Android refuses to forget wifi login with incorrect password

[AC Question]

Huawei phablet/tablet X2 (GEM-702L) with EMUI 4.0, Android version 6.0
-- I am trying to log into a particular wifi network that I previously logged in 2 years ago and am getting "Incorrect Password." Yes, the password has changed. Settings -> Wifi -> choose the particular wifi -> Cancel/Forget/Reconnect: choose Forget -> Scan anew -> choose the particular wifi, am given the options Cancel and Connect, choose Connect -- I am not being prompted for a password, instead, the phone does its thing and comes back saying Saved, Secured, which after another few seconds changes to Incorrect Password. Telling the phone to forget this particular wifi when I am not in reach of it doesn't help. Playing around with cancel and telling the phone 100 times to forget doesn't help, it just does not forget the old, incorrect password, and has never allowed me to input the new password. How can I force the phone to forget the incorrect password?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Is this a wi-fi network under your control (i.e., your home network), or a work or public network?

 

[Carsten Holz]

To B. Diddy, by original questioner: The wi-fi network is not under my control. It's a (for me: temporary) work network.

 

[B. Diddy]

Does this wi-fi network usually require you to enter a password in order to connect in the first place? (In other words, does the wi-fi icon for the network have a lock icon on it as well?) Or is it a network that requires allows you to connect, but then requires you to go to a login website and enter a password there?

 

[Carsten Holz]

The wi-fi icon for the network has a lock. When I click on connect, I should be prompted for my username and my password. Instead, it says, after ~10 seconds, "incorrect password" (presumably using my password of two years ago, which is no longer valid). I do not have to open a login website and enter a password there (even under ' normal' operations, this option does not exist).

 

[B. Diddy]

Pretty weird. What if you go to Settings>Security>Clear Credentials?

 

[Carsten Holz]

Nothing changes when I "clear credentials" (and restart the phone). When I "connect" to the (particular) wifi network, it still does not prompt me for username and password (and after a few seconds tells me "incorrect password," presumably using my -- by now incorrect -- password of two years ago. -- There is also an item "Trusted credentials" in Settings -- Advanced Settings -- Security. When I click on that, I get a list of a couple hundred items, and it's not clear which, if any, is related to this particular wifi network. It seems I can't clear this list, though I seem able to disable one by one.

 

[B. Diddy]

Ok, try wiping the system cache partition: HUAWEI GEM-702L MediaPad X2 - Recovery Mode - HardReset.info

 

[Javier P]

Nothing changes when I "clear credentials" (and restart the phone). When I "connect" to the (particular) wifi network, it still does not prompt me for username and password (and after a few seconds tells me "incorrect password," presumably using my -- by now incorrect -- password of two years ago. -- There is also an item "Trusted credentials" in Settings -- Advanced Settings -- Security. When I click on that, I get a list of a couple hundred items, and it's not clear which, if any, is related to this particular wifi network. It seems I can't clear this list, though I seem able to disable one by one.

Welcome to the forums. Where do you see that 'incorrect password' message? In a browser or in the WiFi settings? Maybe that old password is saved in the Captive Portal Login app. Search for this app in your app manager (under 'all'), clear data, restart your phone and try to connect again.

 

[B. Diddy]

@Javier P, I think it's a secured wi-fi network that requires its own password, rather than a Captive Portal Login. OP mentioned that the wi-fi icon has a lock symbol on it.

 

[Javier P]

@Javier P, I think it's a secured wi-fi network that requires its own password, rather than a Captive Portal Login. OP mentioned that the wi-fi icon has a lock symbol on it.

Yeah, it was just a very long shot since the 'forget network' option is not working.

 

[Carsten Holz]

Did that earlier. No effect.

 

[Carsten Holz]

Clarification: "Did that earlier," no effect, refers to wiping the system cache partition.

'Incorrect password' message appears in the list of available wifi, right underneath the name of the wifi that I am trying to connect to.

Captive Portal Login: I am only being given one option, "Force stop." ("Disable" is gray, can't click.) There is no "Clear data." For Storage, it says 0.00 B used in internal storage. For Mobile data usage, it gives 0.00 B, including 0.00 B foreground and 0.00 B background (and the time diagram shows a flat line at zero for the whole diagram, covering the last 6 days). "Open by default:" "No defaults set." Notifications are all on. I clicked "Force stop," restarted the phone, and no change: still can't log into the network that I want to log into (Connect -> am not prompted for username and password -> after a few seconds, message appears underneath that network's name: "Incorrect Password.")

 

[kbz1960]

WiFi, gear for settings, forget doesn't work?

 

[Javier P]

Have you used this network with the same device or was the login synced from an old one?

I did a little search and found different causes for similar problems.

- Trying to forget a connection while on a guest account doesn't work. Make sure you are using the 'owner' account in your device.

- Try forgetting that network from settings - WiFi - three dots - saved networks and make sure there are no duplicates (different frequencies, for example).

- Some users reported similar issues with 5ghz networks. Which option do you have selected under WiFi - advanced - WiFi frequency band?

 

[Carsten Holz]

Thanks for all the attempts to help. (Still not successful.)

Re Wifi, gear for settings, forget:
After Wi-Fi, I have no ‘gear for settings.’ I can go Wi-Fi, Menu, Saved networks, find my network, then click ‘forget’ – to no effect.

I have used this network with a *different* device two years ago. I copied everything from the old cell phone (Samsung S3) to this “new” phablet (Huawei phablet X2), and it’s with this phablet that I have the problems.

I don’t know how to find out if am using the ‘owner’ account in my device. (Searched online for help: I don’t have a Device and/or Users option in Settings, and can’t find Users in any of the menu items. This is Huawei Emui 4.0.) I suspect I am the owner by default, and there may be no possibility for any other user.

Forgetting from ‘saved networks:’ no effect. And no duplicates there.

Advanced Wi-Fi does not give me an item “WiFi frequency band”
It has a category Wi-Fi settings: network notification (on), Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep (always), MAC address and IP address. Then a category Certificate management with only one item, Install Certificates, and then the category WPS connection (with items WPS connection, and WPS PIN connection).

 

[B. Diddy]

I hate to say it, but you might have to do a factory reset.:-\