Most McDonald’s locations in the US and abroad offer free WiFi access to their customers, which means that almost every McDonald’s restaurant in the world is a potential Wi-Fi hotspot.
Back in 2010, McDonald’s partnered with AT&T in order to provide customers in the US with free internet access. At the time, some questioned the move, thinking that more people weren’t just going to start visiting McDonald’s restaurants more often because of free WiFi.
Turns out, the doubters were wrong.
There are many reasons why this was definitely a smart move, but the most important one was that people started spending more time at McDonald’s. Simply put, by providing free Wi Fi customers stayed longer and spent more money just to get access to an internet connection.
How to connect to McDonald’s Wi Fi for Free?
Connect as you would normally do when using any other public WiFi network. Simply go to your device’s WiFi connection settings when you are within the range of a free Wi-Fi network, click on show available networks, and select the McDonald’s Wi-Fi network from the list of options. Then open an internet browser and it will automatically take you to a new login screen, where you’ll need to accept the terms of service agreement to connect. More details below.
It’s worth noting that this process doesn’t require you to enter login credentials such as username and WiFi password.
Once again, I urge you to remember that after selecting the McDonald’s network from the list of available networks, all you have to do is accept the terms of agreement on the WiFi login page to gain access to the fast-food chain’s free WiFi hotspot.
As mentioned above, most McDonalds restaurants offer free WiFi to their customers, and connecting to the restaurant’s free Wi-Fi network is both easy and straightforward.
Before moving on, remember that you need a Wi Fi capable device in order for this to work.
Here’s a more detailed step-by-step explanation than the one above:
Open the WiFi settings on your wireless device (mobile phone, laptop, tablet) and select the “Wayport_Access” network to connect.
Open your favorite web browser and you will be automatically taken to the McDonald’s welcome page.
Click on the “Free Connection” option and check the Terms of Service box.
Now Click on the “Continue” button and you will get the McDonalds Free WiFi welcome message on the next page.
McDonald’s Free WiFi Wayport Access: What is it, and why does it matter?
Wayport is a broadband internet access provider that provides free WiFi hotspots in more than 28,000 locations across the United States, including hotels, airports, sports venues, retail stores, and McDonalds restaurants.
Originally based out of Texas, this high-speed internet service provider was founded back in 1996 and was later acquired by AT&T in 2008, which is why it is now known as AT&T Wi-Fi Serves.
AT&T still owns and operates the former assets and business of Wayport in the US, and uses all its resources to power over 45,000 hotspots across the country.
You may be asking yourself, “Why does this even matter?”
In short, Wayport makes the McDonald’s network reliable and fast across all states, allowing customers in the US to enjoy high WiFi speed on any device, including Android and iPhone handsets and tablets, and Windows and Mac PCs.
Here’s how to connect to the McDonald’s network through the captive portal using your mobile device:
How to Connect your Android Phone to McDonald’s Wi-Fi
To connect to McDonald’s Wi-Fi, you must open Android settings and navigate to the WiFi section.
Turn your WiFi on if you haven’t already, locate the chain’s free Wi-Fi or Wayport_Access network, and tap on it to begin establishing a connection.
Once you connect to the McDonald’s network on your Android device, open your favorite mobile browser to access the login page.
Tap on the red “Get Connected” button and accept the terms of agreement to connect to McDonald’s free Wi-Fi.
How to Connect your iPhone to McDonald’s Wi Fi Network
First, make sure that your Wi Fi settings are turned on to connect to networks automatically.
If your device is set up to connect to wireless networks automatically, you will see a pop-up message with the terms of agreement. Tap the Connect button to accept the terms to proceed.
If you haven’t set up your phone to connect to networks automatically, go to your Wi Fi connection settings, tap on the McDonald’s wireless network, and accept the terms of agreement to connect.
Here’s a more detailed step by step explanation of how the whole process works:
Open your iPhone’s settings and navigate to the WiFi section.
Select the McDonald’s public Wi Fi hotspot or Wayport_Access from the list of available networks.
Once you’ve connected, you will notice the WiFi connection at the top of your screen. Don’t worry if it’s displaying an unsecured network status, most of the times it’s just an ip address or dns server configuration issue.
Launch your favorite web browser and it will automatically open up the free McDonalds WiFi page. Now simply tap on the McDonalds WiFi connect button to access the chain’s free internet connection.
After connecting to the McDonald’s network you’ll be able to explore your favorite websites and enjoy high internet speed.
Tip: If you’re looking to download movies or TV shows onto your device, you can run a speed test to check the download speed of your connection.
Do You Need a McDonald’s Login to Sign into McDonald’s Wi-Fi?
No. As mentioned above, you don’t need a special login that requires you to enter a username and password. Simply follow the steps above to sign in to the McDonald’s Wi-Fi network.
Is McDonald’s WiFi Safe?
Yes. The McDonald’s network is safe, but if you want to increase the security of your connection, you can use a Virtual Private Network, more commonly referred to or known as VPN.
When you’re on a public network, you should also follow common sense practices like avoiding using credit cards and entering other sensitive information such as login credentials.
If for any reason you must enter your credit card details or login credentials on a particular website, make sure it’s on an encrypted website. Encrypted websites are those that include https:// in the web address.
Never enter sensitive information on websites that don’t use HTTPS, especially if you’re connected to a public WiFi network.
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