Summary
We are observing that Wi-Fi Aware data transfer throughput on iPhone is heavily impacted by the device's Wi-Fi association state and by surrounding RF interference. When Wi-Fi is turned off from Control Center, Wi-Fi Aware throughput increases to roughly 2x (or higher) compared to when the device remains associated to a Wi-Fi network. We would like to confirm whether this is expected behavior or a system-level bug.
Log
- Feedback ID: FB23454477
Environment
- Device: iPhone
- Feature under test: Wi-Fi Aware (NAN) data path transfer
Steps to Reproduce
- Connect the iPhone to a Wi-Fi network (associate to an AP).
- Establish a Wi-Fi Aware (NAN) data-path session with a peer device.
- Start a sustained data transfer and measure the steady-state throughput.
- Repeat the measurement in two RF conditions: a. Clean RF environment (no other surrounding Wi-Fi/BLE devices nearby). b. Congested / high-interference RF environment.
- Turn Wi-Fi off from the Control Center pull-down menu (leave the peer/session as before).
- Repeat the same Wi-Fi Aware transfer and measure throughput again.
Observed Behavior
Scenario 1 — Wi-Fi connected (associated to an AP)
- Clean RF environment (Wi-Fi connected, no other surrounding Wi-Fi/BLE devices nearby):
- Wi-Fi Aware transfer throughput is approximately 20 MB/s.
- Congested / high-interference RF environment:
- Wi-Fi Aware transfer throughput drops to approximately 8 MB/s.
- Reference log:
sysdiagnose_2026.06.28_21-05-09+0800_iPhone-OS_iPhone_23F81.tar.gz
Scenario 2 — Wi-Fi turned off via Control Center
- After turning Wi-Fi off from the Control Center pull-down menu, the Wi-Fi Aware transfer throughput increases to 2x or higher compared to Scenario 1.
- Reference log:
sysdiagnose_2026.06.28_21-15-00+0800_iPhone-OS_iPhone_23F81.tar.gz
Expected Behavior
Wi-Fi Aware throughput should not be significantly constrained by the device's Wi-Fi association state. We expect comparable Wi-Fi Aware performance regardless of whether the device is associated to a Wi-Fi network, since disabling Wi-Fi should not be required to achieve full Wi-Fi Aware data-path throughput.
Questions for Apple
- Is the throughput reduction while associated to a Wi-Fi network expected behavior (e.g., due to time-sharing/channel scheduling between the infrastructure connection and the Wi-Fi Aware data path)?
- If this is by design, are there recommended APIs, configurations, or best practices to maintain higher Wi-Fi Aware throughput while the device remains connected to Wi-Fi?
- If this is not expected, we believe this is a system-level bug and would appreciate guidance on a fix or workaround.