diff --git a/app/components/offline_indicator/offline_indicator.js b/app/components/offline_indicator/offline_indicator.js
index 2f23976d1..ee72c350e 100644
--- a/app/components/offline_indicator/offline_indicator.js
+++ b/app/components/offline_indicator/offline_indicator.js
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ export default class OfflineIndicator extends Component {
         switch (this.state.network) {
         case OFFLINE:
             i18nId = 'mobile.offlineIndicator.offline';
-            defaultMessage = 'No internet connection';
+            defaultMessage = 'Cannot connect to the server';
             break;
         case CONNECTING:
             i18nId = 'mobile.offlineIndicator.connecting';
diff --git a/app/utils/network.js b/app/utils/network.js
index a517929de..09b852bb0 100644
--- a/app/utils/network.js
+++ b/app/utils/network.js
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 import {NetInfo} from 'react-native';
 
+import {Client4} from 'mattermost-redux/client';
+
 export async function checkConnection() {
-    // If the websocket cannot connect probably is because the Mattermost server
-    // is down and we don't want to make the app think the device is offline
-    const server = 'https://www.google.com';
+    // Ping the Mattermost server to detect if the we have network connection even if the websocket cannot connect
+    const server = `${Client4.getBaseRoute()}/system/ping?time=${Date.now()}`;
 
     try {
         await fetch(server);
diff --git a/assets/base/i18n/en.json b/assets/base/i18n/en.json
index 0249607df..abcf5b74b 100644
--- a/assets/base/i18n/en.json
+++ b/assets/base/i18n/en.json
@@ -2013,7 +2013,7 @@
   "mobile.notification_settings_mobile.vibrate": "Vibrate",
   "mobile.offlineIndicator.connected": "Connected",
   "mobile.offlineIndicator.connecting": "Connecting...",
-  "mobile.offlineIndicator.offline": "No internet connection",
+  "mobile.offlineIndicator.offline": "Cannot connect to the server",
   "mobile.open_dm.error": "We couldn't open a direct message with {displayName}. Please check your connection and try again.",
   "mobile.open_gm.error": "We couldn't open a group message with those users. Please check your connection and try again.",
   "mobile.post.cancel": "Cancel",