What to do if the Personal Hotspot for Your iPhone is Not Working
Creating a personal hotspot is something that you might need to do from time to time if you don’t have ready access to Wi-Fi with your iPhone. However, you could encounter a situation where your personal hotspot does not seem to be working. If that is happening with your iPhone consistently, you’ll need to figure out a way to solve the problem.
Check if Your Personal Hotspot is Turned On
The first thing you ought to check if this is an issue for you is whether the personal hotspot is turned on in your iPhone. Go to Settings, then scroll down to Personal Hotspot. If it is not on, flip the toggle to the green “On” position. See if it starts working for your device.
What if You Can’t Turn on Personal Hotspot on Your iPhone?
If you see that the setting for Personal Hotspot is gray on your device and there doesn’t seem to be a way to toggle it to green, then you should call your wireless carrier to see if they have enabled it and that your wireless plan supports it. There are some plans that don’t, and there are also some circumstances where you might not have access to the feature.
Restarting Your iPhone Might Allow You to Enable Personal Hotspot
You can also restart both your phone and the device that needs to connect to your personal hotspot. The problem might be either with their device or your iPhone.
To restart your iPhone 8 or an earlier model, press down on the Top or Side button till the Power Off slider pops up on the screen. Slide the slider to the right, turning off the phone, then press and hold the Top or Side button again. When you see the Apple logo, you will know that the device is restarting.
If you own an iPhone X or later, then you must press and hold the Side button. Press your Volume Up or Volume Down button at the same time. When the Power Off slider appears, slide it to the right. Wait for a few seconds. Next, press the Side button until you see the Apple logo on the screen.
Now, you can try the personal hotspot again and see if it is working correctly.
Not Having the Latest Version of iOS Can Affect Your Ability to Use the Mobile Hotspot
It could also be that you can’t use your mobile hotspot because you have an outdated version of iOS that has some bugs. You can check to see if there is a more recent version of iOS by following these directions. Before you get started, though, back up your iPhone with either iTunes or iCloud. This will ensure that you don’t lose any of your data.
- Plug your device into an outlet, and then connect to the internet with Wi-Fi.
- Hit Settings, then General.
- Go to Software Update. If you see one, then hit Download and Install.
- If you want to update right then, tap Install one more time. You’ll have to wait for a few moments for the update to take place.
If you want to wait and do the update that night, then you can hit Install Tonight. If you’re going to do it that way, be sure that your phone is plugged into power before you go to sleep. When you wake up, the new version of iOS should be on there.
If you get a message saying that you need more space when you’re trying to do a wireless update, then you will probably need to get rid of some of your data, like your apps, videos, pictures, or podcasts.
Resetting the Network Settings Could Restore Your iPhone’s Personal Hotspot
Have none of these fixes worked for you? If so, then you can also try resetting your network settings.
- Go to Settings, then General.
- Hit Reset, then go to Reset Network Settings and tap it.
If doing this with your iPhone doesn’t seem to have fixed the problem, then you can also try doing it with the other device that is trying to use your personal hotspot. The issue could be originating there.
What if You Can’t Connect with Your Personal Hotspot through Wi-Fi?
Maybe you find that you can’t connect to your personal hotspot with your iPhone specifically through Wi-Fi. If that is what’s happening, then follow these steps.
First, make sure that your Personal Hotspot setting is on. Remember the phone’s Wi-Fi network name and password that you see on the screen. Stay on this screen until you have connected the other device to Wi-Fi that is trying to use your personal hotspot.
At the same time, follow these steps with the other device. Turn Wi-Fi off, then turn it back on. Make sure that you’ve connected to the right Wi-Fi network. You should see the same network name on both devices. If you don’t, then that is likely what is causing the trouble.
If you see a Password Error message when you’re trying to connect the second device, then check to make sure that the Wi-Fi password is right. Again, you’re looking for there to be the same password on both devices.
This process is easier if you have two people doing it, one to handle your iPhone, the other working with the other device. Get a friend or a relative to help you if there is anyone available.
What if Your iPhone Can’t Connect to Your Personal Hotspot with Bluetooth?
You can also connect to a personal hotspot with Bluetooth. But what if it’s this specific feature that’s not working? If you’re running into this problem, follow these steps.
With your iPhone, go to Settings, then Personal Hotspot to make sure that the feature is toggled on. Go to Settings, then Bluetooth to make sure that it is on as well. Keep this screen open.
At the same time, follow these steps with the device that you are trying to connect. Go to Settings, then Bluetooth, to make sure that Bluetooth is enabled there as well. You should see a confirmation code appear on your iPhone’s screen. That indicates that your phone recognizes that you’re trying to share the personal hotspot with another device. Tap Pair on both devices when it comes up on the screen. You should now be able to share your personal hotspot with the other device.
If you discover that you are still unable to use your personal hotspot, then contact Apple Support. You can chat with them online, or you can take the device into an Apple Store and describe the problem to them.