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Why Isn't My Personal Hotspot Working?
Personal Hotspot shares your iPhone's cellular data connection. When it won't work, the question is whether the feature, the cellular connection, or the device joining is the holdup.
- Option missing or greyed out — the cellular or carrier side.
- Option exists, other device can't see it — discovery and device setup.
- Visible but won't connect — password, compatibility, or the connection itself.
- Connected but no internet — the cellular, carrier, or internet side.
What Personal Hotspot actually shares
Personal Hotspot shares the iPhone's cellular data connection. It does not share the Wi-Fi network the iPhone is currently connected to. The hotspot is its own network: the iPhone turns cellular data into a Wi-Fi signal other devices join. That's why the hotspot isn't a way to pass your current Wi-Fi connection to another device. If cellular data isn't available, another device may still be able to connect to the hotspot, but it won't have a working internet connection through it.
Start with the problem you're seeing
The problem you see changes what is worth checking:
- "Personal Hotspot" isn't there or is greyed out. Open Settings > Cellular first: the hotspot rides on cellular data, so confirm Cellular Data is on and working. If cellular data works but the option is still missing or unavailable, the next gate is your carrier — Personal Hotspot requires a wireless provider that supports it, some plans charge extra for it, and the number of devices that can join at once depends on the carrier and iPhone model. That's a plan question, not a settings hunt.
- It's there, but the other device can't see it. Make sure Allow Others to Join is on, and stay on the Personal Hotspot screen until the other device connects — Apple's own steps say to keep that screen open. Keep the two devices close, and check that the connecting device's Wi-Fi is on. If the other device is a Mac, iPad, or another iPhone, see Instant Hotspot below.
- It appears, but refuses to connect. Check the hotspot's Wi-Fi password — it's shown right on the Personal Hotspot screen, and it needs at least eight characters. On the device trying to join, toggle Wi-Fi off and back on, in case it's holding an old connection. If one particular device still won't join, Maximize Compatibility (below) exists for that kind of wireless mismatch.
- It connects, but the other device has no internet. Discovery worked — the hotspot itself is running. The question moves to the iPhone's cellular data, the carrier plan, or the cellular network: check whether the iPhone itself can load a page right now, and whether cellular data is available at all. Connected to the hotspot is not the same as internet available.
Instant Hotspot is a shortcut, not the feature
Instant Hotspot is the quicker way Apple devices connect to each other's hotspot — it isn't a separate feature with its own switch. It shows up when the devices are signed in to the same Apple Account or belong to the same Family Sharing group, are near each other, and have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on. If Instant Hotspot doesn't appear on your Mac or iPad, that doesn't mean Personal Hotspot is broken: the regular path — choosing the iPhone's network from the Wi-Fi list and entering its password — still works.
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB — three ways to connect
The hotspot supports three connection methods: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB. Each is a separate path to try. If Wi-Fi discovery fails but a USB cable connects, the iPhone can still provide its connection, and the problem is specific to the wireless path — discovery or authentication. If USB also fails to give the other device internet, the trouble is more likely the hotspot or the cellular connection itself.
Maximize Compatibility is a compatibility tool
When a specific device struggles to join or stay joined over the wireless connection, Maximize Compatibility changes how the hotspot broadcasts so that kind of device can connect. Apple notes that with it on, internet performance and Wi-Fi security may be reduced — so it's a tool for a known mismatch, not a default. Turn it on for the device that won't cooperate; leave it off otherwise.
What it costs
Personal Hotspot uses your iPhone's cellular data and power: whatever the connected device does counts against your plan, some carriers charge separately for hotspot use, and the iPhone works harder while it's broadcasting. Apple also notes that a computer your iPhone is plugged into for charging may connect to the hotspot on its own. None of this is a malfunction — it's the cost of sharing a connection. Turning off Allow Others to Join when you're done keeps both in check.
If it worked yesterday and not today
Walk through the same checks instead of hunting for what changed: Is the option still there, and can it turn on? Can the other device see it? Does it connect — and does that connection actually reach the internet? The useful clue is the first thing that stopped working: the cellular plan or data, a switch on the phone, or the device trying to connect. When nothing obvious has changed, Apple's own order stays short: confirm the hotspot is on and your plan supports it, restart both devices, make sure both are running the latest software — and only then consider heavier steps. Nothing here requires a reset by default.
You probably don't need to
You probably don't need to:
- reset the whole iPhone because the hotspot failed once;
- treat your normal Wi-Fi settings as hotspot settings — the hotspot shares cellular data, not your router;
- start changing Bluetooth or network settings before you know which piece is failing;
- assume the iPhone's hardware is broken because a hotspot disappeared;
- reconfigure the entire hotspot because one device connected but has no internet.
Once you know which of those situations you're in, the next step is much clearer.