How To Turn On iPhone Personal Hotspot – Set-Up Guide & Tips


How To Turn On iPhone Personal Hotspot – Set-Up Guide & TipsPin

A quick and simple guide on how to set up your iPhone’s personal hotspot and pair it with another mobile device like an iPad.



All of Apple’s iPhones come with Personal Hotspot functionality, whereby you can share your iPhone mobile data connection with other devices – like your iPad or MacBook.

If you travel a lot and you use an iPad or MacBook, utilizing your iPhone’s Hotspot functionality will allow you you stay connected and avoid public WiFi networks (and this is ALWAYS a good thing).

And the best part about Apple’s Personal Hotspot functionality is that it is super simple to set up. You have three options for Hotspot on Apple products: (1) Wi-Fi, over (2) Bluetooth, and via (3) USB. But the easiest by far is connecting to your iPhone’s personal hotspot via Wi-Fi, which is what we’ll show you to do in this article.

But before you can connect a device to your iPhone’s personal hotspot you need to set it up. Here’s how to do that:

How To Set Up Personal Hotspot On iPhone

To set up a personal Hotspot on your iPhone is pretty easy. Just do the following:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Personal Hotspot.
  3. Toggle the “Allow Others to Join” switch to ON (green).
  4. Tap Wi-Fi Password.
  5. On the Wi-Fi Password screen, enter a password. Before a device is allowed to connect to your iPhone’s data, the user of this device will need to enter the password. The password you set should be different than your normal password as you may give this password out to friends so they can join your personal hotspot.
  6. Tap Done.

Your iPhone personal hotspot is now set up. Now you are ready to let another device connect to your personal hostpot.

How To Join iPhone Personal Hotspot Via Wi-Fi

Next, you’ll want to connect another device to your iPhone’s Personal Hotspot. The easiest way to do this is via Wi-Fi.

Before you try connecting a device to your iPhone personal hotspot, make sure Personal Hotspot is enabled on your iPhone via the steps above.

Now, you are ready to connect to your iPhone personal Hotspot via Wi-Fi. Here’s how:

  1. On the device you want to connect to your iPhone personal hotspot, go to the device’s wireless network settings.
  2. In the wireless network settings, under the network name, look for the name of your iPhone. Usually, this is just “iPhone” but it could also be something else – it just depends upon what your iPhone is called. See the section below to find your iPhone’s name.
  3. On your device, select your iPhone as your network.
  4. When you are asked to enter the password, enter the password you set for your iPhone’s personal hotspot in the steps above.

And that’s it! Now your device should connect to your iPhone’s personal hotspot wirelessly.

How To Find Your iPhone’s Personal Hotspot Name

If you don’t know the name of your iPhone personal hotspot it’s easy to look up. You need to know the name of your iPhone because that is the “network” another device will need to select and join in order to get onto your iPhone personal hotspot.

Here’s how to find your iPhone personal hotspot name:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Personal Hotspot.
  3. On this screen, there is a block of text that says “Allow other users or devices not signed into iCloud to look for your shared network ‘iPhone’ when you are in Personal Hotspot settings or when you turn it on in Control Center.” This tells your your iPhone personal hotspot network name.

In step #3 above, the name of the personal hotspot is “iPhone”. But your iPhone’s persnal hootspot name may be something else. Check in step #3 above to find out your iPhone personal hotspot name.

How To Disconnect Personal Hotspot on iPhone

Once you’re done using the iPhone’s personal hotspot, it is important to switch off the connection so that you don’t waste any data. Fortunately, switching off Hotspot on the iPhone is really simple:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Personal Hotspot.
  3. Toggle the “Allow Others to Join” switch to OFF (white).

This will terminate the connection and disconnect any devices that are connected to your iPhone.

Things To Keep In Mind

If you have data limits on your contract or plan, you’ll need to be careful when using your iPhone 11’s Personal Hotspot connection.

If you are pairing an iPad to your iPhone 11 for use on a long train journey for instance and you watch hours of Netflix or download lots of content, it will burn through a lot of data.

Most data plans for iPhone are fairly comprehensive, but if you’re on a 5GB or 10GB monthly data allowance, you’ll want to be very careful when using Hotspot on your iPhone.

Things like YouTube and Netflix will burn through more data than reading articles online, so be mindful of what you’re doing.

If you have an unlimited data plan, however, you can use Hotspot as much as you like for as long as you like.

This is one of the main reasons why I always go for Unlimited Data Plans – yes, they’re more expensive but it pays dividends in the long run.

For instance, a few years back, when I moved house, I was without internet for a week or so. But because I have an Unlimited Data plan from Three, I just paired my iMac to my iPhone and used its 4G connection to work in my office.

Over the course of a week and half, I used almost 150GB of data. But because my data plan is truly unlimited, it didn’t cost me anything.

If I was on a 10GB plan, I would have got an enormous bill at the end of the month.

