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You are here: Home / Not working? / iPhone 12 Pro Personal Hotspot not working? Fix

iPhone 12 Pro Personal Hotspot not working? Fix

Last Updated: August 3, 2021 by Dave Johnson

Is your iPhone 12 Pro personal hotspot not working? Find out why you can’t tether your iPhone.

In today’s world, not a minute goes by without being us being connected to the internet in some way. Whenever you find yourself in a situation where you don’t have access to Wi-Fi, most chances are you’ll be using your iPhone’s hotspot. It’s a great feature and workaround when the situation calls for it.

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 Pro hotspot isn’t working, here are the best solutions to fix your problem.

See also: How to Improve Wi-Fi Performance on Your iPhone 12 Pro

How to Fix iPhone 12 Pro Personal Hotspot Is Not Working

If your iPhone 12 Pro Personal Hotspot isn’t working, follow these solutionss—in this order—to get it working again.

Turn Personal Hotspot Off and On

Sometimes you need to reset your Personal Hotspot to get it working again. Do that by turning it on and off: Go to Settings > Personal Hotspot > move the Allow Others to Join slider to off/white and then back to on/green.

Turn Cellular Data On and Off

The problem with Personal Hotspot might be related to your iPhone’s connection to cellular data networks. If your phone is having trouble connecting to those networks, Personal Hotspot might not work either. Reset your cellular data connection by turning it on and off: Go to Settings > Cellular > move the Cellular Data slider to off/white and back to on/green.

Restart iPhone to Fix Personal Hotspot

You’d be surprised how often a simple restart of your iPhone will fix all kinds of problems. Go to Settings > General > Shut Down.

Update iOS

Every new version of the iOS—the operating system that runs on the iPhone—includes bug fixes. Your iPhone 12 Pro Personal Hotspot might not be working due to a bug that’s fixed by an iOS update. Install the latest version of iOS to see if it fixes your problem.

Enable Maximize Compatibility

The iPhone 12 Pro offers different networking features and options than earlier devices, including 5G. These options can sometimes cause a problem for older models connecting to them. Solve this by going to Settings > Personal Hotspot > move the Maximize Compatibility slider to on/green.

Update Carrier Settings to Fix iPhone 12 Pro Personal Hotspot

iPhone has a hidden set of carrier settings. These settings help your iPhone work with your phone company. Carriers issue updates from time to time, though not as often as iOS updates. If iPhone 12 Pro Personal Hotspot isn’t working, check for and install available carrier settings updates.

Confirm Your Phone Plan Includes Personal Hotspot

Have you changed your phone plan recently or switched phone companies? Personal Hotspot might not be working because your plan doesn’t include it. Most phone companies’ data plans include Personal Hotspot these days, but some don’t. You may also be able to remove the feature. So, before you do anything else, log into your phone company account and make sure your plan includes Personal Hotspot. If it doesn’t, add it.

Reset Network Settings

The iPhone stores network settings that help control how you connect to Wi-Fi, cellular, Bluetooth, and other networks. If a problem crops up in your Network Settings, it can cause the iPhone 12 Pro Personal Hotspot to stop working. Reset your Network Settings to solve the problem.

After doing this, you’ll need to pair Bluetooth devices again and enter Wi-Fi passwords again.

Make Sure There Are No Problems With Your Phone Company Account

iPhone 12 Pro Personal Hotspot not working could be due to a problem with your phone company account (such as an overdue bill or error on the company’s part). If nothing else on the list has helped so far, check your online phone company account or call your phone company to see if they can help.

Restore iPhone with DFU Mode

If you’ve gotten this far and your iPhone 12 Pro Personal Hotspot is not working, it’s time for more drastic steps. One of those is to restore your iPhone using DFU Mode. DFU, or Disk Firmware Update, Mode lets your iPhone start up but doesn’t boot up the iOS. Because of that, it enables you to fix iOS at a lower level that can sometimes solve very tricky issues. Begin by making a backup of your iPhone, so you don’t lose any data. Then put your iPhone into DFU Mode and restore it to see if a fresh start fixes the problem.

Of course, these tips only work if your Personal Hotspot is visible. In some cases, the option can disappear entirely from your iPhone. We can also show you how to fix a missing Personal Hotspot on iPhone 12 Pro.

What to Do If iPhone 12 Pro Personal Hotspot Still Isn’t Working

At this point, if iPhone Personal Hotspot still isn’t working, it’s time to bring in the experts. You can contact Apple for tech support over the phone or make an appointment for in-person support at your local Apple Store. If anyone can help with a problem this stubborn, it’s Apple.

About Dave Johnson

Dave Johnson is the editor-in-chief of iPhoneArena. He covers how-to guides, and troubleshooting instructions for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.

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