If the Personal Hotspot option is missing
Personal Hotspot only appears when your carrier plan allows tethering. If the option is missing from Settings, or greyed out, check the plan first — some plans exclude hotspot use or need it added.
If the plan includes it, Settings → General → About can prompt a carrier settings update that restores it. A network reset (below) is the next step if it still does not appear.
Make it findable
Settings → Personal Hotspot → turn on Allow Others to Join, and stay on that screen while the other device searches. The hotspot advertises itself most reliably while the screen is open.
Turn on Maximize Compatibility on the same screen. It switches the hotspot from 5 GHz to 2.4 GHz, which older laptops, cars and some Android devices need to see it at all. It is the setting most guides leave out, and it fixes a large share of "cannot find the hotspot" cases.
Check the password and the device
The password is on the Personal Hotspot screen; it must be at least eight characters. On the device joining, forget the iPhone's network and join it again with the current password — a laptop that remembers an old one will fail silently.
Devices signed in to the same Apple Account can join without the password through Instant Hotspot, from their Wi-Fi menu.
If it keeps dropping
The hotspot switches off after a few minutes with no device connected, to save battery. Low Power Mode also turns it off — check Settings → Battery.
Keeping the iPhone plugged in during a long session avoids both, and avoids the phone throttling the connection as it warms up.
Restart and reset
Restart the iPhone and the device joining. If that does not help, Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset Network Settings rebuilds the configuration from scratch — see our network reset guide for what to set up again afterwards.
When it is the carrier
If the hotspot connects but nothing loads, the carrier may be blocking tethered traffic or throttling it once a monthly allowance is used. Their app or account page usually shows hotspot data separately from phone data. If it is used up, no setting on the phone will bring it back.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I find Personal Hotspot on my iPhone?
Your carrier plan has to allow tethering. If it does and the option is still missing, check for a carrier settings update in Settings → General → About.
Why won't my laptop see my iPhone hotspot?
Turn on Maximize Compatibility in Settings → Personal Hotspot. It switches to 2.4 GHz, which many laptops and cars need.
Why does my iPhone hotspot keep turning off?
It switches off after a few minutes with nothing connected, and Low Power Mode turns it off too. Keep the phone plugged in for long sessions.
Why is my hotspot connected but with no internet?
Usually the carrier: tethering blocked, or a hotspot allowance used up. Check your plan in the carrier's app.