iPhone 14 Pro showing unknown Wi-Fi network, with blank SSID, and cannot forget it

Thank you for your responses, but I’d like to clarify that this is not just a nearby Wi-Fi network showing up in range.

The issue is more serious and unusual:

• The network has no visible SSID — its name is blank.
• It does not appear in the normal list of known or available networks.
• Despite that, my iPhone has been assigned an IP address via DHCP from this network (192.168.1.13) — meaning the device must have connected to it at some point.
• The network is not forgettable or editable — the “Forget This Network” option doesn’t work.
• Auto-Join is enabled by default, and I cannot turn it off.
• I’m seeing Private Wi-Fi Address = null in some cases, or unexpected MAC address behavior (changing between physical and random).

This continues even after a full network reset, with:

• No SIM installed,
• iCloud and Keychain sync turned off,
• Airplane Mode enabled.

My current router uses a different IP schema (192.168.9.x), and I’ve had my old router professionally reset, so this connection shouldn't exist anymore — yet the device still behaves like it’s linked to an old or hidden profile.

I’ll update to iOS 18.4 once I free up enough space, but I don’t believe this is caused just by an outdated version.

Has anyone seen this kind of behavior before? Could this be a system bug, a hidden provisioning profile, or even Wi-Fi spoofing?

Hi Jeff, thanks for staying engaged.

To clarify: I have used this phone with a SIM in the past, but currently there is no SIM installed, and there are no profiles, no iCloud sync, and no active carrier provisioning.

I’m the only owner of the device. It’s not managed, not enrolled in MDM, and hasn’t been shared or resold.

The issue isn’t about seeing nearby networks — it’s about:

• A network with no SSID showing up in active network settings
• An assigned IP address via DHCP (192.168.1.13)
• An inability to edit or forget the network — even after full network reset
• (null) in the Private Wi-Fi Address field, and Auto-Join locked on



I’ve now updated the device to iOS 18.4, and the issue still persists exactly as described — no change in visibility or behavior of the unnamed network.

If there are more questions, I’m happy to answer — I’d just appreciate knowing how they relate to the problem or what they’re meant to rule out.

Thanks again for your time.

Thanks, but I’ll clarify this once more — because it seems like my original post and follow-ups aren’t being fully read:

• The IP address assigned to the unnamed network is 192.168.1.13, which is a private, local address, not a public hotspot range.
• This block was used by my old home network, not by a mobile provider or a tourist hotspot.
• My current router uses a completely different schema after a professional reset and reconfiguration.
• The iPhone is in Airplane Mode, has no SIM, no profiles, no iCloud Keychain, and yet this unnamed network:
• Reappears after a full network reset
• Cannot be removed or edited
• Shows "(null)" in the Private Wi-Fi Address field
• Has Auto-Join forcibly enabled

This is not a theory about public hotspots — this is a real, reproducible system-level behavior tied to my own hardware history and confirmed environment.

So yes, this is an Apple issue — because:

• iOS is displaying an active network with no visible name or source,
• The connection survives reset conditions that should wipe it,
• Users have no ability to manage or delete it, and
• Core UI elements are returning (null) instead of readable config — which may indicate a UI or system config corruption.

If anyone else has seen this kind of persistent, undeletable Wi-Fi behavior — particularly one tied to old local IP schemas — I’d really value your insight.

Otherwise, I’m respectfully stepping back from speculative replies. I’m only looking to hear from people who understand the OS-level network stack or have encountered this specific behavior.

Jeff, as I mentioned. There is no SIM installed