How to Fix the “Failed to Obtain IP Address” Error on Android

“Failed to Obtain IP Address” is a common network error you might experience on your Android phone. This error occurs when your phone can’t acquire an IP address from your router. This is often an issue on your router, but sometimes your phone can be the problem.

A failed DHCP server, minor network glitches, problematic cache files, and MAC address filtering are the most common causes of the issue. We’ll walk you through the steps to potentially resolve your network problem.

Reboot Your Router

Your router’s minor glitches are often why your devices can’t acquire an IP address. This usually results in a “Failed to Obtain IP Address” error on an Android phone.

One way to get around these minor problems is to restart your router. Doing so turns off your router’s features, including DHCP that assigns IP addresses, and restarts all these functions.

You can power off your Wi-Fi router by pressing the Power button on the device. If your router offers no Power button, use the power socket switch to turn your router off and then back on.

With certain routers, you can perform a reboot by accessing the router’s settings page in your web browser and selecting the reboot option.

Turn Airplane Mode On and Back Off to Resolve the Obtain IP Address Error

When you experience a network problem like “Failed to Obtain IP Address,” it’s worth turning your phone’s airplane mode on and then back off. Doing so disconnects your phone from all your networks and then reconnects to all networks. This should fix most minor network problems with your device.

You can enable airplane mode by pulling down from the top of your phone’s screen and selecting Airplane mode. Then, wait for five seconds and turn the mode back off by tapping the Airplane mode tile.

After enabling and disabling airplane mode, your phone should successfully connect to your network.

Forget and Reconnect to the Wi-Fi Network

If you still get a “Failed to Obtain IP Address” error on your Android phone, try forgetting and rejoining your Wi-Fi network. This resolves any saved network configuration problems.

1. Open Settings on your Android phone.
2. Navigate to Wi-Fi & Network > Wi-Fi in Settings.
3. Select the gear icon next to your Wi-FI network.
4. Tap Forget on your network’s page.

5. Back on the Wi-Fi screen, select your wireless network.
6. Type your network’s password and choose Connect at the bottom.

Your phone will acquire an IP address and successfully connect to your network.

Clear the Google Play Services Cache on Android

Google Play Services is an Android utility that provides core functionality to your installed apps and system functions. When you experience system-level problems, like “Failed to Obtain IP Address,” it’s worth clearing this utility’s cache files.

The cache files may have gone corrupt or become problematic for various reasons. Clearing the files should likely resolve your problem and let you successfully connect to your wireless networks.

1. Launch Settings on your phone.
2. Head to Apps & notifications > See all apps > Google Play services.
3. Select the Storage & cache option.

4. Choose Clear cache to clear the utility’s cache files.

5. Restart your phone, and connect your phone to your network.

Use a Static IP Address on Your Android Phone

Your Android phone receives a unique IP address from your router’s DHCP feature. If that feature ever stops working or becomes problematic, your phone gets no IP address, resulting in a “Failed to Obtain IP Address” error.

One way to potentially fix that is to use a static IP on your Android phone. This way, your phone already knows what IP to use when you connect your phone to your wireless network.

Here’s how to configure a static IP on Android:

1. Open Settings on your phone.
2. Head to Wi-Fi & Network > Wi-Fi and select your network.
3. Select the pencil icon at the top of your screen.

4. Expand the Advanced options menu and choose Static from the IP settings menu.
5. Enter 192.168.1.20 in the IP address field, 192.168.1.1 (your router’s IP address) in the Gateway field, 8.8.8.8 in the DNS 1 field, and 8.8.4.4 in the DNS 2 field. Then, tap Save to save your settings.

6. Try connecting your phone to your Wi-Fi network.

Turn Off MAC Filter for Your MAC Address

Most routers offer a MAC address filtering option that you can use to block specific devices from connecting to your network. Your Android phone displaying a “Failed to Obtain IP Address” error could result from your phone being on the MAC filter list.

This is an unlikely scenario, especially if you’ve never blocked any MAC addresses on your router, but it’s worth checking just in case. You’ll have to review your MAC block list and remove your Android phone from there. Once you’ve done that, your phone will connect to your network and get an IP address.

1. Access your router’s settings page by entering 192.168.1.1 in your web browser’s address bar. This is the most common IP address to access a router’s settings page, but this may not work with all routers. Consult your router’s manual if this IP address doesn’t open the settings page.
2. Select Wireless Settings at the top of the router’s settings page. Your router might be using a different name for this option, but it should be similar enough for you to locate it. If your router options don’t appear at the top, they might be in the left or right sidebar on the settings page.

Note: We’re using an iball 300M MIMO Wireless-N router in our examples. Your router’s interface will look different, but you should see a category for accessing wireless configuration that features the same settings we’re covering in this article.

3. Choose Wireless MAC Filtering from the sidebar on the left.
4. Select your Wi-Fi network in the Select SSID field, choose Disable in the MAC Address Filter menu, and select OK.

5. Connect your Android phone to your wireless network.

Change the Encryption Method to WPA2-PSK for Your Network

Most routers offer multiple encryption methods to secure your network. Sometimes, some of these methods aren’t compatible with your Android phone, thus causing the “Failed to Obtain IP Address” error.

In this case, change your router’s wireless security mode to something widely compatible, like WPA2-PSK. That should resolve your issue.

1. Open your router’s settings page, usually located at 192.168.1.1, in your web browser. Again, this is the most common IP address to open a router’s settings page. If this doesn’t work for you, consult your router’s manual book to find the correct IP address.
2. Select Wireless Settings at the top. If you don’t see this option, it might be called something different on your router, but it should be something similar. Also, look for the option in the left or right sidebar if you don’t find it at the top.
3. Choose Wireless Security from the sidebar on the left.
4. Select WPA2-PSK in the Security Mode drop-down menu on the right.

5. Select OK at the bottom to save your settings.

Reset Network Settings on Your Android Phone

If your Android phone still displays a “Failed to Obtain IP Address” error, your phone’s network settings likely have issues. You can fix these settings by performing a network reset.

A network reset erases all your network-related settings and allows you to re-configure them. Here’s how you can do that.

1. Open Settings on your phone.
2. Navigate to System > Reset options in Settings.
3. Tap Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth.

4. Choose Reset settings.

5. Connect your phone to your Wi-Fi network when your settings are reset.

Make Your Android Device Successfully Acquire an IP Address

Android’s “Failed to Obtain IP Address” error prevents you from accessing the internet on your phone. If you ever experience this issue and struggle to get an IP address for your phone, try out the methods outlined above.

Your phone will then successfully connect to your network, allowing you to access the internet.