Troubleshooting your mobile hotspot

In this article

Your mobile hotspot turns your phone into a Wi-Fi network, so you can share your data with a laptop, tablet, or other device. It’s perfect for working, streaming, or getting online on the go. If your other devices can’t connect, we’ll help you figure out why.

‍

Find out where the problem is

A hotspot problem can come from three places: your phone’s data, your phone’s hotspot, or the device you’re trying to connect. These three quick tests will tell you which one it is.

1

Test your phone's data

Turn off Wi-Fi on your phone and open a website.

✓ The page loadsYour data is working. Go to test 2.

✕ The page won't loadThe issue is your data, not your hotspot. Troubleshoot your data

2

Connect a different device

Try connecting another device to your hotspot, like a second phone, tablet, or laptop.

✓ The other device connectsYour hotspot is working. The issue is likely the first device. Go to test 3.

✕ No device can connectThe issue is your phone's hotspot. Follow the troubleshooting steps below.

3

Connect the first device to other Wi-Fi

Try connecting the device that's having trouble to a different Wi-Fi network, like your home Wi-Fi.

✓ It connectsThe device works with other Wi-Fi. Try switching your hotspot to 2.4 GHz (step 6 below).

✕ It won't connect anywhereThe issue is with that device. See the fixes for the device you're connecting below.

‍

Troubleshooting steps

Work through these in order. Most issues are fixed in the first few steps.

Show steps for:

Quick checks

Start here. These take just a minute or two.

Your hotspot can turn itself off if no devices are connected for a while. Check that it's still on.

iPhone

Go to Settings.
Tap Personal Hotspot.
Turn on Allow Others to Join.

Android

Samsung Galaxy

Go to Settings.
Tap Connections.
Select Mobile Hotspot and Tethering.
Turn on Mobile Hotspot.

Google Pixel and most other Android phones

Go to Settings.
Tap Network & internet.
Select Hotspot & tethering.
Tap Wi-Fi hotspot and turn it on.

Turn off Wi-Fi on your phone and open a website like ting.com. If the page won't load, your hotspot has no data to share. Troubleshoot your data connection

A quick restart fixes a lot of hotspot issues. Once your phone is back on, turn your hotspot on again and reconnect.

Check your phone settings

Still not working? A few settings can block your hotspot.

Battery saving modes can shut off your hotspot to save power.

iPhone

Go to Settings.
Tap Battery.
Turn off Low Power Mode.

Android

Samsung Galaxy

Go to Settings.
Tap Battery.
Turn off Power saving.

Google Pixel and most other Android phones

Go to Settings.
Tap Battery.
Select Battery Saver.
Turn off Use Battery Saver.

A VPN can block devices from connecting to your hotspot. Turn it off and try again.

iPhone

Go to Settings.
Turn off VPN.

Android

Samsung Galaxy

Go to Settings.
Tap Connections.
Select More connection settings.
Tap VPN and turn it off.

Google Pixel and most other Android phones

Go to Settings.
Tap Network & internet.
Select VPN and turn it off.

Some devices, like older laptops and game consoles, can only connect to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. Newer phones may use 5 GHz by default. Switching to 2.4 GHz helps more devices connect.

iPhone

Go to Settings.
Tap Personal Hotspot.
Turn on Maximize Compatibility.

Android

Samsung Galaxy

Go to Settings.
Tap Connections.
Select Mobile Hotspot and Tethering.
Tap Mobile Hotspot (the words, not the switch).
Tap Band and choose 2.4 GHz.

Google Pixel and most other Android phones

Go to Settings.
Tap Network & internet.
Select Hotspot & tethering.
Tap Wi-Fi hotspot.
Turn on Extend compatibility.

Bigger fixes

These take a little longer, but they often fix stubborn issues.

Outdated software can cause hotspot issues.

iPhone

Go to Settings.
Tap General.
Select Software Update.
Install any available updates.

Android

Samsung Galaxy

Go to Settings.
Tap Software update.
Tap Download and install.

Google Pixel and most other Android phones

Go to Settings.
Tap System.
Select Software updates.
Tap System update.

📌 Note: This will erase your saved Wi-Fi networks, passwords, and Bluetooth connections. It won't delete your photos, apps, or other data.

iPhone

Go to Settings.
Tap General.
Select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
Tap Reset.
Choose Reset Network Settings and enter your passcode.

Android

Samsung Galaxy

Go to Settings.
Tap General management.
Select Reset.
Tap Reset network settings.
Tap Reset settings to confirm.

Google Pixel and most other Android phones

Go to Settings.
Tap System.
Select Reset options.
Tap Reset Mobile Network Settings and confirm.
Go back and tap Reset Bluetooth & Wi-Fi and confirm.

Fixes for the device you're connecting

Did the test above point to your laptop, tablet, or other device? Try these on that device.

On the device you're connecting, open its Wi-Fi settings, select your hotspot, and choose Forget. Then connect again and re-enter the password.

Passwords are case sensitive. You'll find your hotspot password in your phone's hotspot settings (see step 1).

Turn the device off and back on, then try connecting again.

On the device you're connecting, turn Wi-Fi off, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on.

Check for software updates on the device you're connecting, and install any that are available.