How to fix an iPhone Personal Hotspot that's not working

Using iPhone hotspots for network connectivity

An iPhone can become a network hub if a user sets it up as a Personal Hotspot. Implementing a hotspot lets other devices connect to an iPhone and use its cellular data connection to access the internet. With a corporate-owned device, the user must ensure their organization has enabled the feature on the iPhone. In the case of a personal device, the user must check their carrier plan. Examples of hotspot policies in popular carrier plans include the following:

• Some Verizon plans require an additional fee to use the mobile hotspot feature.
• AT&T and T-Mobile both allow hotspot usage on many of their plans but might throttle data speed after a certain usage threshold.

To set up a Personal Hotspot, go to Settings > Personal Hotspot, and turn it on. It's then possible to connect other devices to the iPhone's hotspot by selecting it from the list of available Wi-Fi networks and entering the passcode, if required, from the desired laptop or tablet.

Using an iPhone with unlimited data as a network hub can save money, as a user can avoid paying for a separate data plan for another device. This benefit pertains to personal users. Typically, corporate iPhones will still draw mobile data from their organization's data allowance.

There are some drawbacks to using a Wi-Fi hotspot. There's limited data, so it's easy for an employee's device to blow through their data allotment if they need to suddenly depend on their iPhone hotspot for connectivity. There are things an organization can do on the MDM side to prevent this from happening, but that requires some planning upfront.

It's easy for an employee's device to blow through their data allotment if they need to suddenly depend on their iPhone hotspot for connectivity.

In the case of BYOD endpoints, it's easy for employees to go over their data plan's limit, incurring additional charges and reducing their mobile data speed. IT administrators should tailor their organization's BYOD policy to include their corporate policy on using a mobile device as a hotspot, especially if they offer employees reimbursement for mobile device usage.

Using an iPhone as a hotspot is also a sure way to drain its battery quickly, especially when using multiple devices simultaneously.

Another disadvantage is that the speed of the cellular data connection might not be as fast as even a public Wi-Fi network. Such a downgrade in internet connectivity quality only worsens as a user tethers more devices to the iPhone. This speed degradation makes the iPhone Personal Hotspot best for incidental or emergency usage.

What causes iPhone hotspot issues?

Mobile hotspot issues can take a remote user off the air, making it difficult for them to contact their organization's service desk for support. Of course, if they still have a cellular signal at all, they can call the service desk or use their organization's team collaboration app to get help. To get past these challenges, IT admins should ensure that their service desk has training and documentation to resolve iPhone Personal Hotspot usage. Publishing a hotspot troubleshooting guide for users is also crucial.

To avoid and identify the causes of Personal Hotspot problems, admins and users should keep the following challenges in mind.

Connectivity issues

Connectivity issues are among the most common challenges when supporting iPhone hotspots in an enterprise environment. These issues show up as inconsistent performance, slow speeds and dropped connections. Resolving connectivity issues starts with troubleshooting cellular connection problems and ensuring the hotspot is set up correctly.

Another typical connectivity issue is with the Bluetooth on devices pairing to an iPhone hotspot. Bluetooth is generally slower than Wi-Fi, making it a more unstable connection, and other nearby Bluetooth connections might also affect pairing. Outdated software is also a culprit behind pairing issues. In addition, Bluetooth connections can drain the battery from iOS and other devices more quickly.

Misconfigurations

Even with the support of MDM tools, configuration problems can affect iPhone hotspot connectivity. Ensure the iPhone hotspot has all the right settings and configurations by first verifying the hotspot is set up correctly on the user's other devices. Additionally, check that the iPhone is running the latest version of iOS and isn't behind on software updates.

Human error

It's hard to escape human error when it comes to mobile devices. Typical examples of human error include a user forgetting their password or accidentally turning off the hotspot feature on their iPhone.

How to fix Personal Hotspot issues on an iPhone

If the source of the problem isn't immediately clear or easy to solve, an admin might have to walk a user through fixing the iPhone hotspot. The following troubleshooting tips work with iOS 16.3.1 and later.

Check cellular data on the user's iPhone

The first thing users should do is check whether their iPhone has a cellular data connection. They can do this by opening Settings > Cellular and seeing whether cellular data is toggled on. If they can't turn cellular data on and off, they might need to contact their carrier to ensure their account is active and in good standing.

Check Personal Hotspot settings on the user's iPhone

The user should also verify their Personal Hotspot feature is turned on and that the settings are configured correctly. They can do this by going to Settings > Personal Hotspot and checking that the feature is turned on, the Wi-Fi password is set and Allow Others to Join is selected.

If a password change is necessary, instruct the user to go to Settings > Personal Hotspot > Wi-Fi Password and enter a new password. Depending on the organization's MDM and security policies, the user might not have the permissions to make this change themselves.

On iPhone 12 and later devices, it can help to toggle on Maximize Compatibility under the Personal Hotspot settings. However, Apple warns that this setting might diminish Wi-Fi security and performance for connected devices.

Restart the iPhone and connected devices

As with many minor software glitches, sometimes the key to resolving a hotspot problem is to turn the device off and on again. The same goes for restarting a laptop or other devices that the user has connected to their iPhone's hotspot.

Reset network settings

To refresh the network, the user can turn airplane mode on for a few seconds before turning it off again.

If the issue persists, they can try resetting their iPhone's network settings. This can be done by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset. Performing these steps erases all saved Wi-Fi passwords and other network and carrier settings, so it should only be done as a last resort.

Contact carrier support

If none of the above steps work, the final escalation point is contacting the wireless carrier's support team for further assistance. With BYOD, the user calls their carrier. With corporate-owned devices, the service desk might have to contact the organization's carrier support. If the organization uses a mobility MSP, the service desk will escalate the issue to them.

The Personal Hotspot feature on BYOD and corporate iPhones should factor into IT support and related device strategies. IT administrators should manage this feature via MDM for their users to gain maximum benefits, minimize drawbacks and keep hotspot usage within budget.

Will Kelly is a freelance writer and content strategist who has written about cloud, DevOps, AI and enterprise mobility.

Editor's note: This article was updated to reflect changes in troubleshooting options and to improve the reader experience.