How To Find Places With Free Wi-Fi Nearby
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We all know the phrase “the best things in life are free,” and Wi-Fi is no exception. However, if you do not wish to walk around with your Wi-Fi setting open, how are you supposed to find free hotspots? Luckily you are not the only person who wants free Wi-Fi, and there are plenty of apps and websites that can deliver you with assistance in your search.
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The best 6 Apps, websites, and places where you can find free Wi-Fi nearby are below, scroll down to see them all.
Table of Contents
- Key Takeaways
- Apps And Websites That Help You Find Free Wi-Fi
- Additional Places That Give You Free Wi-Fi
- Related Questions
Key Takeaways
- There are many apps and websites created with the sole purpose of helping you find free Wi-Fi near you.
- Not all apps are free to use, though, and there are even scam apps that will cost you money without helping you find accessible Wi-Fi networks.
- It would recommend being cautious when using free Wi-Fi networks as they are rarely protected and can make you easy prey for a cybercriminal.
- If you live in an area where apps and websites don’t help you find free Wi-Fi, you can always go to a local food chain like Mc Donalds, where you will usually find free Wi-Fi.
Apps And Websites That Help You Find Free Wi-Fi
Though most of us have Wi-Fi at home, we usually don’t stay in the house every day. For this reason, finding an app or website that can help you find free Wi-Fi near your location is essential.
Plenty of apps and websites are willing to help you find the closest open Wi-Fi network, and some even allow you to connect to private networks if someone has shared the password.
However, not all of the apps and websites available are safe to use, so I have looked around for the best and safest ones. Below is a list of the best free Wi-Fi finder apps and websites.
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1. WiFi Map
- App: Available on Android and IOS
- Website Map: Yes
- Offline Mode: Available on the app
- Location Required: No
- Paid Or Free: Optional Premium Version
WiFi Map is a brilliant website and app that allows you to find free Wi-Fi networks near you. The service works because users will add more networks to the system as it continues to grow. However, this is not the only feature the WiFi Map app provides. They also have an included VPN and optional eSIM, which can help you connect to the internet and stay secure.
Though this app is excellent, it does come with some costs, although they are also relatively low. For an entire year’s pro access to the WiFi Map app, you must pay 29.99 US dollars. The pro variety of this app will allow you to use the WiFi map app offline and remove all ads that are usually in place to provide the business owners with an income.
Though you can use this app without upgrading to a pro subscription, the added benefits might make it worth it to you. Either way, this is one of the best free Wi-Fi finders.
For more information or downloading the app, visit the WiFi Map Website.
2. Wefi
- App: Known available on Android
- Website Map: No
- Offline Mode: No
- Location Required: Yes
- Paid Or Free: Completely Free
Wefi, though not the most well-known app, is one of the absolute best Wi-Fi finder apps that you can use. This app will help you not only find free Wi-Fi networks around your area but, if you allow it to stay on while you roam, automatically connect to those networks to save you data costs. This app does require your location to be on, which is the one downside since that can drain your battery.
This app is also completely free and does not require payment for full capabilities, making it a leap ahead of many other apps and websites that you can find with lesser charm. Recent updates to the app have also changed the way the auto-connect function works, so if you connect to a Wi-Fi system that does not allow you internet access, it will automatically disconnect again.
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Ultimately this app is excellent for anyone that travels around a lot or is always roaming near open Wi-Fi networks.
For more information about Wefi, the app, and the business, visit the wefi website.
3. Instabridge
- App: Available on Android and IOS
- Website Map: Yes
- Offline Mode: Available on the app
- Location Required: Yes
- Paid Or Free: Optional Premium Version
Instabridge is the perfect combination between wefi and WiFi Map. This app gives you the best features of both the previously mentioned apps, with the ability to connect and use a VPN to keep your data secure automatically. The Instabridge app does it all and knows which Wi-Fi networks work and which don’t, so your device won’t even connect to networks that won’t help you.
However, Instabridge not only gives you the ability to auto-connect to any working and available networks in your area, but it also provides you with maps that you can use if you are looking. This app can be a bit tricky to use at first, but as many of the reviews will also tell you, there are very few apps that work as well as this one does.
Instabridge is a worldwide trusted, free Wi-Fi finder, and you can also use a premium subscription to get even more out of it.
To learn more about Instabridge or download the apps available on IOS and Android, visit the Instabridge website.
4. Wiffinity
- App: Available on IOS
- Website Map: No
- Offline Mode: Available on the app
- Location Required: Yes
- Paid Or Free: Free Only
Wiffinity is another app that can help you find available Wi-Fi networks near you, though it is only available for iPhone users. Though this app does not give you all the features some of the others do, it does supply you with the passwords to unlock premium Wi-Fi networks to help you save on data costs.
