Is your iPhone personal hotspot not working after iOS 18 update?
In this guide, we will show you how to fix the iPhone hotspot issues after iOS 18 update, step-by-step.
Key takeaways
- If your iPhone personal hotspot isn’t working after iOS 18 update, you should ensure it’s enabled and toggle WiFi off and back on on the other device.
- You can also try resetting your network settings or even use a different connection method like Bluetooth or USB cable.
A personal hotspot can be a lifesaver. When you find yourself somewhere that has no WiFi, you can share your iPhone’s cellular connection with your laptop and other devices to get online.
If you have trouble making your iPhone’s personal hotspot work after upgrading to iOS 18, here are the tips to troubleshoot the connection and get up and running.
How to fix personal hotspot not working after iOS 18 update
1. Confirm Your Phone Plan Includes Personal Hotspot
Have you changed your phone plan recently or switched phone companies? Personal Hotspot might not be working because your plan doesn’t include it. Most phone companies’ data plans include Personal Hotspot these days, but some don’t.
On your iPhone, start the Settings app and tap Personal Hotspot. If the settings are disabled or you see a message to contact your wireless carrier, call customer service and see if it’s possible to upgrade your service to get access to hotspots.
2. Make sure the personal hotspot is turned on
If your carrier allows you to share your cellular service with a hotspot, first things first: Make sure it’s turned on.
- Start the Settings app.
- Tap Personal Hotspot.
- Make sure Allow Others to Join is turned on by swiping the button to the right.
- If you want to, customize the WiFi password from the same menu.
3. Turn Personal Hotspot Off and On
Sometimes you need to reset your Personal Hotspot to get it working again. Do that by turning it on and off: Go to Settings > Personal Hotspot > move the Allow Others to Join slider to off/white and then back to on/green.
4. Toggle WiFi on the device you want to connect to the hotspot
If you’ve turned on your hotspot and it’s not appearing in the list of WiFi networks on the device you want to connect, turn WiFi off on that device and then turn it back on again. You can do this by directly disabling WiFi or by turning Airplane mode on and then back off again. In many cases, the device will be able to find the hotspot when it’s re-enabled.
5. Confirm Your iPhone’s Internet Connection Is Working
To determine if your problem lies with your internet connection, make sure that your cellular data is switched on. Perform a quick Google search to confirm if your data is slow or getting bad reception.
See also: How to Fix Cellular Data Not Working On iPhone After iOS 18 Update
Check your cellular data limit for the month to make sure if you have exceeded it or not. If you’re on a prepaid plan with a limit, your data speeds will be throttled when you pass it, rendering your hotspot unusable. You will have to contact your data provider to fix the problem.
6. Toggle Airplane Mode to fix hotspot problem in iOS 18
Airplane mode disables a device’s wireless transmission functions, this includes cellular radio, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Sometimes when you’re facing Hotspot problems after iOS update, enabling and disabling airplane mode can help resolve the problem by restarting your network connections.
To do this, pull down your Control center and select the Airplane mode icon and wait for 30 seconds to a minute before disabling it again. Then check to see if the iOS 18 Hotspot problem is resolved.
7. Turn Cellular Data On and Off
The problem with Personal Hotspot might be related to your iPhone’s connection to cellular data networks and not iOS 18. If your iPhone is having trouble connecting to those networks, Personal Hotspot might not work either. Reset your cellular data connection by turning it on and off: Go to Settings > Cellular > move the Cellular Data slider to off/white and back to on/green.
8. Disable Your VPN
Using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a smart way to protect your online privacy but it can also cause issues with mobile connectivity on the phone. A VPN routes your traffic through its servers, and this can cause decrease your connection speed.
It is recommended to disable VPNs when using your mobile’s hotspot to prevent connection problems.
To disable your VPN, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings.
- Disable any active VPNs.
9. Try a Different Connection Method
Most people assume that in order to use a personal hotspot, you need to use a Wi-Fi connection. That’s not true. You can also use Bluetooth or even a trusty USB cable to make the connection.
By trying alternative hotspot connection methods, you can rule out (or establish!) a problem with your phone’s Wi-Fi hardware.
If you’re attempting to use Bluetooth, you need to pair your iPhone with the computer or mobile device you’re trying to share the hotspot with. On an iPhone, that means you need to go to Settings > Bluetooth and tap on the name of the device in question.
If this is the first time that you’ve connected the other device, you may need to go through a PIN verification process.
Using a USB cable to connect to a hotspot is as simple as connecting your phone to a computer and selecting the hotspot from the list of available networks. USB also benefits from being the fastest type of connection. If speed is important to you, this is the best solution.
10. Update your carrier settings
Updating carrier settings may fix your iOS 18 hotspot problem. Here is how:
- Go to Settings > General > About.
- if a new update is available, you’ll see an option (a popup will appear). Then follow the onscreen instructions.
11. Update iOS
Every new version of the iOS—the operating system that runs on the iPhone—includes bug fixes. Your iPhone Personal Hotspot might not be working due to a bug that’s fixed by a subsequent iOS 18 update. Install the latest version of iOS 18 to see if it fixes your problem.
12. Enable Maximize Compatibility on your iPhone
The latest iPhone models have some different networking features and options than earlier devices, including 5G. These options can sometimes cause a problem for older models connecting to them. Solve this by going to Settings > Personal Hotspot > move the Maximize Compatibility slider to on/green.
13. Reset Network Settings
iOS offers a built-in way to erase user data and restore settings to the factory defaults. However, you can also take a more granular approach by only removing certain kinds of data.
In the case of your iPhone personal hotspot not working after iOS 18 update, you only need to delete the network settings. To do so, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings. You will need to enter your passcode before the phone lets you proceed.
The reset process will remove all your Wi-Fi and carrier settings and delete your custom iPhone name. This will give you a blank slate to make sure there wasn’t an erroneous network setting causing the hotspot problem.
14. Restart all your devices
Sometimes it takes a restart to force your devices to see and connect to a personal hotspot. Restart your iPhone and any other devices you are trying to connect to the personal hotspot. When all the devices are fully restarted, make sure the personal hotspot is enabled and try connecting again.
15. Reset Your iPhone
The last-ditch solution is to wipe the operating system—along with all your user data—and reset your entire iPhone.
You can go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings to begin the process. But you should be sure to make a backup first.
Alternatively, you can also achieve the same outcome by using Finder or iTunes on a computer. Connect your phone to your computer, open the Finder or iTunes app, choose your iPhone in the left-hand panel, and click on Restore iPhone.
16. Visit an Apple Service Center Next
If all else fails, you can head to an Apple Store (or an Authorized Service Provider) and get the Genius Bar there to take a look. There’s a chance you’re facing a hardware issue. If you are, no amount of fiddling with settings or types of connection will solve your iOS 18 hotspot problems.
Hotspot not working after iOS 18 update? Fixed
It can be frustrating dealing With iOS 18 hotspot issues as they always happen to occur when you need the internet the most. The solutions explained on this article should fix any problem you may face on your phone. Network issues often occur when you’re in an area with a weak connection, so make sure to always check your area when using your phone’s hotspot.
Have you faced hotspot problems after installing iOS 18 update on your iPhone? Drop a comment and let us know how you fixed the issue.