Can’t get your iPhone 12 mini hotspot feature to work? Personal hotspot lets you share your phone’s cellular service with other devices. However, personal hotspot is not always as reliable as we want it to be and can malfunction. If you are ever in a position where your iPhone 12 mini hotspot isn’t working, then this guide is for you. In this article, I’ll explain why iPhone 12 mini personal hotspot is not working and show you how to fix the problem for good!
If you’re stuck in a situation where you need a Wi-Fi connection, but can’t get it anywhere else, chances are your iPhone 12 mini 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 — unless using your iPhone 12 mini as a personal hotspot isn’t working.
If you are experiencing problems using your iPhone 12 mini as your personal hotspot, try not to get heated yourself. Check out our tips for fixing your iPhone 12 mini hotspot issues so you can keep your devices connected, no matter where you are.
Why is my iPhone 12 mini hotspot not working?
Phone carrier – Your wireless carrier may be experiencing technical issues on its end, which could affect your personal hotspot, or your account may not allow you to use one. Be sure to check your plan to ensure your phone has hotspot capability (it sometimes has to be added before you use it).
Signal strength and mobile data – Does your iPhone 12 mini say “No Service?” Bad signal strength may be to blame for your iPhone hotspot not working. Your device also requires mobile data or Wi-Fi, and if it isn’t available or you’ve reached your data limit, you may not get a connection.
Settings – This may seem simple, but the reason your iPhone 12 mini hotspot is not working could be that you never turned on the feature in settings. You may also have trouble connecting because of an incorrect password or Wi-Fi name or because of a problem with your virtual private network (VPN) settings.
How to fix an iPhone 12 mini hotspot that is not working
1. Check if your iPhone Cellular Data is working
The first thing you need to check when your iPhone 12 mini hotspot isn’t working is to see whether your cellular data is actually available for use or not. You can check if your mobile data is working by browsing through different websites or apps on your device.
See also: Cellular Data Not Working On iPhone 12 mini? 15 Fixes to Try!
2. Turn WiFi OFF, then ON on the receiving device
In some instances, the internal WiFi modem on your iPhone 12 mini might not be able to directly connect to a wireless network, even if you have previously connected to the same network with no problems. Turning the Wi-Fi OFF on the receiver phone and switching it back ON might be able to solve the issue.
To switch your mobile WiFi OFF and ON, swipe down on your screen from the top right corner to reveal the control center and tap on the WiFi icon.
Alternatively, you can also access this option by opening the Settings app on your phone, selecting ‘Wi-Fi’, and then toggling the switch adjacent to WiFi to OFF and then ON.
3. Restarting your device can fix iPhone 12 mini Hotspot problems
A simple restart can solve more problems than you think.
Go to Settings > General > Shut Down.
4. Adjust your Wi-Fi or VPN settings
Putting your phone in Airplane mode for a brief time will turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data, which can help reset your network and solve Hotspot issues. To turn on Airplane mode, follow these steps:
- Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen to open the Control Center.
- Tap the Airplane icon to turn on Airplane Mode. Wi-Fi and mobile data will turn off.
- After 30 seconds, tap the Airplane icon again and try to connect to the hotspot’s Wi-Fi network.
Using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) on your phone? Shutting them off may improve your hotspot connection. Here’s how to turn off your VPN:
Open Settings, then tap the VPN button to turn it off.
If using a Domain Name System (DNS), turning it off may also help. Here’s how to do so in a few steps:
- Go to Settings > Wi-Fi.
- Tap the information icon next to the Wi-Fi you’re using, then tap Configure DNS.
- If it’s not set to Automatic, tap Automatic and try to test your hotspot.
5. Is Your iPhone 12 mini Hotspot Still not working? Try an iOS Update
If you haven’t updated your device in a while, old software may be to blame for your iPhone 12 mini hotspot issues. Check for any available updates in Settings and make sure you’ve installed the latest version of your operating system (OS). It’s simple:
Go to Settings > General > Software Update. If an update is available, tap Download & Install.
