A Complete Guide to Making an Internet Hotspot on iPhone

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Use your iPhone to establish an instant Wi-Fi hotspot with this handy guide

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: June 16, 2023

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Creating the Hotspot

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Connecting a Phone

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Connecting a Computer

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Checking Connections

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

There may be times when you need to connect your laptop or tablet to the Internet, but there is no Wi-Fi or wired network available. With your iPhone, however, you could have access to an instant Wi-Fi hotspot of your very own! This article will show you how to do this.

Things You Should Know

Ensure you have cellular data enabled before turning on your personal hotspot.
Navigate to "Settings" > "Personal Hotspot" and tap the toggle switch to turn yours on.
To connect another device, simply scan for nearby Wi-Fi networks on that device and look for the one associated with your device.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Creating the Hotspot

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Tap the Settings icon, usually located on the Home screen, to open the Settings control panel.
2
Enable Cellular Data (LTE) service, if you haven't had done so already. You won't see the following option if your iPhone was sold as a prepaid plan since these companies often leave this setting turned off until several minimum data payments have been made to keep your data service active. iPhone's sold as prepaid plans through third-party offerings often leave LTE service off until they can be assured you can keep data service on the phone with applicable money for a set period. Tap Cellular in your Settings, then tap the toggle switch next to Cellular Data. If you see this switch turn green (or was green already), look just below this for a second check for the Personal Hotspot option.

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3
Get back to your main settings screen. Tap the "< Settings" button in the top left corner.
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Tap Personal Hotspot. If you have enabled "Personal Hotspot" from your wireless provider, you will see the Personal Hotspot icon in the first group of settings.
- Note: If you have not enabled this service from your wireless provider, you must do so before proceeding. Visit your carrier's website, and find the service that best suits your needs and budget.
Tap the toggle switch at the very top of the "Personal Hotspot" control panel to enable Wi-Fi sharing.
The current password is listed in plain text. If you've just set up your service plan with your wireless provider, there will be a default password in place. To change it, tap the Wi-Fi password button, enter a new password, then click "Done." You can also just leave the default password as-is. Make sure you note it for future use.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Connecting a Phone

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To set up an iPad to use your mobile hotspot, tap the Settings icon.
In the left-side column, tap "Wi-Fi."
Under "Choose a Network..." you should see the name of your iPhone Hotspot listed.
Enter that here.
When your device is successfully tethered to your iPhone hotspot, there will be a linked chain icon in the upper left of your screen, where the Wi-Fi icon is normally found.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Connecting a Computer

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Locate network control panel: on a Mac, open System Preferences from the Apple Menu. On a PC laptop, click on the Network Manager icon on the bottom right of the screen.
2
Select your iPhone from the list of available networks.
- Enter the password when prompted, and you will be connected.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Checking Connections

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1
Check connection status. The top bar on the iPhone, which is normally black, will be blue and show the number of people connected when it's being used as a Wi-Fi hotspot.
- Note: there is no way to tell who is connected, but if you notice there are more people connected to you than should be, disable the Wi-Fi hotspot, change the password, then re-enable it (and don't forget to tell the people who should be connected what the new password is).

Community Q&A

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Question

How do I find the hotspot on my iPhone 5C?

Community Answer

Open Settings, then go to Mobile Data -- there should be an option for setting up a personal hotspot.

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Tips

Many providers provide a month-to-month plan rather than a service with a 2-year commitment.

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Check with your mobile provider to find the best service for enabling personal hotspots. In some cases, it might be more cost effective to enable the receiving device (such as an iPad) than using a tethered device.

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