XFINITY Hotspots App (Android 13) not working - Passpoint Certificate Expired

I am making some progress, so I will keep documenting my experience in case anyone else has this problem. I won't mark this as the accepted solution yet because there is still something wrong, and I hope someone else can fill in some details.

After much trial and error I have been able to connect. I think the big problem is that security/permission options have changed in Android 13. As I mentioned in the first post, this is my first Android phone in years, so I can't explain how this worked in recent Android versions, but my guess is that the Xfinity Hotspot app developers have not updated the app for Android 13 yet.

The solution for me was to go into the Settings app and drill down like this:

Settings -> Apps -> Special App Access -> Wi-Fi Control -> Hotspots

Turn on the setting called "Allow app to control Wi-Fi" to give the Xfinity Hotspot app permission to do whatever it has to do with the Wi-Fi settings.

After making that change I went back into the Xfinity Hotspot app and "Reset" the security profiles (which seems to delete them), then "Refreshed" (which installs and/or updates them). After turning Wi-Fi on/off and switching Wi-Fi networks a few times it suddenly connected to the XFINITY network. I did a variety of tests and keep using it in the same location for a couple of hours and it was all good.

The next morning I went to a different location, a coffee shop where I know they also have XFINITY Wi-Fi. At first it would not connect - I had the original problem again. After fiddling around for a while - turning Wi-Fi on/off, switching networks, etc. - it finally connected, but in a strange way. See the picture below. There were two networks showing with the same name, XFINITY, one I could connect to and the other I could not.

I have no idea what this means, but after about an hour I am still connected and it's working properly. I'm really curious to see what happens as I move around to other locations with the XFINITY network.

Hello, @rstoeber13. Thank you for reaching out to our Xfinity Community Forums. I'm sorry to hear you are having issues connecting to our Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots. Here is a link to an article that does share some troubleshooting steps that may help. https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/about-xfinity-wifi-internet

Also, if your devices are with Xfinity Mobile, you may need to reach out to the Xfinity Mobile team directly to ensure your account or devices are set correctly for Xfinity Wi-Fi access. You can contact our Xfinity Mobile support center via any of the following methods:
• SMS Text Message: 1 (888) 936-4968
• Phone: 1 (888) 936-4968
• Direct Chat: https://www.xfinity.com/xfinityassistant/?channel=xMobile

@XfinityMartyR​ 

I do not use Xfinity Mobile.

The "troubleshooting" link you sent doesn't help. It simply says: "For the best experience, download the Xfinity WiFi Hotspots app. The app will download and install the Xfinity WiFi secure profile, providing you access to secure hotspots and allowing your device to automatically connect to Xfinity WiFi Hotspots in the future without having to sign in each time."

That does not work for me using a brand new Android 13 phone.

Marty, since you are an "Official Xfinity Employee" why didn't you give me a phone number or direct chat link for Xfinity Wi-Fi Hotspot support? You provided Xfinity Mobile contacts, but my problem is clearly not that. There must be someone who actually knows about the Xfinity Wi-Fi Hotspot apps.

So far, besides these messages posted here, I have:

1) Called Xfinity tech support. I explained my problem in detail, but for some reason they insisted on running diagnostics on my home modem/router. They didn't find a problem, obviously. After about an hour on the phone they had still not suggested a single thing I could try on my phone, or handed me off to someone higher up, so I gave up with them.

2) Drove to a local Xfinity store. They had a big tent up in the parking lot and about a dozen people sitting around wearing Xfinity shirts. Nobody could help. Also, nobody could give me a better tech support contact than the people I already called.

3) Posted a message for help on Twitter to @XfinitySupport. They responded quickly, but then insisted on running diagnostics on my home modem/router. After dozens of messages they also didn't have any useful suggestions. And they apparently couldn't escalate the problem to someone that knows about your hotspots.

You mentioned a day ago, you were able to connect after modifying your cell phone settings, correct? Have you continued to experience the same issue on other hotspots? Are you currently trying to connect to one? 

I am traveling this week and don't currently have access to any XFINITY hotspots.

The option called "Special App Access" in the Settings app did help. After enabling that I was able to connect. BUT, that wasn't a full solution. As soon as I moved to a different location (a different coffee shop) and tried to connect to the XFINITY hotspot at that new location, I got the same errors again. See the picture I provided earlier - somehow I get two networks with the same SSID.