Fix an iPhone Personal Hotspot that will not connect
Check carrier support, hotspot discovery, Wi-Fi credentials, compatibility mode, and USB service before resetting network settings.
Direct answer
The shortest reliable path.
Turn on Settings > Personal Hotspot > Allow Others to Join, keep that screen open, and connect the other device to the iPhone name and password shown there. Restart both devices, update iOS, and toggle Wi-Fi on the connecting device. On supported iPhones, Maximize Compatibility can help a device join, but Apple says it can reduce performance and Wi-Fi security. Reset Network Settings only after these checks because it also clears saved Wi-Fi, cellular, VPN, and APN settings.
System view
Check the whole path.
- 01Carrier tethering support
- 02Cellular data device
- 03Personal Hotspot discovery
- 04Wi-Fi or USB link
- 05Connecting device
Scope before steps.
iPhone and cellular-capable iPad models whose Personal Hotspot is missing, undiscoverable, rejecting a Wi-Fi password, or unavailable to a Mac over USB.
Carrier billing disputes, tethering plans not supported by the carrier, Bluetooth tethering, Windows USB driver repair, or cellular service outages.
Procedure
Do this in order.
- 01
Make the hotspot discoverable
Open Settings > Personal Hotspot, turn on Allow Others to Join, note the displayed device name and password, and remain on this screen while the other device connects.
- 02
Restart and update both sides
Restart the hotspot device and the device trying to join. Install the latest available iOS or iPadOS update, then turn Wi-Fi off and back on on the connecting device.
- 03
Test Maximize Compatibility when supported
On an iPhone 12 or later and the supported iPad models listed by Apple, turn on Maximize Compatibility and retry the Wi-Fi connection.
- 04
Reset network settings only as the last software step
If the failure persists, open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset device > Reset > Reset Network Settings, then re-enter the hotspot and client network details.
Diagnostic matrix
Read the result, not the guess.
| What you see | Check next | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Hotspot is missing or cannot be enabled | Confirm carrier activation and plan support before changing the phone. | The feature may be unavailable at the account or carrier layer rather than broken on the device. |
| The hotspot appears but the password is rejected | Read the password directly from Personal Hotspot settings and verify the client is joining the network named after this device. | Discovery works; the failure is limited to network selection or credentials. |
| A Mac does not show iPhone USB as a network service | Update macOS, reconnect by USB, trust the device if prompted, and follow Apple’s Network service instructions. | The cellular hotspot may work while the Mac USB network-service path is absent or inactive. |
Stop conditions
Know when not to keep changing things.
- Do not reset network settings before recording credentials and custom VPN or APN configuration.
- Do not repeatedly change the hotspot password when the carrier has not enabled tethering.
- Contact the carrier when Personal Hotspot cannot be enabled on a supported plan, or Apple when supported Wi-Fi and USB paths still fail after the documented checks.