Industry guru Dave Taylor offers tech support on technical and business topics, including iPhone, iPod, Microsoft Windows, Sony PSP, cellphones, online advertising, CSS, Web design, business, Unix, Linux, SEO, Mac OS X, and shell script programming.     


How do I connect my iPhone to the Starbucks AT&T wifi Network?

I got a text message from AT&T telling me that I can now connect my iPhone up to the AT&T wifi network at Starbucks for free. Nice, but I've heard it's convoluted. Can you document it so I know how things should proceed?


Dave's Answer:

Happy to help out, and yes, in advance I will tell you that it's not as easy as tapping a button and being online, but when compared to the extraordinary hoops you have to jump through to connect to the AT&T wifi network with a Starbucks card it's not bad. :-)

One thing I didn't realize until I was actually in a Starbucks, however, is that just because you are paying through the nose for an AT&T cellular data connection with your phone, that doesn't give you a full attwifi account with any computer. Might sound a bit dim, but I thought "cool, I can use my phone to enable wifi access with my laptop". But I was wrong.

The text you probably received from AT&T looks like this:

starbucks attwifi iphone free msg

I've highlighted the message in question, and sure enough, if you simply click on the link it'll take you to a page that explains how to connect. But let's assume, like me, you'd rather just try thing than read about them!

Your first step once you're in a Starbucks is to turn on your iPhone wifi (if you don't already have it on all the time), which can be done by clicking on the "Settings" icon,:

starbucks attwifi iphone settings

Now click on "Wi-Fi" and after a second or two you'll see:

starbucks attwifi iphone choose att wifi

Choose "attwifi" and go back to the main menu.

But you're not done.

Now go to "Safari" and, using a bookmark, refreshing the page you're looking at currently or typing in a new URL directly, go to somewhere on the Web.

The wifi network will intercept your request and drop you on the page that requests your Apple iPhone number:

starbucks attwifi iphone get connected now

Enter your phone number (though why it can't auto-detect it I'm not sure) and agree to the terms of service by checking the box, then click on "Click Here to Continue"...

starbucks attwifi iphone sending txt

Tick, tick, tick. A few seconds pass (it took about five seconds for me) and you'll be notified that you have a new text message:

starbucks attwifi iphone connect txt 1

Click on "View"...

starbucks attwifi iphone connect txt

All that's left is for you to click on the actual blue URL shown in this text message and, congrats, you're now online:

starbucks attwifi iphone now connected

That's all there is to it. Looks complex, but I think that once you get the hang of it the entire process will take about 20 seconds.

Now if I could just use the iPhone as a data connection device with my laptop we'd really be talking... !

Tip: I've had an Apple iPhone for a long time, and have a ton of free iPhone help here if you poke around.


More Useful iPhone and Cell Phone Help Articles:
✔   How do you share an iPhone photo on Facebook?
All my friends have figured out the magic to take photos on their iPhone and upload them to Facebook. Everyone but me. How...
✔   Closed captioning for TV shows and movies on my iPhone?
Hey Dave, I saw your article from a few days about How to Turn on Closed Captioning in iTunes and am wondering if...
✔   How do I create location-based iPhone reminders?
Thanks to Siri, I've become a big fan of the Reminders app on my iPhone. Being able to say "remind me at 3pm...
✔   Enable Apple 2-Step Verification in iTunes?
I keep reading all these articles about iTunes account security and people having their accounts hacked. I have 2-step security verification set up...
✔   Turn an iTunes song into an iPhone ringtone?
I want to have song from my song list in iTunes into a ringtone I can use on my iPhone? Is it even...

Let's stay in touch!
Sign up for my weekly AskDaveTaylor Newsletter and you'll receive even more tech and gadget help right to your inbox, along with exclusive news and industry updates. It's good stuff. I promise!
    Enter your name: and your email addr:  




Categorized: iPhone and Cell Phone Help   (Article 8588, Written by )
Tagged: apple iphone, att, attwifi, iphone wifi, starbucks, tmobile
Previous: Is "Paypal Anti-Fraud Protection" just a scam?
Next: What is Guy Fawkes night and the Gunpowder Plot?




Reader Comments To Date: 2

Jon Sinton said, on December 26, 2008 2:16 PM:

I get a log the screen that asks for my phone number. I enter it, agree to the terms, and the next screen says it doesn't recognize my phone number. 

AT&T says if you can get a 3G connection it is out of their hands. They initially blamed Apple. Then they blamed Starbucks. I can't help but think it is an AT&T issue.

Greg said, on December 13, 2010 7:10 PM:

Hi Dave,
I am in desperate need of your help, I was last downloading music from itunes for my sons itouch for Xmas. I didnt realize it was under my account and connected/synced my wifes ph (iphone) losing all her contacts but worse 300 photos of our boys. Now the safest place for me is the Firehouse she is not happy, I dont think they were saved, what can I do? I desperately need help, Regards, Greg

Starbucks coffee cup I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!











I will never send you any unsolicited email. Ever.






Check This Out Too...

 
Look for Answers
Need Help? Ask Dave Taylor!


Follow Me on Pinterest

Find Me on Google+
ADT on G+
© 2002 - 2013 by Dave Taylor. All Rights Reserved.

Note: This web site is for the purpose of disseminating information for educational purposes, free of charge, for the benefit of all visitors. We take great care to provide quality information. However, we do not guarantee, and accept no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any material contained on this web site or on any linked site. Further, please note that by submitting a question or comment you're agreeing to my terms of service, which are: you relinquish any subsequent rights of ownership to your material by submitting it on this site. My lawyer says "Thanks".
"Ask Dave Taylor®" is a registered trademark of Intuitive Systems, LLC.