Is your iPhone Hotspot not working? Here’s how to fix it

Your iPhone should keep you connected at all times, especially when you want to share your internet. If that’s not happening, this guide is here to help you restore the connection easily and keep browsing without limits.

Reasons why your hotspot is not working

There are several reasons why you might have trouble sharing your internet on your iPhone. Here are some of the most common ones:

• The option ¨Allow Others to Join¨ on your iPhone is turned off.
• Your plan doesn’t include Hotspot.
• You’ve reached your daily limit for data sharing.
• Airplane mode is enabled.
• There’s a pending iOS software update.
• The APN for your eSIM might be misconfigured.
• The mobile data signal is weak.
• You are sharing the internet with multiple devices at the same time.
• Some devices may not be compatible with the frequency band used by your iPhone.
• You could be experiencing unstable connections or interference.

Troubleshooting tips when your Hotspot is not working

If you’ve enabled Personal Hotspot with your eSIM but it’s not working, follow these recommendations. After each step, try connecting again:

On the device providing Hotspot: 

• Turn off and then turn on your mobile data.
• Make sure “Allow Others to Join” is enabled.
• Ensure you have the latest version of iOS.
• Check that you have a strong signal.
• Provide the correct Wi-Fi password for your device to share internet.
• Enable “Maximize Compatibility” if you have an iPhone 12 or later.
• Don’t leave the “Personal Hotspot” screen until the other device is connected to the Wi-Fi network.
• Restart your iPhone.
• Reset your iPhone’s network settings.

On the device that needs to connect to the internet:

• Turn off Wi-Fi, then turn it back on.
• Ensure you’re using the Wi-Fi network that matches the name of the device sharing the internet access.
• Check the Wi-Fi password if you receive a password error when trying to connect.
• Restart the devices you are trying to connect to the Hotspot.
• Delete the Wi-Fi profile on the connecting device and re-add it.

Steps to apply the possible solutions listed above

To check if your Free Roaming eSIM allows using Hotspot:

• Visit the Free Roaming website > Look up your eSIM destination > Click on Technical Specs and check the Hotspot section > If it says Yes, you can share the internet (be sure to check for any limits).

To check that the Hotspot feature is ON:

• Go to Settings > Tap on Personal Hotspot > Check that the “Allow Others to Join” toggle is Turn ON.
• On this same screen, you can see the Wi-Fi password you’ve assigned to your device for data sharing, and you can also enable the “Maximize Compatibility” option if needed. Try sharing data after completing the steps above.

To reset network settings on your iPhone: 

If the hotspot still isn’t working, consider resetting your iPhone’s network settings. This is a common fix for issues affecting the eSIM. Just keep in mind that you’ll lose saved Wi-Fi passwords and mobile settings.

• Go to Settings > General > Scroll down > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset >  Reset Network Settings and confirm your selection with the Reset Network Settings option.
• Try sharing data again after resetting your iPhone’s network settings.

To check if your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS:

• Go to Settings > Tap on General > Select Software Update > If you haven’t updated to the latest version of iOS, please click on Update Now. Sometimes, updates can fix bugs that prevent data sharing.
• Try sharing data again after updating your iPhone’s software.