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Android Wi‐Fi scanning throttling
Android limits how often any app can scan for Wi-Fi networks. WiFiAnalyzer cannot scan faster than the OS allows, whatever the Scan Interval is set to.
Android returns the previous scan results rather than an error. The display appears frozen, then jumps. This is not a bug.
On Android 11 and higher WiFiAnalyzer shows a notice while throttling is on. On Android 9 and 10 throttling still applies, but apps cannot query it, so no notice appears.
Options are 1 to 30 seconds, default 5. The sustained limit is one scan per 30 seconds, so shorter intervals cannot be maintained. They are still useful: the limit is a burst of four scans, so the first scans after opening the app arrive quickly.
Settings > Developer options > Networking > Wi-Fi scan throttling, on Android 10 and higher. Requires developer options enabled. Wording and location vary by manufacturer, and some builds omit it. Applies to every app on the device.
Android 9 and higher, including Android 17 (API level 37)
- Each foreground app: four scans per 2-minute period
- All background apps combined: one scan per 30-minute period
Android 8.0 and 8.1
- Each background app: one scan per 30-minute period
- Foreground scanning is not throttled
Android 7 and earlier
- No scan throttling