Troubleshooting: Device drops WiFi & does not reconnect?

In iOS and iPadOS, third-party apps do not interface directly with the device's WiFi controller; instead, they make requests to the operating system for access to WiFi.

This request is made through a flag defined when the app is submitted to Apple called UIRequiresPersistentWiFi. This flag tells the iOS that if a WiFi connection is available, that the app needs it to be maintained. It’s also why if the app is launched without a WiFi connection, you may see an alert on-screen asking if you’d like to connect to WiFi before proceeding.

If the app is unable to load a remote page due to lack of internet connection, we continue to request that resource at regular intervals so that the app can recover automatically when the connection is resumed.

If a WiFi signal is dropped, the device may show an on-screen prompt asking if you would like to join other WiFi networks. While there is no way to exit the app through this prompt, it can be turned off in iOS settings by going to Settings > Wi-Fi > Ask to Join Networks > Off.

If your iPad regularly drops a Wi-Fi connection,  Apple recommends several troubleshooting tips that can help you fix the problem, including updating to iOS 12.3 or later.   

In addition, if you have a large number of devices on a single network or are looking for best practices for setting up a new network for Apple devices, Apple provides the following guidelines/recommendations: 

• Configuring networks for iPad deployments
• Getting proper Wi-Fi coverage
• Getting proper Wi-Fi capacity

Other options include switching to a wired internet connection as discussed here or storing content locally on the device so it can be accessed without an internet connection.