How to connect a laptop to hotspot

Q: Why is my laptop not connecting to hotspot?

Quick fixes if your computer wont connect to a hotspot Turn Bluetooth® off on your PC. Turn your PCs Wi-Fi off and on. Make sure you are inside your cellular carriers network. If youre using your phone as a hotspot, make sure its properly set up to provide a signal.

Q: Why cant I connect my laptop to my iPhone hotspot?

If you cant find or turn on Personal Hotspot, check that your wireless carrier enabled it and that your wireless plan supports it. Restart the iPhone or iPad that provides Personal Hotspot and the other device that needs to connect to Personal Hotspot. Make sure that you have the latest version of iOS or iPadOS.

If you're stuck in a situation where you need a Wi-Fi connection, but can't get it anywhere else, chances are your smartphone can give you the boost you need. By setting up a hotspot through Wi-Fi or a USB cable, you can turn your phone into a source for internet that laptops, tablets, and other phones can use to get online.

Table of Contents Show

Turn on Wi-Fi Hotspot For iPhone and iPad
Our Top-Rated Mobile Hotspots
Turn On Wi-Fi Hotspot For Android Devices
Recommended by Our Editors
Other Ways to Get Internet
About This Article
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Why is my laptop not connecting to hotspot?
How do I connect my iPhone hotspot to my laptop?
Why can't I connect my laptop to my iPhone hotspot?

It may sound complicated, but you can be connected with just a few taps. Most of the major carriers offer tethering services, though your ability to create a Wi-Fi hotspot depends on your service plan and data allowance.

One thing to keep in mind: Tethering eats up battery life in addition to data. Investing in a portable charger is a good idea if you intend to use hotspot mode frequently. If you're ready to tether, here's how to turn your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Turn on Wi-Fi Hotspot For iPhone and iPad

To set up a personal hotspot on your iPhone or iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular), go to Settings > Personal Hotspot > Allow Others to Join and toggle it to on (if you don't see Personal Hotspot in Settings, tap Cellular > Personal Hotspot). Make note of the Wi-Fi password.

Open the Wi-Fi menu on the device you need to connect to the internet. Look for your iOS device (ex: PCMag's iPhone), select it, then enter the hotspot password to connect. Once your secondary device is connected, you should now be able to surf the web (and consume mobile data).

Your iPhone or iPad can also connect via Bluetooth or direct USB connection. To connect over Bluetooth, make sure it is turned on for both devices and follow the manufacturer's directions for setting up a Bluetooth connection. You may need to turn on Maximize Compatibility to make these connections work, but keep in mind that the quality of your connection may be impacted.

If you use Family Sharing, your hotspot can be set up so family members can join it automatically without a password. Open Settings > Personal Hotspot > Family Sharing and turn the feature on. Tap the name of your family members, then determine if they must ask for approval or can join automatically.

Once you no longer need the Wi-Fi hotspot running, you can head back to Settings > Personal Hotspot and toggle the feature off.

Our Top-Rated Mobile Hotspots

Turn On Wi-Fi Hotspot For Android Devices

Mobile hotspot on a Samsung phone running Android 10.

How you access hotspots on Android devices will depend on which phone you have and what version of Android you're running. You can generally open the pull-down shade and turn on your mobile hotspot from there or find it buried in settings.

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Where exactly and what it's called will differ depending on your phone's manufacturer. Samsung phones hide it in Connections > Mobile Hotspot and Tethering > Mobile Hotspot. Google's Pixel has it under Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering > Wi-Fi hotspot. Those with a Motorola phone can open Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering.

You can probably find it quicker on your specific device by searching for "hotspot" or "tether." Once the hotspot has been enabled, there should be a network name and password displayed in the settings screen. Enter those credentials in the other device's Wi-Fi settings and join the hotspot like you would for any other network.

Other Ways to Get Internet

(Photo: Melpomenem/Getty Images)

If you need a mobile hotspot but can't use your phone, there are some alternatives to check out. You could instead turn your laptop into a Wi-Fi hotspot. If you're a business traveler who needs to be connected all day, consider a dedicated Wi-Fi hotspot.

How to Turn Your Phone Into a Wi-Fi Hotspot

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This wikiHow teaches you how to use your iPhone's or Android's cellular data to connect to the Internet on a computer. This process is called "tethering". Not all service providers support tethering; if your service provider does support tethering, keep in mind that tethering counts toward your monthly cellular data limit.

1
Open your iPhone's Settings
. It's a grey app with gears on it that you'll likely find on the Home Screen.
2
Tap Personal Hotspot. It's near the top of the Settings page, just below the Cellular (or Mobile Data) option.
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3
Slide Personal Hotspot right to the "On" position. This switch will change from "Off"

to "On"
. Your iPhone's wireless hotspot should now be on.
- Tap Wi-Fi Password to change the password for your iPhone's hotspot.
4
Click your computer's Wi-Fi icon. It's a series of curved lines in the bottom-right side of the screen (Windows) or the top-right side of the screen (Mac).
- On Windows, you may first have to click ^ in this section of the screen in order to view the Wi-Fi icon.
5
Click your iPhone's name. You'll see your iPhone's name appear in the Wi-Fi pop-up window.
- On a Windows computer, click Connect in the bottom-right corner of the Wi-Fi pop-up window to continue.
6
Enter your iPhone's hotspot password. You'll find this password next to the "Wi-Fi Password" heading in the middle of the Personal Hotspot page on your iPhone.
7
Click Next (Windows) or Join (Mac). As long as the password is correct, doing so will prompt your computer to connect to your iPhone's hotspot.

