Carrier T-Mobile, auto-join WiFi at HomeDepot

[minik]

Yesterday I went to Home Depot for an in-store pick up. I took out my phone and noticed the Wi-Fi symbol. I checked the Wi-Fi setting and it's connected to Guest-Passpoint (see screenshot), I pressed the (i) and forget network as well as disabled auto-join. Went home and did some web searching.

Computerworld: T-Mobile commits to Passpoint automatic Wi-Fi access; other U.S. carriers mum

securew2: What is Passpoint?

I have 'Ask to Join Networks: Notify' and 'Auto-Join Hotspot: Ask to Join" selected under the Wi-Fi settings. There was no notification or being asked at all.

After reading the article on SecureW2, the auto-join might be triggered by the previous network profile/certificate I installed for eduroam (a Wi-Fi roaming service in many Universities). However there's no way to check which certificate I installed on the iPhone. On macOS, I can at least look at KeyChain Access. Since the cell network was not weak at all inside Home Depot, it jumped to the Wi-Fi network in the background (with the help from T-Mobile) was unexpected. Anyone had similar experience?

 

[jav6454]

Things like this example are not new. In the past, back in the iPhone 2G days, AT&T pushed a carrier update to the iPhone that allowed all iPhones to connect automatically to all Wi-Fi spots AT&T had in Starbucks, airports, etc.

People starting posting about auto-joining to attwifi. Yes, it’s intrusive, but it was faster data back then.

 

[minik]

I see if it's baked into the carrier profile. Wish T-mobile put this feature under the what's included for clarification. I guess it's helpful as cell signal can't reach every section of retail stores/shopping malls.

 

[jav6454]

I personally would rather connect to Wi-Fi as cell signal in crowded places tends to be hit or miss.

 

[eyoungren]

I'm a T-Mobile customer and frequent Home Depot a lot. Last time I was in there was about a week ago. I have never had this happen. I'd have to check if my local Home Depot had WiFi though, it's possible they don't and that's the reason my iPhone does not automatically connect.

That said, I generally have WiFi off. I'm paying T-Mobile for cellular service, not to ride someone else's WiFi and get out of providing me what I pay for.