How to Use Your iPhone's Internet on Your iPad GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Computers, Laptops & Tablets > Apple 42 42 people found this article helpful

How to Use Your iPhone's Internet Connection on Your iPad

You can tether your iPad to your iPhone by setting it up as a hotspot.

By Daniel Nations Daniel Nations Writer University of Texas at Arlington Daniel Nations has been a tech journalist since 1994. His work has appeared in Computer Currents, The Examiner, and other publications. He is a developer who has published apps in the Apple App Store, Google Play marketplace and Amazon Appstore; he also has worked as a data analyst and DB administrator. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on November 7, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Apple iPad Macs

What to Know

Turn on your iPhone's hotspot: Open Settings, tap Personal Hotspot, and toggle it on. Tap Wi-Fi password to customize the password.Next, on your iPad, tap Wi-Fi, and find the name of your iPhone under Personal Hotspots. Enter the password to join your network.Pricing will depend on your provider. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon have packages that include using your smartphone as a hotspot. This article explains how to use your iPhone's internet on your iPad, which normally can only use Wi-Fi.

How to Turn On Your iPhone' s Hotspot

Here's how to set up a hotspot from your iPhone's Settings. Add a password to make your hotspot more secure.
Launch your iPhone's Settings app, tap Personal Hotspot. On the hotspot page, flip the top switch from Off to On. You may need to call a number or visit a website to set your hotspot up on your cellular account. Your hotspot has a default password, but to customize it, tap Wi-Fi Password and enter an alphanumeric password that has at least eight characters. Your password will remain even if you turn the hotspot feature off. You don't need to create a new one every time you use the feature. Using your iPhone's data connection is more secure than using a Guest Wi-Fi service, which puts you on the same Wi-Fi network as other 'guests' using the service.

How to Connect to a Hotspot on Your iPad

Connecting your iPad to the hotspot is almost identical to connecting it to any other Wi-Fi network. Go into your iPad's settings. Tap Wi-Fi, and find the name of your iPhone under Personal Hotspots. Enter the password to join your network. If your hotspot doesn't show up, turn Wi-Fi off and then on again on your iPad. Sometimes it needs to refresh the list of available connections.

Pricing and Other Considerations

Pricing will depend on your service provider. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon all have packages that include using your smartphone as a hotspot. Most give you an allowance of hotspot bandwidth before either slowing the speed or stopping it altogether. The amount is usually enough unless you are doing a lot of video streaming, which will eat into it fairly quickly. Check with your service provider to get more details on hotspot fees and services. Using a hotspot is still using your cellular data. If you have a maximum data cap, streaming movies over the hotspot may not be a good idea. The average HD movie can take over 1 GB to stream, which can quickly burn through your data limit. Even unlimited plans usually cap the hotspot data, but this cap is usually higher. Check your wireless plan for all the details. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Can My iPad Use My iPhone's Data Connection? How to Turn Your Windows Laptop Into a Wi-Fi Hotspot How to Find a Wi-Fi Password on an iPhone Where Is 5G Available in the US? (Updated for 2022) Do Unlimited Data Plans Include iPhone Personal Hotspot? How to Make Wi-Fi Calls on Your iPhone How to Set up and Use iPhone Tethering The 8 Best Cell Phone Plans of 2022 How to Fix iPhone Personal Hotspot That's Not Working How to Use Your Android Phone as a Wi-Fi Hotspot How to Connect Google Home to Wi-Fi How to Connect Your PC to Your Mobile Hotspot How to Use Your iPad or iPad Mini as a Phone How to Use Google Home With Your iPhone How to Get Internet With a Bluetooth-Enabled Cell Phone How to Fix It When Your iPhone Has No Service Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies