How to fix ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED

ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED is the code on Chrome's No internet page, the one with the small pixel dinosaur. Chromium defines it in one line: the internet connection has been lost. Google's Chrome help puts it more simply still: the device isn't connected to the internet.

This is the one Chrome error that is never the website's fault. Chrome did not try the site and fail. Your computer or phone told Chrome it has no network connection at all, so Chrome did not send anything. The fix is always on your device, your router or your provider.

What Chrome suggests, and what it means

Under the heading Chrome prints a short Try: list. On a computer it reads Checking the network cables, modem, and router and Reconnecting to Wi-Fi, and on Windows there is a link for Running Windows Network Diagnostics. On a phone the list is different: Turning off airplane mode, Turning on mobile data or Wi-Fi and Checking the signal in your area.

Those lists are a fair summary of the causes. There is no need to test the website for this error. Once you are back online, our website checker will tell you whether a site that still fails is really down. Check your own connection first, starting with whether other devices in the house are online.

Fixes on a computer

1. Look at the network icon. On Windows it is at the right of the taskbar, on a Mac at the top right. If it shows no connection, Wi-Fi is off or you have dropped off the network. Reconnect.
2. Check aeroplane mode and the Wi-Fi switch. In Windows 11 open Settings, Network & internet. Make sure Airplane mode is off and Wi-Fi is on. Some laptops also have a keyboard key that turns wireless off.
3. Using a cable? Push both ends of the Ethernet cable in firmly and check for a light at the socket.
4. Check other devices. If your phone is also offline on the same Wi-Fi, restart the router: unplug it, wait 30 seconds, plug it in and wait a few minutes.
5. Disconnect your VPN. A VPN with a kill switch blocks all traffic when its own connection drops, and Chrome then reports that you are offline.
6. Check the network adapter is enabled. In Windows 11 go to Settings, Network & internet, Advanced network settings. If Wi-Fi or Ethernet shows as disabled, select Enable.
7. Restart the computer. Adapters sometimes fail to wake after sleep.
8. Last resort on Windows: Settings, Network & internet, Advanced network settings, Network reset, Reset now. You will need to rejoin your Wi-Fi afterwards.

Fixes on a phone or tablet

1. Turn aeroplane mode off. Swipe down from the top of the screen on Android, or open Control Centre on an iPhone.
2. Turn on Wi-Fi or mobile data. If you are out of Wi-Fi range with mobile data switched off, Chrome has nothing to use.
3. Check your signal. No bars, or a data allowance that has run out, gives the same page.
4. Toggle aeroplane mode on and off to force the phone to reconnect.
5. On public Wi-Fi, sign in. Hotel, train and café networks keep you offline until you accept their terms on a sign-in page.

When only Chrome says you are offline

• A VPN or security app is filtering Chrome. Pause it and reload.
• You are a developer and DevTools is set to Offline. In the Network tab, the throttling menu has an Offline option. While it is selected, every request in that tab fails with net::ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED. Set it back to No throttling.
• Chrome needs a restart. Close every Chrome window and reopen it, then check for an update under Help, About Google Chrome.

If every app on the device is offline while the Wi-Fi icon shows a connection, this is a different problem. See Wi-Fi connected but no internet.

How this differs from other Chrome errors

Most Chrome error codes describe an attempt that failed: a name that could not be looked up, a server that did not answer. ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED is different because no attempt was made. Your operating system reports whether it has any active network connection, and Chrome trusts it. If the answer is no, Chrome shows the offline page straight away, without the pause you get with a timeout.

That makes it a useful signal. If you see this code, do not waste time on the website, your DNS settings or the browser cache. If you see ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT or ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED on every site instead, your device believes it is connected and the break is further along, at the router or your provider.

The close relatives

• DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NO_INTERNET produces the same "No internet" page. Chrome reaches it by a different route: a DNS lookup failed, and Chrome's follow-up test concluded there is no internet connection.
• ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED appears when the connection changed while a page was loading, for example moving from Wi-Fi to mobile data. A reload normally clears it. See ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED.
• ERR_ADDRESS_UNREACHABLE means your device is on a network but has no route to that particular address.

If it keeps coming and going

A connection that drops for a few seconds at a time shows this page, then recovers by itself, because Chrome reloads the page when the connection comes back. Repeated drops on one laptop usually point to weak Wi-Fi signal or a power-saving setting that switches the wireless adapter off. Repeated drops on every device point to the router or the line. Note the times, check your provider's status on our internet provider status pages from your phone, and report the pattern to your provider if it continues.

The dinosaur game

Chrome's offline page says Press space to play on a computer and Tap the dino to play on a phone. Chrome describes the game itself as a pixelated dinosaur dodging cacti and pterodactyls across a desolate landscape. You can also open it while online by typing chrome://dino in the address bar.

Related fix guides

• Wi-Fi connected but no internet: how to fix it
• How to fix ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED
• "This site can't be reached": what it means and how to fix it
• DNS server not responding: how to fix it