A familiar phone can appear under a new address in your router's device list. Apple devices support private Wi-Fi addresses; newer systems offer fixed and rotating options. That makes the address worth checking before you assume an extra person has joined.
Compare the same connection
Suppose your router reports a new device just after you reconnect your phone. Open the details for the Wi-Fi network currently in use on that phone. Compare its Wi-Fi address with the entry in your own router's list. Compare the whole value, not just a nickname such as “Phone.”
- Confirm that both screens refer to the same network.
- Note the address and the time shown for the connection.
- Check whether the router is showing a current connection or an older record.
A matching address gives you a useful explanation for that particular entry. It does not identify every other entry in the list or prove that the entire network is secure.
Keep the privacy setting purposeful
Do not turn the feature off simply to make the list look tidier. Give a confirmed device a useful label if your router permits it. If an actual connection problem remains, check current device and router guidance before changing settings.
For a shared or managed network, ask its administrator. An address written down last month is a clue, not a permanent identity card for the phone.