Apple believes the best iOS experience happens when Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are enabled on your devices. With that in mind, Apple made a change in iOS 11 that means neither can be completely disabled from the Control Center.
As MacRumors reports, confirmation of this can be found on Apple's support pages. From iOS 11 onwards, opting to disable Bluetooth or Wi-Fi in Control Center (the menu that appears when you swipe up from the bottom) will result in all accessories immediately disconnecting. However, neither is turned off completely and will still accept connections from the following:
- AirDrop
- AirPlay
- Apple Pencil
- Apple Watch
- Continuity features, like Handoff and Instant Hotspot
- Instant Hotspot
- Location Services
The situation is further complicated because both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi will turn back on automatically under specific circumstances. Both will be re-enabled at 5 a.m. local time each day, or when you restart your device. Wi-Fi is also re-enabled if you walk or drive to a new location. It's also possible to manually re-enable them in Settings.
Completely disabling Bluetooth and Wi-Fi is possible, though. Open Settings and navigate to either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and turn them off. They will then remain disabled until you choose to turn them back on.
This change is sure to frustrate users, especially those who don't know about the change and can't understand why their Bluetooth or Wi-Fi has magically re-enabled itself the next morning or after a walk or drive. But as the saying goes, it's not a bug, it's a feature.