There’s nothing worse than being in an area with no Wi-Fi connection and having to rely on your phone’s data. But did you know that your iPhone can act as a personal hotspot, providing a Wi-Fi and cellular connection for your other devices? If you’re in a bind and need to get online, follow these steps to set up your iPhone’s hotspot.
Tethering is the process of sharing your phone’s mobile signal as a Wi-Fi network. This is a great way to stay connected while on the go, but it’s important to know that your ability to create a hotspot depends on your service plan and data allowance. Most major carriers offer tethering services, so be sure to check with your provider before you head out on your next adventure.
It’s important to remember that connecting to your hotspot will cause your phone’s battery to drain more quickly. So, if you’re going to be using your hotspot regularly, it might make sense to have an extra charger on hand.
How to set up your iPhone’s mobile hotspot
- Go to Settings > Cellular > Personal Hotspot or Settings > Personal Hotspot.
- Then Tap the slider next to Allow Others to Join.
Related Article: How to Identify Plants on Your iPhone
If you can’t find the Personal Hotspot setting, reach out to your carrier to see if your plan supports using Personal Hotspot.
How to connect to a personal hotspot
You can connect to a personal hotspot in a few different ways – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB. If your phone runs iOS 13 or later, it’ll stay connected to the hotspot even when locked.
Wi-Fi
To use your phone as a personal hotspot, go to Settings > Cellular > Personal Hotspot and turn it on. Make note of the Wi-Fi password and name of the phone. Once you have your other device connected to the Wi-Fi network, you can go back to using your phone as usual.
On the device that you want to connect, go to its Settings > Wi-Fi and look for your iPhone or iPad in the list of networks. Then tap the Wi-Fi network to join. If asked, enter the password for your Personal Hotspot.
Bluetooth
First, check that your iPhone or iPad can connect to Bluetooth. To do that, go to Settings > Bluetooth. Keep that page open. Then, on your Mac or PC, set up a Bluetooth network connection.
Personal Hotspot allows you to share your iPhone or iPad’s data connection with your Mac, PC, or other devices. To connect to another iOS device, use Wi-Fi.
USB
If you want to keep your iPhone or iPad up-to-date with the latest version of iTunes, you’ll need to download it on your Mac or PC. Once you have the latest version, connect your device to your computer with the USB cable that came with it. After connecting the device to your computer, you may see an alert that asks if you trust the computer. If you see this alert, tap “Trust.”
How to disconnect devices
There are a few ways to disconnect a device from your personal hotspot or Bluetooth connection. One way is to simply turn off those features on your device. Another way is to unplug the USB cable from your device.
Let your family join automatically
Family Sharing is a great way to make sure your family can always stay connected. How to Use Your iPhone’s Mobile Hotspot With just a few clicks, your family can automatically join your hotspot and access the internet without having to enter a password.
- On your device with a personal hotspot, go to Settings > Personal Hotspot > Family Sharing.
- Turn on Family Sharing.
- Tap the name of each of your family members and set whether they need to ask for approval or join your Personal Hotspot automatically.
Hello, My name is Shari & I am a writer for the ‘Outlook AppIns’ blog. I’m a CSIT graduate & I’ve been working in the IT industry for 3 years.