“You appear to be offline.”
This message often pops up even when the internet is perfectly working. It affects browsers, VS Code, Azure sign-in, iPhone/Android apps, and a wide range of development tools.
The tricky part is that this is not a simple “your Wi-Fi is down” issue. It’s usually a mis-detection caused by test-connection failure inside the app.
Below is a complete breakdown of what’s actually happening and what consistently fixes the issue.
● Why does “You appear to be offline” occur?
Most apps confirm connectivity by sending a small “test request” to a specific domain.
If that test fails — even if the rest of the internet works — the app assumes the user is offline.
This leads to common causes like:
- VPN or proxy blocking the test domain
- Browser extensions (AdBlock / privacy extensions) interfering
- Corrupted cache or cookie storing incorrect offline state
- Certificate configuration mismatch
- Local network active, but DNS resolution failing for external sites
Since the user can browse normally, the issue often goes unnoticed until an app refuses to work.
● Fixes that actually worked for many users
1. Disable all browser extensions temporarily
Ad-blocking or privacy extensions frequently block connectivity checks.
Turning all extensions off → reload often resolves the issue instantly.
2. Turn off VPN / proxy
Many reports confirm that simply disabling the VPN removes the message immediately.
3. Clear browser cache and cookies
Offline-state metadata can get stuck.
Clearing cached data forces the app to re-sync its online status.
4. VS Code + Azure case: enable system certificates
VS Code users reported success by enabling:
"http.systemCertificates": true
5. Refresh DNS / network configuration
If DNS cannot resolve external domains, connectivity tests fail.
Switching DNS to 8.8.8.8 or resetting the network often solves the issue.
● How to prevent recurrence
- Keep extensions minimal
- Check compatibility when using VPNs
- Maintain clean DNS settings
- Ensure SSL/certificates are not corrupted
Understanding how connectivity checks work makes this error easy to diagnose and prevent.
Ref.
- Azure VSCode に “You appear to be offline” と言われる（sevenb.jp）
https://sevenb.jp/wordpress/ura/2023/05/07/azurevscode%e3%81%ab%e3%80%8cyou-appear-to-be-offline-please-check-your-network-connection-%e3%80%8d%e3%81%a8%e8%a8%80%e3%82%8f%e3%82%8c%e3%82%8b/ - freeCodeCamp Forum – “You appear to be offline” discussion
https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/you-appear-to-be-offline/420123 - Apple Discussions – iPhone showing “You are offline” repeatedly
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255216850
