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4 Ways to Find Free Wi-Fi Wherever You Are

Sarah Pike
Updated ·4 min read
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In the digital era, Wi-Fi has become a lifeline for many people. Fortunately, you can find free Wi-Fi practically everywhere you go.

Before you connect to any available Wi-Fi network, though, be cautious. Not all open networks are safe. Read our guide to finding public networks and protecting yourself while you're on them. Here are four ways you can find free Wi-Fi anywhere and some tips for connecting to a public network securely.

1. Check Local Businesses

Many businesses offer free Wi-Fi to their customers. National chains like Starbucks, McDonalds, Target, and Whole Foods allow anyone to connect to their Wi-Fi networks for free. You're also likely to find Wi-Fi in local coffee shops and mall food courts.

If you're in a business and can see its locked Wi-Fi connection on your mobile device, it never hurts to ask an employee for the password. Be aware, however, that not all establishments will give up their Wi-Fi password for free. You may have to purchase something to get the password (Burger King), or the company may restrict your Wi-Fi access to a specific time limit (Panera Bread).

2. Search Public Locations

If you keep your eyes open, you can find free Wi-Fi in a variety of public spaces, like city halls, town squares, parks, museums, universities, hospitals, and most libraries. Transportation hubs, including airports and bus stations, also often provide free Wi-Fi. If you're lucky enough to live in one of the dozens of major American cities that offer free Wi-Fi, you have access to free municipal internet at hotspots throughout town.

3. Use Your Internet Company

If you pay for home internet, you likely already have access to your internet company's Wi-Fi hotspots around your area. Most internet providers offer this feature so that customers can still connect securely when they're away from home. You can access these free hotspots with the username and password to your internet account.

Check your provider's website—internet companies like Frontier, XFINITY, Verizon, and AT&T provide a map of their wireless hubs around town. Many of these companies, like Time Warner Cable, also offer a free mobile app to search for hotspots easily. Some cable TV providers offer similar services; check your provider's webpage to see their offerings.

4. Let an App Do the Work

Use a Wi-Fi finder app like Wi-Fi Map or Wiffinity to find millions of hotspot locations around the country. Simply open the app and enable location services—you'll likely find free Wi-Fi in unexpected places. Many of these hotspots are crowdsourced, so they're added by people who used them successfully. Users can also review the hotspots, sharing details like network passwords and reliability scores.

How to Connect to Free Wi-Fi Securely

Connecting to a public Wi-Fi network opens your device to security risks. If the Wi-Fi network is not secure and encrypted, anyone can access the private information you share over that network. Hackers can easily tether themselves to your device and steal personal data like e-mail passwords and credit card numbers.

Protect yourself with these precautions when you're using public networks.

  • Disable Wi-Fi auto connect. Your mobile device will remember the password of any Wi-Fi network you use and automatically connect the next time you're in that hotspot zone. This means that your mobile device could log you on to a public Wi-Fi network when you're simply walking by, and you wouldn't even know it. Disable the auto connect function under network settings on your device.

  • Use a VPN. Consider purchasing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that routes your data through a private line even when you're using a public connection. VPNs also shield your IP address from potential hackers.

  • Avoid financial transactions. Never buy anything online over a public network. You should save any money transactions for later, when you're back home on a private network.

  • Use secure networks. Secure Wi-Fi networks encrypt all your data to keep it safe. Unfortunately, according to the Federal Trade Commission, most Wi-Fi hotspots don't encrypt your information. The FTC advises that WPA or WPA2 passwords make networks more secure. However, even these password-protected networks become vulnerable if multiple people, like all of the customers at a coffee shop, share the same password.

  • Browse encrypted sites. Even if you're on a secure public network, if you're not browsing on a secure website, your personal information is still at risk. Only visit encrypted websites—sites that start with an https before the web address or have a lock symbol at the front of your web browser. You can download browser extensions—like HTTPS Everywhere or Force TLS—that force your device to avoid questionable sites.


With the widespread availability of free Wi-Fi, you should never resort to paying for a hotspot or, even worse, connecting to an unsafe one just to get internet. Instead, use these tips to hunt for free and safe Wi-Fi networks wherever you are.