Wi-Fi is a technology that lets devices connect to the internet without any wires or cables. Instead of plugging an Ethernet cable into your computer, Wi-Fi sends information through the air using invisible radio waves, similar to how a radio station broadcasts music.

Wi-Fi is usually provided by a small device called a Wi-Fi router, which sits in your home, school, or library and creates an invisible bubble of connectivity around itself. Any device with Wi-Fi capability (laptops, tablets, phones, even some refrigerators) can connect to the internet as long as it's within range of that bubble, usually a couple hundred feet.

Before Wi-Fi became common in the early 2000s, many computers that wanted internet access needed to be physically plugged in with a cable. This meant you couldn't easily move around while using the internet. Wi-Fi changed everything: suddenly you could take your laptop to any room in the house, or sit outside and still check your email.

When you see a Wi-Fi symbol (usually curved lines forming a fan shape), it means wireless internet is available in that location. Most Wi-Fi networks are protected by passwords to help keep them secure and private.