How to Set Up iPhone Personal Hotspot in iOS 26

To turn on Personal Hotspot in iOS 26, open Settings → Personal Hotspot and follow the onscreen options. If you have not set it up before, Apple may instead direct you through Settings → Cellular → Set Up Personal Hotspot. Personal Hotspot requires an active cellular plan that includes hotspot service.

The important limitation is easy to miss: an iPhone Personal Hotspot shares the iPhone’s cellular internet connection. It does not take a Wi-Fi network the iPhone has joined and rebroadcast that Wi-Fi connection.

Set up Personal Hotspot

  1. Open Settings.
  2. If Personal Hotspot already appears, tap it. If it has not been configured, go to Cellular → Set Up Personal Hotspot.
  3. Follow the carrier and iOS prompts.
  4. Set a Wi-Fi password you are comfortable sharing only with people you trust.

If Cellular Data is on but the Personal Hotspot setup option is missing, Apple advises contacting your carrier about hotspot availability on the plan. There is no iOS setting that can override a carrier plan that does not include the feature.

Connect another device over Wi-Fi

On the laptop, tablet, phone, or other Wi-Fi device, open its Wi-Fi settings, choose the name of your iPhone, then enter the Personal Hotspot password. Your hotspot name is the same as the iPhone’s device name; you can change that under Settings → General → About → Name.

Apple devices signed in to the same Apple Account can use Instant Hotspot, and eligible family members can use Family Sharing options, so they may be able to connect without manually typing the Wi-Fi password.

Use USB when you want a simple wired connection

You can connect an iPhone to a Mac or Windows PC with a compatible USB cable and approve the trust/accessory prompt. Apple notes that Windows users need Apple Devices or iTunes installed for USB Personal Hotspot support. A wired connection is useful when you do not want the computer depending on a Wi-Fi link to the phone.

Bluetooth is also supported

Personal Hotspot can be shared over Bluetooth with supported Mac or Windows configurations. Both devices need Bluetooth on and must be paired correctly. For most people, Wi-Fi is the simplest option, while USB is often easier for a stationary computer.

How many devices can connect?

Do not rely on a universal “five devices maximum” rule. Apple says hotspot availability and connection behavior can depend on the carrier, iPhone model, and plan. More connected devices can also divide the available cellular bandwidth, so a hotspot that feels fast with one laptop can feel very different when several devices are streaming or downloading.

What Maximize Compatibility does

If another device has trouble seeing or joining the hotspot, open Settings → Personal Hotspot and try Maximize Compatibility if your iPhone offers it. Apple warns that enabling this option may reduce performance for connected devices, so it is better treated as a compatibility tool than a permanent “make hotspot faster” switch.

If Personal Hotspot is slow or keeps disconnecting

First separate a cellular problem from a hotspot problem. If the iPhone itself has weak cellular service or slow mobile data, the connected computer cannot get a faster internet connection than the iPhone is receiving. Our iPhone cellular data guide explains how to review the active line and data settings.

Then check that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled on the devices, move them closer together, and reconnect. Apple’s current iPhone guide says hotspot devices should be within about 30 feet (10 meters). If Wi-Fi itself is behaving strangely, use our iPhone Wi-Fi settings guide before resorting to broader resets.

Battery use and security

Running a hotspot uses the iPhone’s cellular connection and local wireless radios, so extended tethering can use noticeably more energy than leaving the phone idle. There is no honest universal percentage because signal strength, connected devices, traffic, display use, and charging all matter. For long sessions, use power when convenient and keep the phone in a ventilated place rather than covering it.

Use a strong hotspot password, share it only with trusted users, and turn hotspot access off when you no longer need it. Apple also notes that devices can disconnect automatically when the hotspot is not being used to help save battery.

Official Apple references

See the current iPhone User Guide for Personal Hotspot and Apple’s Instant Hotspot and Auto-Join Hotspot guidance.

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