Apple
How to Use the iOS 9 Hotspot
We’ll show you how to use the iOS 9 Hotspot and a handy new iOS 9 hotspot feature that lets you quickly connect your iPad to the iPhone and see important information like signal strength and battery life left on your iPhone.
All of the new iOS 9 hotspot features are the same on the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and older iPhones. You’ll also see similar options on an iPad with LTE connectivity.
You need to upgrade your Mac to OS X Yosemite or OS X El Capitan to use the new iOS 9 hotspot features. These iPhone hotspot instructions work on iOS 9, iOS 9.1, iOS 9.2 and on iOS 8.
On your Mac, the same signal and battery life information shows up in the WiFi area which is a great way to see these important details if the iPhone is still in your pocket or a backpack.
Learn how to use the iOS 8 hotspot and what’s new in iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite.
Most plans support using the iPhone or iPad as a hotspot at no extra charge. You can try turning on the iOS 9 hotspot to see if it is included in your plan. If it is not you will see a number to call to turn it on. Make sure you know how much data your plan allows. Using the iPhone as a hotspot to connect portable gaming systems, iPads and laptops can use data faster than normal phone use.
A hotspot feature is not tied to a contract, so you can add it and remove it when you want. If you are on shared data it normally includes access to the iOS 9 hotspot feature.
How to Use the iOS 9 Hotspot
Here’s a look at what’s new in the iOS 9 hotspot and how you can use this great feature. Most of the iOS 9 hotspot features are the same as in iOS 8, so you’ll already be familiar with how to use it.
Turn on the iOS 9 Hotspot.
If you’ve never used the iOS 8 hotspot you need to turn it on before it shows up in the main settings screen. To do this go to Settings -> Cellular -> Personal Hotspot -> On. After you do this once iOS 9 adds a shortcut to the main settings menu for faster access to the iPhone hotspot settings and to turn the feature on and off.
All you really need to do is turn the iOS 9 hotspot on and then enter the password on the device you want to connect with and the devices will connect so you can start using it to get online.
It is a very good idea to change the iPhone hotspot password.
The best thing to do is set up your iPhone hotspot with a hard to guess, but easy to remember password. Go to Settings -> Personal Hotspot -> Tap on Password -> enter a new password to change this. If you already connected you will need to enter the new pass code.
To see how much data you are using on the iOS 9 hotspot you can go to Settings -> Cellular -> Scroll Down -> Tap on System Services -> See Personal Hotspot data usage.
How to Change iOS 9 Hotspot Name
If you want to change the name of the iOS \9 hotspot you need to change the name of your iPhone. Go to Settings -> About -> Name -> type a new name. This changes the name your iPhone uses for syncing and what will show up on some Bluetooth connections as well.
Change the iOS 8 hotspot name.
That’s all there is to using the iOS 9 hotspot to get your other devices online. The new feature in iOS 8 and iOS 9 is the ability to see the signal strength and battery life of the phone under the WiFi menu on another iOS 9 device or on a Mac running OS X Yosemite or OS X El Capitan.
iPhone Hotspot Battery Life & Signal
On iOS 8 and iOS 9 devices and on a Mac with OS X Yosemite or OS X El Capitan you’ll see the signal strength and battery life of the device you use as an iPhone hotspot.
The screenshot above show what this looks like on an iPad. You will see this on other devices and when the OS X Yosemite update comes next month you will see it on your Mac.
Jep
09/25/2014 at 3:03 am
I was normally using my Personal Hotspot with IOS7. Now, with IOS8, I can’t find it. I go to settings–cellular but there is no button for PH there, only a ” cellular data network” button that when I enter, is just asking for the Personal Hotspot APN, username and password. Can u help me to find the activation place?
Reza
09/25/2014 at 7:16 am
I also can’t find personal hotspot button!!
Please help
Pouria
09/25/2014 at 11:10 pm
I can’t find personal hotspot botton too why??? Help me & other people.
Gulahmad
09/26/2014 at 7:32 pm
i also can’t find wifi personal hotspot button please
Mazan
09/27/2014 at 5:26 am
click on SETTINGS
Cellular
Cellular Data Network
under Personal Hotspost (enter any user name, no matter what as it will get deleted)
Go bak to Cellular Data Network
the Personal HotSpot OFF now appears
Memo
09/27/2014 at 4:36 pm
Tnq it was really helpfully
Sam
09/28/2014 at 10:15 pm
Peronal hotspot works on my Sprint iPhone 6. Is it free? i called Sprint, they were confused, said I would get 1GB/mo free hotspot. But do they know what is personal hotspot data vs regular data???
Reza
09/30/2014 at 7:51 am
Mayan , thank you , it also worked for me
Reza
09/30/2014 at 7:53 am
Follow these steps guys ! Thank Mazan for this
click on SETTINGS
Cellular
Cellular Data Network
under Personal Hotspost (enter any user name, no matter what as it will get deleted)
Go bak to Cellular Data Network
the Personal HotSpot OFF now appears
Sandesh
10/03/2014 at 8:34 pm
Thank u MAZAN ,it works
Eldhose Paul
10/04/2014 at 6:21 am
Thanks. It was helpful.
Ekta
10/16/2014 at 1:39 am
Thank u
Nazeer
10/20/2014 at 10:36 am
Thanks it help me a lot
Kevin
10/22/2014 at 3:01 pm
I have no problem connecting with my hotspot. My issue is that my MacBook will not connect to my iPhone unless I am on the hotspot page on my phone and swipe down, then up pops the network on my Mac. That is not seamless or really helpful, I don’t have to push a button but have to drill down into settings to make it work.
Zaven
12/13/2014 at 5:27 am
It worked on my iphone 4s but on iphone 6 It is writing TO ENABLE PERSONAL HOTSPON ON THIS ACCOUNT, CONTACT CARRIER… What’s the problem, please help!!
Mani
02/10/2015 at 12:29 pm
Zaven u need to fill only apn setting by operator in settings cellular data network .it works for me
Stephanny
01/01/2016 at 4:14 pm
Theres no cellular on my ipad
Christinerbruck
01/02/2016 at 5:51 am
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Joseph B. Kendrew
01/19/2016 at 9:24 pm
I appreciate the article but wanted to ask if you have either wrote or came across any more advanced articles about tethering to your entire home and using your unlimited data like I do.
I only see 101 articles on the web about how to turn it on- nobody takes it a step farther and talks about how you might direct connect either with a Wi-Fi bridge or with a lightning cable into a USB bridge and routing it out or gains on signal boosting but I’ve done, etc. if you come across a journalist or engineer that is more advanced- plz forward link or share
Sandra
05/08/2016 at 7:41 pm
I taped on the cellular data button but it isn’t opening no options. Pls does it mean my phone has a problem?
Chuck
06/08/2016 at 9:07 am
I have an iPhone 6, when I click on celluar there is no data network tab ?? I’ve read several different tutorials and they all saw click the data network got to be somewhere but where