What to Do When You Can’t Connect to an iPhone Hotspot

The iPhone is an amazing device that gives you a tremendous amount of versatility and capability wherever you go.

For example, the ability to turn the device into a WiFi hotspot allows you to connect other devices to your iPhone and use its cellular signal to provide connectivity to a computer, tablet, or similar WiFi-enabled device.

iphone hotspot not working

However, what do you do when you can’t connect to your iPhone’s hotspot signal? In this troubleshooting guide, we will address that issue in detail.

1. Turn Mobile Hotspot On

If you’re having any issues connecting to an iPhone hotspot, you first need to make sure the hotspot is turned on. The iPhone won’t always put out a signal and you need to turn the feature on to gain access to it.

Within your iPhone settings, follow these quick steps to make sure hotspot capabilities are turned on:

  • Open the Settings app
  • Click on Personal Hotspot
  • Make sure that Personal Hotspot is set to On (green)

Once it is turned on, the iPhone should put out a receivable WiFi signal through its cellular connection to other devices near it.

If that still doesn’t work, there are a few other quick tricks you can use to get everything set up correctly.

2. Reset iPhone and Other Device

The first trick is to reset both your iPhone and the device you want to connect to it. Sometimes you can simply shut down and then turn on the devices, but you also might need to perform a hard reset as well if the initial attempt doesn’t work.

Depending on what iPhone model you have, there are different sequences of buttons you need to press in order to perform a hard reset.

Here are explanations for how to hard reset different iPhone models. You also might need to perform a different type of reset, such as resetting the network preferences.

Follow this step if none of the other resets have been able to fix the hotspot connection.

  • Open the Settings app
  • Select General
  • Select Reset
  • Click on Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings

3. Install the Latest Operating System

In addition to the above tricks, you should also check to make sure that the iPhone is running the latest version of iOS.

If you’re running a previous version of the mobile operating system, it might cause some issues and glitches that can make connecting difficult. These updates are often put out without much notice, so it’s a good habit to check for them.

To check to see if you’re running the latest version of iOS, follow these steps:

  • Open the Settings app
  • Select General
  • Click on Software Update
  • If there’s an update available, click on the button to download and install it

4. Connecting Hotspot via WiFi

While the process for connecting a device to your iPhone is somewhat similar to a cellular or WiFi connection, there are a few added steps you want to keep in mind when attempting to connect through WiFi.

If you’re having trouble connecting to an iPhone hotspot that’s connected to a WiFi network, try these suggestions to fix the issue.

The first step is to make sure your iPhone allows other devices to join the network. To set that up, follow these steps.

  • Open the Settings app
  • Click on Personal Hotspot
  • Slide the button to Allow Others to Join

After completing the above steps, you should also check to make sure that both the iPhone and the other device connected to it are on the same WiFi network. You’ll need to know the name of the network and the password (if there is one) for access to the network.

If these are different at all, you won’t be able to access the hotspot. It seems simple, but it’s a quick fix that’s worth checking if you’re experiencing any issues.

Another quick and easy fix that sometimes works when a WiFi connection is involved with the hotspot is to turn off WiFi capabilities and then turn them back on.

This is like a mini-reset of the WiFi settings and can help a device recognize a network if it’s currently not. Simply turn the WiFi off on both the iPhone and whatever device you’re attempting to connect to, wait a few seconds, and then turn them both back on.

What to Do if None of These Tips Help?

If none of the above tips help you figure out your problem with connecting to an iPhone hotspot, there are still a few other options to explore.

First, you need to make sure that your iPhone has cellular capabilities. This is provided by a cell provider, and if you don’t have service bars on your iPhone, you might not have your cellular services turned on.

It’s also worth mentioning that if you don’t have cell service, you aren’t going to be able to connect another device to the hotspot because of your lack of service.

If your cellular service is on and you have a signal and are still having trouble connecting to the hotspot after following the above steps, you may need to take your iPhone to an Apple Store or another tech support store for help.

This is the last resort option, but when everything else fails, it may be the only thing left to try.

Final Words

A personal iPhone hotspot comes in handy in a variety of different situations. If you ever run into issues with connecting to the hotspot on your iPhone take a look at the steps and suggestions mentioned here.

Oftentimes, you can get the issue resolved in a matter of seconds or minutes and once again use the hotspot effectively. It’s all about identifying what’s wrong and taking the appropriate measures.

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