6. Update the carrier settings to Fix iPhone 12 mini hotspot issues
While it doesn’t happen as frequently as Apple releasing new versions of iOS, every so often, your phone company (also called your carrier) releases new versions of the settings that help your phone work on its network. on iPhone. If your carrier has recently updated its network, running this update will allow your iPhone to sync with the new technology. It will also help eliminate issues that could be causing your iPhone 12 mini hotspot not to work. To run a carrier settings update:
- Make sure your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data.
- Go to Settings > General > About. If a carrier-settings update is available, you’ll see an option to update.
If you’re unsure whether your iPhone is running the most up to date version, contact your carrier.
If your wireless account isn’t active or in good standing, you’ll need to contact your carrier to make sure it isn’t preventing you from using personal hotspot.
7. Disable Low Power Mode to fix iPhone 12 mini Hotspot
iOS has a built-in Low Power Mode which turns off several power-consuming features of a phone to run the bare essentials. Using the iPhone 12 mini hotspot with Low Power Mode enabled can sometimes affect the former’s functionality, leaving you with no hotspot to connect to.
It’s thus advisable to turn off Low Power Mode on your phone when it is being used as a mobile hotspot. To turn off Low Power Mode on your iPhone 12 mini:
Go To Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode.
8. LOWER THE FREQUENCY BAND ON YOUR PHONE
Newer phones can transmit data faster over a Wi-Fi network because they use a 5 GHz frequency band. But if the device you’re trying to connect with doesn’t support this frequency, you may need to switch to a lower one (like 2.4 GHz) for your iPhone 12 mini hotspot to work successfully. Here’s how to change the frequency band on your phone:
- Go to Settings > Personal Hotspot.
- Tap Maximize Compatibility. This will force your hotspot to use the 2.4 GHz band.
9. Resetting the Network Settings Can Fix an iPhone 12 mini Hotspot Issues
When your iPhone 12 mini hotspot won’t work, resetting your network settings may be your only option. This only clears your Wi-Fi passwords and saved networks—it doesn’t delete any other data. After you’ve tried everything else, do this:
- Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset.
- Tap Reset Network Settings. You may have to enter your passcode to confirm the reset.
- Tap Reset Network Settings again.
10. Verify whether the problem is with the receiving device
Sometimes it might not be the phone that’s used as the hotspot but the device you’re trying to connect it with that might have a problem. It could have something to do with the device software or a hardware failure, preventing it from connecting to the hotspot.
To check if the inability to connect to the hotspot is within the receiving device, try to connect to your iPhone hotspot on some other device, like a laptop, tablet, or another smartphone. If other devices are able to connect the hotspot, then there’s something wrong with your receiver device.
11. If Your iPhone 12 mini Hotspot Still isn’t working, Contact Your Carrier
We’ve now discussed most of the conventional fixes for this problem. If your iPhone 12 mini Hotspot still isn’t working, it’s time to contact your carrier and talk to them about the issue. Verify that your account is in good standing and active. If you’re all paid up, maybe there was some clerical error, and they cut off your service.
You should also ask them about whether you have the right sort of data plan. Plans exist sometimes where your iPhone 12 mini will be blocked from using it as personal hotspot.
12. iPhone 12 mini Hotspot Still won’t connect? Get Help From Apple
If you’ve come this far and the iPhone 12 mini Personal Hotspot won’t connect, you have a more complicated problem than you can’t solve. At this point, reach out to Apple for further help.
Fixed: iPhone 12 mini Hotspot Not Working
There are many reasons why your iPhone 12 mini Hotspot is not working. When you encounter this problem, try out these fixes before doing anything drastic. While the iPhone 12 mini Hotspot issues can be caused by many different things, usually, the solutions to these problems are quite simple.
Did our solutions fix your iPhone 12 mini hotspot problems? Did another solution work that we didn’t mention? Feel free to share it in the comments section below!
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