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How to Set Up and Use Personal Hotspot on iPhone
The network-sharing tool for iPhone helps other nearby devices go online
By Sam Costello Sam Costello Writer Ithaca College Sam Costello has been writing about tech since 2000. His writing has appeared in publications such as CNN.com, PC World, InfoWord, and many others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on April 24, 2021 Reviewed by Jon Fisher Reviewed by Jon Fisher Wichita Technical Institute Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email iPhone & iOS Switching from Android What to Know
Go to Settings > Personal Hotspot and toggle Personal Hotspot on. Remember the Wi-Fi password! Once Personal Hotspot is set up, use Instant Hotspot to share online access with your Mac, iPad, iPod Touch or another iPhone. This article explains how to set up Personal Hotspot and use it with Instant Hotspot. It also includes additional information about how Personal Hotspots work and requirements for using it. Instructions apply specifically to iOS 12 but should work with other recent iOS version as well. How to Turn on Personal Hotspot
After Personal Hotspot is enabled on your data plan, turn it on: On the Home screen, tap Settings. On the Settings screen, tap Personal Hotspot. Make sure you've enabled Cellular, which is right above Personal Hotspot on the Settings screen. If the Personal Hotspot option is missing, there are a few fixes you can try. On the Personal Hotspot screen, turn on the Personal Hotspot toggle switch. Remember the Wi-Fi Password. You'll use this password to connect other devices to this hotspot. If you don't have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or both enabled when you turn on Personal Hotspot, you're prompted to turn them on or only use USB. Sometimes Personal Hotspot doesn't work and other devices can't connect. We've got the solutions in How to Fix It If iPhone Personal Hotspot Is Not Working. Enable Instant Hotspot Using Continuity
With Instant Hotspot, the Personal Hotspot on your iPhone (or cellular iPad) shares online access to any Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch without entering the password. First, verify that the iOS device you want to use as the hotspot is signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID as the Mac or iOS device you want to provide internet access to. Each device will also need to have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on. Instant Hotspot requires the following: An iPhone 5 or newer running OS 8.1 or laterAn iPad (4th gen and newer)An iPad Pro, iPad Air, or iPad mini (all models) You can use Instant Hotspot to connect to the above devices running at least iOS 8 as well as an iPod touch (5th generation) or newer. Macs running OS X Yosemite or later are also compatible. To connect a Mac to the hotspot device, go to the menu bar, select Wi-Fi status, then choose the name of the iPhone or iPad providing the Personal Hotspot. To connect an iPad, iPod touch, or another iPhone to the hotspot device, go to Settings > Wi-Fi, then tap the name of the iPhone or iPad providing the Personal Hotspot. Your third device connects to the hotspot without having to enter the password. Personal Hotspot Explained
Personal Hotspot is a feature of iOS that lets compatible iPhones share a cellular data connection with other nearby devices through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB. This feature is known as tethering. When you use Personal Hotspot, your iPhone acts like a wireless router for the other devices, transmitting and receiving data for these devices. If you have the available data on your cellular plan, it's an excellent alternative to using public Wi-Fi hotspots. Personal Hotspot Requirements
To use Personal Hotspot on an iPhone, you'll need: An iPhone running iOS 8 or later. A cellular-model iPad, with iPadOS 8 or later. A data plan that supports tethering or Personal Hotspot. A USB cable, if you want to connect devices that way. How to Check Your Version of iOS and iPadOS Add Personal Hotspot to Your Data Plan
Most major phone companies include Personal Hotspot by default as part of their data plans for the iPhone. AT&T and Verizon include it in many of their plans, while T-Mobile offers it on its Magenta, T-Mobile ONE, and Simple Choice plans. Sprint charges for it, with prices depending on how much data you want to use. Most regional carriers and pay-as-you-go carriers support Personal Hotspot as part of their data plans, as well. If you're not sure whether you have Personal Hotspot on your data plan, check with your phone company. Another way to know if you have Personal Hotspot is to check on the iPhone. Tap the Settings app and look for the Personal Hotspot menu beneath Cellular. If it's there, you likely have the feature. Personal Hotspot Connection Established
Connecting other devices to your Personal Hotspot using Wi-Fi is easy. Tell the people who want to connect to turn on Wi-Fi on their devices and look for the name of your phone (as shown on the Personal Hotspot screen). They should select that network and enter the password shown on the Personal Hotspot screen on the iPhone. How to Know When Devices Are Connected to Your Personal Hotspot
When other devices are connected to your iPhone hotspot, a blue bar appears at the top of the screen and on the lock screen. In iOS 7 and up, the blue bar shows a number next to a lock or an interlocking loops icon that indicates how many devices are connected to the phone. Changing Your Persona Hotspot Name
Want the name of your Personal Hotspot to be something of than "[yourname]'s iPhone?" You need to change the name of your iPhone, which is pretty easy. Find out how in How to Change the Name of Your iPhone. Data Use with Personal Hotspot
Personal Hotspot uses data from your iPhone data plan. Unless you have an unlimited plan, your monthly data allowance could be used up quickly when streaming video or doing other bandwidth-intensive tasks. All data used by devices connected to your iPhone counts against your data plan, so be careful if your data plan is small. Learn how to check your data usage so you don't accidentally go over your limit. 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 How to Set up and Use iPhone Tethering Can My iPad Use My iPhone's Data Connection? How to Find a Wi-Fi Password on an iPhone How to Fix iPhone Personal Hotspot That's Not Working How to Fix Missing Personal Hotspot on iPhone Personal Hotspot on iPhone: What You Need To Know Do Unlimited Data Plans Include iPhone Personal Hotspot? How to Turn Your Windows Laptop Into a Wi-Fi Hotspot How to Fix a Missing AirPlay Icon on iPhone and Mac How to Change Your iPhone's Name How to Set up a New iPhone How to Set Up and Use Touch ID, the iPhone Fingerprint Scanner How to Set up USB Tethering on Windows 10 How to Use Your Android Phone as a Wi-Fi Hotspot How to Fix It When a Tablet Won’t Connect to a Mobile Hotspot How to Connect Chromecast to Hotel Wi-Fi 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