1
Connect your iPhone to your computer. Use the USB charger cable that came with your iPhone to do so.
2
Open your iPhone's Settings
. It's a grey app with gears on it that you'll likely find on the Home Screen.
3
Tap Personal Hotspot. It's near the top of the Settings page, just below the Cellular (or Mobile Data) option.
4
Slide Personal Hotspot right to the "On" position. This switch will change from "Off"
to "On"

. After a brief moment, your computer will recognize your iPhone as a wired Internet connection.

1
Open your Android's Settings. It's a gear-shaped app that you'll find in the App Drawer.
2
Tap More. This option is below the "Wireless & networks" heading near the top of the Settings page.
- On a Samsung device, you'll instead tap Connections.
3
Tap Tethering & portable hotspot. It's near the middle of the screen.
- On a Samsung device, tap Mobile HotSpot and Tethering instead.
4
Tap Set up mobile hotspot. This option is at the top of the page.
- On a Samsung, tap Mobile Hotspot, tap ⋮ in the top-right corner, and tap Configure Mobile HotSpot.
5
Set up your Android's hotspot. To do so, enter the following information:
- Network name - The name your hotspot will display in your computer's wireless manager.
- Security - Select a WPA2 option from this menu.
- Password - The login password you'll use.
6
Tap Save. It's in the bottom-right corner of the Wi-Fi Hotspot window.
7
Slide the switch next to OFF right to the "On" position. This switch is at the top of the screen. Doing so will turn on your Android's hotspot.
8
Click your computer's Wi-Fi icon. It's a series of curved lines in the bottom-right side of the screen (Windows) or the top-right side of the screen (Mac).
- On Windows, you may first have to click ^ in this section of the screen in order to view the Wi-Fi icon.
9
Click your phone's network name. This is the name you entered earlier.
10

Enter the hotspot password. This is the password you added earlier.
11
Click Next (Windows) or Join (Mac). As long as the password is correct, doing so will prompt your computer to connect to your Android hotspot.

1
Connect your Android to your computer. You'll use your Android's charger cable to do so.
2
Open your Android's Settings. It's a gear-shaped app typically found in the App Drawer.
3
Tap More. This option is beneath the "Wireless & networks" heading.
- On a Samsung device, tap Connections here instead.
4
Tap Tethering & portable hotspot. It's near the top of the page.
- On a Samsung, tap Tethering and Mobile HotSpot instead.
5
Slide USB tethering right to "ON". After doing so, you should see the trident-shaped USB icon appear in the top-left corner of the screen, and your computer should recognize your phone as a wired Internet connection.

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Question
Does your phone need an internet connection for this to work?

Spike Baron
Network Engineer & Desktop Support
Spike Baron is the Owner of Spike's Computer Repair based in Los Angeles, California. With over 25 years of working experience in the tech industry, Spike specializes in PC and Mac computer repair, used computer sales, virus removal, data recovery, and hardware and software upgrades. He has his CompTIA A+ certification for computer service technicians and is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert.

Network Engineer & Desktop Support
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How can I share mobile date from my phone to my Laptop?

If you mean data, you can share data by plugging a USB charging cable from your phone to a USB port on your laptop. If you're running Windows on the laptop, click My Computer and then click your phone.
Question
How can I connect to the internet without Wi-Fi?

Instead of using a phone, you can use an ethernet cable to connect to your router. You may need to look up specific instructions for your router.

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When tethering wirelessly, keep your phone within ten feet of your computer.
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If you don't have the option to tether listed in your phone's settings, try talking to your service provider about activating tethering--it may be a feature that must be approved before you can access it.
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Keep track of your monthly data, since consuming more than your plan entails will result in extra charges.
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About This Article

Article SummaryX

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Personal Hotspot or Tethering.
3. Toggle on the switch.
4. Set a password.
5. Open your computer’s Wi-Fi settings.
6. Select your phone.
7. Enter the password.
8. Click Next or Join.

Did this summary help you?

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 2,656,816 times.

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Why is my laptop not connecting to hotspot?

Quick fixes if your computer won't connect to a hotspot Turn Bluetooth® off on your PC. Turn your PC's Wi-Fi off and on. Make sure you are inside your cellular carrier's network. If you're using your phone as a hotspot, make sure it's properly set up to provide a signal.

How do I connect my iPhone hotspot to my laptop?

Use Wi-Fi to connect from a PC: In the Wi-Fi settings on your PC, choose your iPhone, then enter the password shown in Settings > Personal Hotspot on your iPhone. Use USB: Connect iPhone and your computer with a cable. If you receive an alert that says Trust this Computer?, tap Trust.

Why can't I connect my laptop to my iPhone hotspot?

If you can't find or turn on Personal Hotspot, check that your wireless carrier enabled it and that your wireless plan supports it. Restart the iPhone or iPad that provides Personal Hotspot and the other device that needs to connect to Personal Hotspot. Make sure that you have the latest version of iOS or iPadOS.