Allow Windows to automatically connect to suggested open hotspots, to networks shared by contacts, and to hotspots offering paid services
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows 10
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\WLAN Service\WLAN Settings Description
This policy setting determines whether users can enable the following WLAN settings: "Connect to suggested open hotspots," "Connect to networks shared by my contacts," and "Enable paid services". "Connect to suggested open hotspots" enables Windows to automatically connect users to open hotspots it knows about by crowdsourcing networks that other people using Windows have connected to. "Connect to networks shared by my contacts" enables Windows to automatically connect to networks that the user's contacts have shared with them, and enables users on this device to share networks with their contacts. "Enable paid services" enables Windows to temporarily connect to open hotspots to determine if paid services are available. If this policy setting is disabled, both "Connect to suggested open hotspots," "Connect to networks shared by my contacts," and "Enable paid services" will be turned off and users on this device will be prevented from enabling them. If this policy setting is not configured or is enabled, users can choose to enable or disable either "Connect to suggested open hotspots" or "Connect to networks shared by my contacts".
Registry
Software\Microsoft\wcmsvc\wifinetworkmanager\config Value name: AutoConnectAllowedOEM
Enabled: AutoConnectAllowedOEM = 1
Disabled: AutoConnectAllowedOEM = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Wifi/AllowAutoConnectToWiFiSenseHotspots Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
CSP values
-
0- Not allowed. -
1 (Default)- Allowed.
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Allow Windows to automatically connect to suggested open hotspots, to networks shared by contacts, and to hotspots offering paid services
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows 10
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\wcmsvc\wifinetworkmanager\config]
"AutoConnectAllowedOEM"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Allow Windows to automatically connect to suggested open hotspots, to networks shared by contacts, and to hotspots offering paid services
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\wcmsvc\wifinetworkmanager\config'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'AutoConnectAllowedOEM' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Wifi/AllowAutoConnectToWiFiSenseHotspots
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Allow Windows to automatically connect to suggested open hotspots, to networks shared by contacts, and to hotspots offering paid services
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\wcmsvc\wifinetworkmanager\config' -Name 'AutoConnectAllowedOEM' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Allow Windows to automatically connect to suggested open hotspots, to networks shared by contacts, and to hotspots offering paid services
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\wcmsvc\wifinetworkmanager\config'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'AutoConnectAllowedOEM' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Allow Windows to automatically connect to suggested open hotspots, to networks shared by contacts, and to hotspots offering paid services
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Allow Windows to automatically connect to suggested open hotspots, to networks shared by contacts, and to hotspots offering paid services
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\wcmsvc\wifinetworkmanager\config' -Name 'AutoConnectAllowedOEM' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Allow Windows to automatically connect to suggested open hotspots, to networks shared by contacts, and to hotspots offering paid services
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\wcmsvc\wifinetworkmanager\config'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'AutoConnectAllowedOEM' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.