Activate Internet Tethering on the iPhone

This article teaches how to connect devices to your iPhone so that they can use your iPhone's internet connection, a process known as "tethering" or creating a "hotspot." Not all cellular plans support tethering.

10 Second Version

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Personal Hotspot.
3. Turn on the Personal Hotspot switch.
4. Open the wireless network list on another device.
5. Select your iPhone from the list of networks.
6. Enter the password to connect.

Steps

Creating a Wi-Fi Hotspot

  1. Open the iPhone's Settings. You can find the Settings app on your Home screen. The icon is a gray gear.
  2. Tap the Personal Hotspot option. This can be found in the first group of options in the Settings menu.
    • If you don't see this option, tap Cellular (or Mobile Data on a British phone) and then tap Set Up Personal Hotspot. You may be prompted to call your carrier to subscribe to a plan that supports the Personal Hotspot feature. It may require an additional fee.
    • If you don't see the Personal Hotspot option anywhere, either on the main Settings menu or in the Cellular menu, you'll need to contact your carrier.
  3. Enable the Personal Hotspot switch. It will turn green. If your plan does not support tethering, or additional confirmation is required, you'll be notified to contact your carrier before you can proceed.
  4. Tap the Wi-Fi Password button. This will allow you to change the password that is required for your network.
  5. Type a password for your wireless network. Make sure that the password is strong and not easily-guessable, especially if you're in a public place.
  6. Tap Done. This will change the password for the wireless network.
  7. Open the list of available networks on another device. The process for this varies depending on your device, but you'll be connecting to your iPhone like you would any other wireless network .
  8. Select your iPhone from the list of available networks. You'll see your iPhone listed as one of the available wireless networks. The network name is the same as your iPhone's name.
  9. Enter the password you created when prompted. This password is required to connect to the network. You can check the password at any time on your iPhone in the Personal Hotspot menu.
  10. Test your internet connection on the connected device. After connecting to the wireless network, your device will be able to use your iPhone's internet connection to browse the internet. Be aware that using your computer on your iPhone's data connection will eat up a lot more data than using a mobile device.

USB Tethering

  1. Open the iPhone's Settings. You'll find the Settings app on your Home screen, with a gray gear icon.
  2. Tap the Personal Hotspot option. If you don't see this option in the first group, your cellular plan does not support tethering. You'll need to contact your carrier and ask about plans that support tethering.
  3. Enable the Personal Hotspot switch. It will turn green when enabled. You may be notified at this point that your plan does not support tethering. If this happens, you'll need to contact your carrier.
  4. Connect your iPhone to your computer via USB. Use the USB cable that you use to sync and charge your iPhone. You can connect to any USB port on the computer.
  5. Test your internet connection. Your computer should automatically detect the iPhone as a network and connect to the internet through it.
    • If you have an Ethernet cable plugged in or are connected to a wireless network, you may need to disconnect before you can connect through the iPhone.

Bluetooth Tethering

  1. Open the iPhone's Settings. You can find the Setting app on your Home screen. The icon is a gray gear.
  2. Tap the Personal Hotspot option. If you don't have this option in the first group of Settings, your cellular plan does not support sharing your iPhone's internet connection. You'll need to contact your carrier to switch to a plan that supports tethering.
  3. Enable the Personal Hotspot switch. It will turn green when enabled. If you are notified at this point that your plan does not support tethering, you'll need to contact your carrier.
  4. Connect to the Bluetooth network (Windows). Perform the following on a Windows computer to connect to the Bluetooth network:
    • Click the Bluetooth icon in your System Tray. If you don't see a Bluetooth icon, you may not have a Bluetooth-enabled computer.
    • Click Join a Personal Area Network.
    • Click Add a device.
    • Click your iPhone and tap Pair on the box that appears on your iPhone's screen.
    • Right-click on your iPhone after it installs and select Connect using → Access point. Your computer is now using your iPhone's internet.
  5. Connect to the Bluetooth network (Mac).
    • Click the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
    • Click the ⋮⋮⋮⋮ button to view the main menu.
    • Click the Bluetooth menu option.
    • Click Pair next to your iPhone and then Pair on your iPhone's screen.
    • Click the Bluetooth button in your menu bar, highlight your iPhone, and click Connect.
  6. Test your connection. Now that you're connected to the network, you should be able to access the internet using your iPhone's internet connection.
    • Note that Bluetooth is slower than Wi-Fi or USB tethering, but it is more secure.

Tips

  • USB and Wi-Fi provide the best connection speeds for connected devices. USB is best when you are connecting a single computer, while Wi-Fi is best suited for multiple devices or connecting other mobile devices. Bluetooth is the most secure method, but also the slowest.

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