Your laptop has no Wi-Fi, the café network asks for a password nobody knows, and the train's free Wi-Fi died halfway through the journey. Your phone, meanwhile, is sitting there with a perfectly good mobile data connection. A hotspot turns that connection into a small private Wi-Fi network your other devices can join — no router, no cable, no app to install.
The rest of this guide covers the first-time setup, changing the name and password, the USB and Bluetooth alternatives, and what to check when the hotspot refuses to work.
Turn on hotspot on iPhone
Apple calls it Personal Hotspot, and it shares your iPhone's cellular data — not a Wi-Fi network your iPhone happens to be joined to. Two things have to be true first: your carrier has to support Personal Hotspot on your plan, and Cellular Data has to be switched on.
- Open Settings and tap Personal Hotspot. If it is not on the main Settings screen, tap Cellular, then Personal Hotspot.
- Turn on Allow Others to Join.
- Note the Wi-Fi Password shown on the same screen — that is what the other device will ask for.
If you have never used the hotspot before, the Personal Hotspot row may not exist yet. Go to Settings > Cellular and tap Set Up Personal Hotspot, then follow the onscreen instructions — you create the hotspot password during that setup. If Set Up Personal Hotspot is missing even with Cellular Data on, your carrier has not enabled the feature on your plan, and only they can add it.
Your hotspot's network name is your iPhone's device name. To change it, go to Settings > General > About > Name.
Apple documents the whole flow on its Connect to the Personal Hotspot of an iPhone or iPad support page, including the share your internet connection guide.
Turn on hotspot on Android
The idea is identical on Android, but the menu names change with the brand. Google's own help page calls the feature tethering or a hotspot, and notes that most Android phones can share mobile data by Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB.
Google Pixel:
- Open Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering.
- Tap Wi-Fi hotspot and turn on Use Wi-Fi hotspot.
- The hotspot name and password are shown on the same screen — tap them to change either one.
Samsung Galaxy:
- Open Settings > Connections > Mobile Hotspot and Tethering.
- Tap Mobile Hotspot and turn on the switch at the top.
- Tap the hotspot name or password on that screen to change them.
Any other Android phone: open Settings and search for "hotspot" — the search box finds the setting faster than digging through menus, and the path is usually under Network, Connections or Mobile network.
| Phone | Where to turn it on |
|---|---|
| iPhone | Settings > Personal Hotspot > Allow Others to Join |
| Google Pixel | Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering > Wi-Fi hotspot |
| Samsung Galaxy | Settings > Connections > Mobile Hotspot and Tethering > Mobile Hotspot |
| Other Android | Settings, search for hotspot |
For the quick route next time, swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings, then touch and hold the Hotspot tile. That opens the hotspot screen directly, and a single tap on the tile switches it on or off. If the tile is missing, tap Edit at the bottom of Quick Settings and drag Hotspot into place.
Google lists the steps and the carrier warning on its Share a mobile connection by hotspot or tethering on Android page, with a Pixel-specific version at Share a mobile connection by tethering or hotspot on Pixel.
Connect another device to your hotspot
- On the laptop, tablet or second phone, open its Wi-Fi settings and look for your phone's name in the list of available networks.
- Select it and enter the password shown on your phone's hotspot screen.
- On iPhone, keep the Personal Hotspot screen open until the connection completes.
Once a device has joined, it behaves like any Wi-Fi network — it will usually reconnect automatically the next time it sees your hotspot, so you only type the password once per device.
If the other device is your own iPad or Mac signed in to the same Apple Account as your iPhone, Apple's Instant Hotspot lets it join without a password and without turning on Allow Others to Join. The devices just need to be near each other with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth switched on.
Change your hotspot name and password
The default password your phone generates is safe but forgettable, and the default name is usually your phone's model or your name — worth changing both before you share the connection with anyone.
- iPhone: the password lives at Settings > Personal Hotspot > Wi-Fi Password. Tap it and type a new one of at least eight characters, using only English letters, numbers and common punctuation — Apple warns that other characters can stop some devices from connecting. The name is your device name, changed at Settings > General > About > Name.
- Android: on the hotspot screen, tap the hotspot name or the password field and type the new value. The change applies immediately — devices already connected will need the new password to rejoin.