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This app is the ideal travel companion for anyone looking to use Wi-Fi networks in their area to save on the cost of roaming data. This app also does not require you to sign up to use it, allowing you to be anonymous while using Wi-Fi in your area. In addition to this, the Wiffinity app also provides you with a map that you can use offline to find the closest Wi-Fi spots that are safe to use and accessible.
The biggest problem with the Wiffinity app available on the Apple store is that it hasn’t received any recent updates.
However, if you wish to look at the information I was able to gather or want to install and test the app, you can do so on this website.
Additional Places That Give You Free Wi-Fi
5. Your Local Library
- App: No
- Website Map: No
- Offline Mode: No
- Location Required: No
- Paid Or Free: Usually Free
Though you probably already know this, many libraries are willing to allow you to use their Wi-Fi network for free. This option might not give you the fastest internet access, and you might not be able to watch your favorite series in the library, but if you need to do some research or work, this is as good a place to go.
The added benefit of using the Wi-Fi at a library to do your work or research is that you can do so without being bothered and with little to no noise. Though you can see above that, there is no app or map for your library to show you available Wi-Fi networks, there is a website that can help you find libraries near you. This website is handy if you are always traveling.
If you stay in the US, the library finder website can be a great travel tool and help you find the closest library relative to your location. Naturally, not all libraries will have Wi-Fi or allow you to use their Wi-Fi, but with this website, you’ll be able to find at least one library that will help you out.
If you want to look at the library finder website, click here.
6. Local Food Chains
- App: Some Chains Have Apps
- Website Map: Some Chains Have Locator Maps
- Offline Mode: No
- Location Required: Yes
- Paid Or Free: Usually Free If You Buy Something (or are sneaky)
Local restaurant chains and fast-food chains such as McDonald’s usually have free-to-use Wi-Fi networks open to the public. The catch when using the Wi-Fi at a place like this is that you typically need to buy something to be allowed to use it. Luckily, buying a coffee is usually not too expensive and will enable you to use the Wi-Fi at the given place for at least a while.
Additionally, you can also look for local coffee shops or internet cafés. Both coffee shops and internet cafés are popular locations because of their free, or at least cheap, Wi-Fi. Though it would be frowned upon if you don’t buy something before using the network, it usually doesn’t cost too much, and technically you’re only paying for a coffee.
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In addition to supplying you with Wi-Fi, these kinds of places are also great if you are doing work and quickly forget about the world around you, as this can be a relaxing and convenient source of food if you wish.
If you want to find the closest chain that will let you use their Wi-Fi, you should be able to download the chain’s app to see the nearest locations relative to where you are.
Related Questions
Though you can easily find a place to supply you with free Wi-Fi near you, there might still be some other unresolved questions you could have. Below are some questions that people are likely to ask and some information to answer the questions.
Though there is some area for the debate on whether using a Wi-Fi finder is ethical, it is legal to use for most of them. Even when a Wi-Fi finder gives you access to a Wi-Fi network that is usually secured, it usually does so with the permission of the owner of the Wi-Fi network.
Most Wi-Fi finders that give you access to locked Wi-Fi networks can do so because the person whose Wi-Fi network it is, has put their Wi-Fi password on the database of the app or website. Additionally, as with every other app, there are terms and conditions for using these tools, and some might include a clause stating that your Wi-Fi network will be accessible to the public.
Either way, Wi-Fi finders tend to be more centered around finding and using public Wi-Fi like that provided by libraries and coffee shops and allowing you to find them is legal.
Free Wi-Fi, as the name suggests, is accessible to the public. If Wi-Fi is free, almost, if not all, people can connect to the network to gain internet access. Though most people wouldn’t think about harming a random stranger on a public network, some are not as nice and will take advantage of anything to get to your device or information.
For this reason, I would always suggest using a VPN (here are some free ones) when using a public network. Though no VPN is 100% effective, it adds an extra layer of security between you and those who would do you harm or want to steal your information.
In addition to using a VPN, it is always good to ensure that your device has an anti-virus and firewall that can block any malicious software or attacks from reaching it. Again, none of these measures are 100% guaranteed to stop someone from invading your privacy or accessing your device. Still, it does make it hard enough for most cyber criminals to rethink their strategy and probably leave you alone.
Though I cannot speak for all the VPNs included with Wi-Fi finder apps and websites, some are safe to use. I would still suggest finding an additional and trusted VPN provider instead of an included one since the business focuses not on the security of the VPN but the app’s effectiveness.
If you do not want to use two different apps for this, the best way to find out whether or not you can trust and rely on the included VPN is by looking at the developer of the website or app and looking at reviews. As with anything else, research is the key to safety.