address error on Android is not a huge issue and it is fixable with some methods mentioned above. In case nothing works, perform a factory data reset of your Android device and the router after backing up your data.