Managing wireless fidelity communications for a mobile station includes automatically activating and deactivating wireless fidelity communication capability on the mobile station. Whenever wireless fidelity communications are not active, the wireless fidelity capability is turned off until at least one of a plurality of preselected triggering events occurs. If at least one of the triggering events occurs, a wireless fidelity probing mode begins and a wireless fidelity communication connection is established if one is available.