How to turn on Personal Hotspot on an iPhone
2 min read · 4 steps · Updated 2 October 2026
Open Settings, tap Personal Hotspot and switch on Allow Others to Join. On the other device, choose your iPhone in the Wi-Fi list and type the password shown on the hotspot page.
Personal Hotspot shares your iPhone's mobile data with a laptop, tablet or another phone, like a small Wi-Fi router. It uses your data allowance, and some mobile plans charge extra or do not allow it.
Menu names are from iOS 26. The pictures are simplified diagrams of the screen, not screenshots.
Step by step
Open Settings and tap Personal Hotspot
If you do not see it, tap Mobile Service first. If it is missing there too, your network may not include hotspot in your plan.
Switch on Allow Others to Join
Keep this screen open while the other device connects for the first time.
Set a good password
Tap Wi-Fi Password and choose at least eight characters that are not easy to guess. Anyone with this password can use your data.
Connect the other device
On the laptop or tablet, open the Wi-Fi list, choose the name of your iPhone and enter the password. A green or blue indicator at the top of the iPhone shows that something is connected.
Good to know
If an older laptop or a games console cannot see the hotspot, switch on Maximise Compatibility. It uses the slower 2.4 GHz band, which more devices support.
Your own Apple devices signed in to the same Apple Account can join without a password, even when the switch is off.
Hotspot drains the battery quickly. Plug the phone in for long sessions and switch the hotspot off when you finish.
The hotspot name is the name of your iPhone. Change it under Settings, General, About, Name.
In short: Settings, Personal Hotspot, Allow Others to Join. Connect with the password shown on that page.
- Apple Support: How to set up a Personal Hotspot on your iPhone or iPad
Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.