Latest Smartphone Releases


  • Xiaomi 15S Pro

    The Xiaomi 15S Pro didn’t come with a flashy launch, but it brings some seriously heavy hardware to the table. A custom 10-core chip, Leica-engineered cameras, and one of the brightest displays on the market

  • Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

    At just 5.8mm thick, it’s one of the thinnest Android phones ever made—but don’t let the slim profile fool you. This phone is all flagship under the hood.

  • Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

    It’s got the same slick design and OLED display, but adds a periscope zoom camera and a 50MP front-facing shooter.

  • Nothing Phone (3a)

    The Nothing Phone (3a) nails the formula: give people what they actually want, keep the price low, and make it look cooler than anything else in its class.

  • Motorola EDGE 60 Pro

    With a bold design, flagship-like display, and surprisingly refined camera system, it’s one of the most interesting mid-range phones of 2025.

  • Google Pixel 9

    I’ve been using the Pixel 9 for a few weeks now, and honestly? It nails all the basics—and a bit more. Killer stuff all round!

  • Google Pixel 9 Pro

    I’ve used the Pixel 9 Pro as my daily device, and it’s hands-down the best balance of power, practicality, and photography you’ll find on Android right now.

  • OnePlus 13

    I’ve been using the OnePlus 13 as my daily driver for a few months now—and I’ve got to say, it’s easily one of the best Android phones I’ve tested this year.

  • Xiaomi 15 Ultra

    After using the Xiaomi 15 Ultra for over a week, I can confidently say: this phone is an absolute beast. It’s made for camera nerds, power users, and creators.

  • iPhone 16 Pro Max

    If you’ve been holding out for a truly complete iPhone, the 16 Pro Max delivers—hard. After using it daily, I won't be going back…

  • Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

    Big screen, big battery, and even bigger brains—this is the Pixel to get if you want Google’s best hardware and longest support.

  • Google Pixel 9a

    The Pixel 9a brings Google’s flagship-level smarts to a budget-friendly package, and it’s easily one of the best-value Android phones of 2025.

Best SIM-Only Plans & Deals


  • Boost Mobile Unlimited Premium Plan

    Boost’s top-tier option brings the heat: 50GB of premium data, hotspot, North America roaming, global talk & text, and $430 off select devices. All-in at $60/month with no contract.

    +

    Data: Unlimited (50GB premium speed)

  • Boost Mobile Unlimited+ Plan

    Level up with 40GB of premium data, hotspot access, global calling, and up to $300 in device savings. All for just $50/month. No contracts and flexible phone options included.

    +

    Data: Unlimited; Speed Caps After 40GB

  • Boost Mobile Unlimited Plan

    Start strong with 30GB of premium data, unlimited everything, and a killer intro offer: just $15/month for the first 3 months, then $25/month forever. No contracts. No fluff. Big value.

    +

    Data: Unlimited (Speed Caps Over 30GB)

  • iD Mobile 1 Month SIM-Only: 108GB

    Another high-data, low-cost option with no contract. 108GB for just £9, full 5G access, and the same goodies you get with 12-month deals.

    +

    Data: 108GB

  • iD Mobile 1 Month SIM-Only: 20GB

    The lowest price option. 20GB for £6 with all the same perks as pricier plans. Great if you don’t use much data and want to save every penny.

    +

    Data: 20GB

  • iD Mobile 1 Month SIM-Only: 110GB

    This plan gives you big data and zero commitment. 110GB for just £10 with all perks intact. If you need more data but want the freedom to cancel, this is the one.

    +

    Data: 110GB

  • iD Mobile 1 Month SIM-Only: 60GB

    More data, same price. For just £8/month, you get 60GB on a no-strings 1-month rolling plan. Ideal for users who stream often but don’t want long commitments.

    +

    Data: 60GB

  • iD Mobile 1 Month SIM-Only: 40GB

    Perfect if you want full flexibility. You get 40GB and all of iD Mobile's perks with no lock-in, annual increases, or setup fees. Great for short-term users.

    +

    Data: 40GB

  • iD Mobile 12 Month SIM-Only: 60GB

    One of the best pound-per-GB plans around. You get 60GB for £8 with £25 cashback, which means you’re effectively paying closer to £6/month. Includes roaming and data rollover.

    +

    Data: 60GB

  • iD Mobile 12 Month SIM-Only: 108GB

    This deal gets you a healthy 108GB of 5G data for less than a tenner, with no upfront costs and £24 cashback. All the perks are included too: data rollover, roaming, and loyalty rewards.

    +

    Data: 108GB

  • iD Mobile 12 Month SIM-Only: Unlimited Data

    This iD Mobile plan doesn’t just compete on price, it’s up there with the best of them. Unlimited everything, a year-long lock-in with no price rises, and £42 cashback straight to your pocket. It’s like getting nearly 3 months free.

    +

    Data: Unlimited, No Speed Caps

  • Mint Mobile 20GB Plan

    If you're looking to save some cash on your bills, this plan is an awesome option. You'll get 20GB of data per month and 20GB hotspot data allowance. For moderate to heavy users, that should be more than enough. I seldom use more than 10GB of data a month, and I'm always using my phone

    +

    Data: 20GB