How verification works
Every label is backed by evidence, and only that evidence.
SenSignal never shows a network as more trustworthy than the evidence supports. Here’s what each label means and what it doesn’t.
The four kinds of Wi‑Fi
Ownership doesn’t decide what’s useful. A non-SenSignal hotspot can still be your best option.
SenSignal Managed
SenSignal manages the guest network and receives current health checks from it.
What backs it
- Registered node identity
- Recent health check
- Security policy and software status
The only class SenSignal can verify end to end. If checks go stale or trust is revoked, the app says so and stops showing it as verified.
Verified Host
The venue owner confirmed the listing, network name, access method, and hours.
What backs it
- Owner identity confirmed
- Owner-provided access details
- Date of the last owner update
SenSignal doesn’t manage the network. Owner verification is not a security verification.
Community Verified
People recently confirmed the network works, and when.
What backs it
- Recent working reports
- When it was last confirmed
- Observed quality, when reported
Security details are not verified by SenSignal.
Public Wi‑Fi
Listed from public information or a suggestion. Current availability is not yet verified.
What backs it
- Location and venue
- Source of the listing
Status unknown until someone confirms it. Unknown is an honest answer, not a bad one.
Separate questions
Trust isn’t one badge.
The app keeps three questions apart, so a strong answer to one never covers for another.
- Who verified it?
- SenSignal telemetry, the venue owner, the community, or public information.
- Is it working right now?
- Online, degraded, offline, or unknown. A listing is not proof that a network is online.
- Is the SenSignal node trusted?
- Only applies to SenSignal Managed hotspots. Everything else is “not applicable”.
SenSignal Managed
Verification can be lost.
A SenSignal hotspot shows as verified only while its checks are current. Marketing, sponsorship, or a venue’s reputation can never override these states.
| State | What it means |
|---|---|
| Verified | Node identity is valid and current, and the required policy checks pass. |
| Degraded | The node is authentic but has a non-critical operational or security warning. |
| Stale | The last trustworthy check is too old, so the app stops presenting it as verified. |
| Revoked | SenSignal no longer trusts this node. |
| Unverified | A network claims to be SenSignal, but its identity can’t be established. |
A name is never proof
Anyone can name a network “SenSignal”. If the app can’t match a network to a trusted SenSignal node, it says:“This Wi‑Fi is using the SenSignal name, but SenSignal could not verify its identity.”
Every fact has a date
Time-sensitive details always show how fresh they are. Stale information is never shown behind a current-looking badge.
- Verified today
- Confirmed 3 days ago
- Updated 2 months ago
- Status unknown