To turn on local network access on iPhone, open Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network, then turn on the switch beside the app. Repeat this for each app that needs to discover or connect to devices on your local network. These steps use the current Settings layout, including iOS 26 and iOS 27.
The short version
- Main setting: Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network and enable the app.
- First request: Tap Allow when the app requests local network access.
- Missing app: Keep the app open and start its device discovery or connection feature so it requests access.
- Casting: Connect your iPhone and receiver to the same Wi-Fi network before using the Cast icon.
- Last resort: Reset privacy permissions or reinstall the affected app only after trying its permission switch.
| Method or place | When to use it | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| System permission list | The app is listed | Enable its switch under Local Network |
| Permission request | The app asks for access | Tap Allow |
| Individual app settings | The app exposes a permission switch | Open its page under Apps |
| Device discovery feature | The app is missing from the list | Start a connection while the app stays open |
| Casting discovery | A Google Cast app needs access | Use the same Wi-Fi network and tap the Cast icon |
| Privacy reset | You need the permission request again | Resets privacy decisions for other apps too |
| App deletion | You choose to reset permission by reinstalling | Resets permission and can remove app data |
| App Store redownload | You need to complete reinstallation | Redownload the app and allow access again |
| Apple’s App Store product page | You want product information | Actual redownloads happen in the iPhone app |
| Organization permission request | Your supervised iPhone runs iOS 27 with configured defaults | Review the proposed permissions before tapping Allow |
| Administrator configuration | You manage eligible supervised iPhones running iOS 27 | Configure defaults through compatible device management |
Turn on access in Settings
Open Settings, tap Privacy & Security, then tap Local Network. Find the app you want to connect to nearby network devices and turn on its switch. The screen contains individual app switches, so enable each app you need.
If you previously declined an app’s request, use this list to change that decision. If the app is missing, open it and start its device discovery or connection feature, then check the list again.
Allow access from inside the app
When you have not already decided an app’s local network permission, you can grant access as you start using its connection feature. Open the app and use the feature that discovers or connects to nearby network devices. When the system asks for local network access, tap Allow.
Opening the app alone may not trigger the request, so start the relevant device discovery or connection task within the app. If you already declined permission, return to Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network and enable the app there.
Use the app’s own Settings page
For apps that expose a Local Network switch on their individual Settings page, you can enable access there. Open Settings > Apps, select the app’s name, then turn on Local Network. Return to the app and retry the connection.
For anywAiR, open Settings > Apps > anywAiR, then turn on Local Network. If your app’s page lacks that switch, use Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network. An app missing from that list needs to attempt local network access first.
Make a missing app request access
Apple adds an app to the Local Network list after it attempts local network access. Open the missing app and keep it on screen while you use its local-device discovery or connection feature. Tap Allow when the permission request appears.
When permission is still undecided, an access attempt made only in the background does not display the permission alert. Keep the app in the foreground while you initiate the connection. After it attempts access, you can also return to Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network and turn on its switch.
Enable access for a casting app
For Google Cast, connect your iPhone and casting receiver to the same Wi-Fi network first. Open the Cast-enabled app and tap the Cast icon to begin discovery. This applies to compatible receivers such as Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, and supported speakers, displays, and TVs.
Google’s instructions describe an app prompt with an OK button, so tap OK if that preliminary prompt appears. On the current Apple system request for local network access, tap Allow. Preliminary app prompts can vary.
Tap the Cast icon again and select your receiver. For the rest of the playback process, follow the steps to cast your iPhone to a TV. If you previously denied the casting app access, enable its switch in Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network, then retry discovery.
Review permissions on a managed iPhone
On a supervised iPhone running iOS 27, your organization can configure app permission defaults that appear in a consolidated request when you first launch the app. Review the organization’s name, its justification, and the proposed permissions. If they include the local network access you need, tap Allow to apply those defaults. Selecting Not Now leaves the normal individual permission prompts in place.
If you administer these devices, this configuration requires supervised iPhones running iOS 27, enrollment through Automated Device Enrollment, and a management service that implements Apple’s declaration. In that service, configure App settings > App privacy > App privacy permission defaults for the app’s bundle ID. Configure Local network permission, supply Organization justification, and deploy the declaration to eligible devices.
Your management vendor determines the exact console navigation and available values. The user approves the proposed defaults through the consolidated request, so deploying the configuration still requires that consent.
Reset privacy permissions for a fresh request
If you need the app to ask again, resetting location and privacy returns its local network permission to an undecided state. This also resets privacy decisions for other apps, so those previous choices are lost. The reset itself does not grant local network access.
Open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset, then select Reset Location & Privacy. Enter your device passcode if requested, then tap Reset Settings. Reopen the affected app, start its local-network feature, and tap Allow when it asks.
Reinstall the affected app if needed
For an app you can delete, deleting it also resets its local network permission. Deleting the app removes it and can remove important app data, so preserve any important app data before proceeding.
Touch and hold the app on the Home Screen, tap Remove App, then tap Delete App and Delete. Removing only the Home Screen icon does not perform this permission reset. You can review how to delete iPhone apps to distinguish those actions.
To reinstall, open App Store and tap your photo or tap My Account. Tap Apps & Purchase History > Your Apps, then tap Not on this iPhone. Locate the app and tap its Redownload button.
That route works for apps available to redownload through your signed-in Apple Account; the steps to find and reinstall deleted apps explain the same App Store process. Once the app is installed, open it and initiate its local-network feature. Tap Allow at the system request, because downloading the app alone does not grant permission.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did iPhone apps start needing local network permission?
Local network permission has existed since iOS 14. If you use an older version, its privacy menu labels differ from the current layout.
Does opening a device in Safari give its iPhone app local network access?
Using a device’s browser interface does not grant permission to a separate native app. Safari and certain embedded web traffic are exempt from the app-level local network permission.
Does working AirPlay or AirPrint mean an app has local network access?
A working AirPlay or AirPrint connection does not establish that the app has general local network permission. AirPlay, AirPrint, AirDrop, and HomeKit can provide system-mediated functionality without granting that access.
Why do different apps give different explanations for requesting access?
The app developer can customize the message to explain why the app wants local network access, although apps that haven’t been updated for iOS 14 show default reason text. Read that message to understand why the app wants access before approving it.