Hotspot, USB tethering and Bluetooth tethering — which one to use
Wi-Fi hotspot is the usual choice, but the same menus offer two other ways to share the connection. They are worth knowing about when Wi-Fi is not an option.
| Method | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi hotspot | Your phone becomes a small Wi-Fi network; other devices join with a password | Laptops, tablets, several devices at once — Google lists up to 10 devices on Android |
| USB tethering | Connect the phone to a computer with a cable and turn on USB tethering | One computer, the fastest and most stable connection, and it charges the phone at the same time |
| Bluetooth tethering | Pair the devices over Bluetooth and share the connection that way | A single device when Wi-Fi is unavailable; noticeably slower than Wi-Fi |
On iPhone, USB tethering is automatic once the phone is plugged in and you tap Trust on the phone — the computer sees it as a network connection. On Android, plug in the cable, then turn on USB tethering in the same Hotspot & tethering menu. One limit Google states plainly: Mac computers cannot tether with Android by USB, so use Wi-Fi hotspot for a Mac.
Data, battery and speed — what a hotspot really costs you
A hotspot is convenient, but it is not free. Three things to keep in mind before you lean on it all day:
- It uses your plan's mobile data. Everything the connected devices download counts against your allowance. A video call or a streamed film burns through data far faster than browsing, and some carriers cap hotspot data separately from your normal data — Apple and Google both warn that carriers can limit tethering or charge extra for it, so check your plan before a long session.
- It drains the battery noticeably faster. The phone is running its mobile radio and a Wi-Fi radio at the same time, and it gets warm doing it. Plug the phone in while the hotspot is running if you can. If you want to protect the battery while you charge, our guide to limiting charging to 80 percent on iPhone, Pixel and Samsung explains the setting that keeps the battery healthier over time.
- Speed depends on your signal. A hotspot is only as fast as the mobile connection underneath it. In a strong 5G area it can feel like home broadband; on a weak signal, pages load slowly and video calls stutter — and that is a signal problem, not a hotspot problem.
If the hotspot does not work
Hotspots fail in a handful of predictable ways. Work through these before assuming the phone is broken:
- Personal Hotspot is missing on iPhone. Turn on Cellular Data first, then look under Settings > Cellular for Set Up Personal Hotspot. If it still is not there, contact your carrier — the feature has to be enabled on your plan.
- The other device cannot see the hotspot. Make sure Allow Others to Join (iPhone) or the hotspot switch (Android) is actually on, and stay on the hotspot settings screen while the other device searches. On an iPhone 12 or later, turn on Maximize Compatibility on the Personal Hotspot screen — Apple says it helps older devices find the network, though it can reduce speed and security.
- It connects, but nothing loads. Check that your phone itself can load a page on mobile data. If the phone is offline, the hotspot has nothing to share. Toggle the hotspot off and on again, and restart both devices if it persists.
- The password is rejected. Retype it carefully — hotspot passwords are case-sensitive. On iPhone, the password must be at least eight characters and use only English letters, numbers and common punctuation, so an emoji or accented letter in a new password can break the connection.
- Android hotspot will not turn on. Turn off Data Saver (Settings > Network & internet > Data Saver) — it can block tethering. Also check that your carrier plan includes hotspot use; some plans disable the switch entirely.
- The hotspot keeps dropping. Move the phone to where the signal is stronger, plug it in, and keep the two devices close together. A weak mobile signal is the most common cause of a hotspot that connects and then stalls.
FAQ
Does using a hotspot cost extra?
It can. The hotspot itself is free to turn on, but it uses your plan's mobile data, and some carriers cap hotspot data separately or charge extra for tethering. Both Apple and Google warn about this in their help pages, so check your carrier's terms before a long session.
How many devices can connect to my hotspot?
On Android, Google lists up to 10 other devices on a Wi-Fi hotspot. On iPhone, Apple says the number depends on your carrier and your iPhone model, so there is no single number — most people connect one or two devices without any problem.
Can I use a hotspot while my phone is on Wi-Fi?
No. A hotspot shares your phone's cellular connection only. Apple states this explicitly: you cannot join a Wi-Fi network on your iPhone and then share that network with another device. If your phone has no mobile signal, the hotspot has nothing to share.
Why does my hotspot turn itself off?
To save battery. Both platforms switch the hotspot off after a while when nothing is connected. This is normal behaviour, not a fault — just turn it on again when you need it.
Is a hotspot slower than home Wi-Fi?
Usually, yes — and it depends entirely on your mobile signal. In a strong 5G area a hotspot can be fast enough for video calls and streaming; on a weak signal it will be slow no matter what you change in settings.
Can someone join my hotspot without the password?
No, as long as you keep a password set and do not choose the open or "None" security option. The one exception is Apple's Instant Hotspot: your own devices signed in to the same Apple Account can join without a password. If you shared the password with someone who should no longer have it, change it and they will be locked out.