Top 7 Solutions to Fix iPhone Personal Hotspot Not Working on iOS 12

Updated Nov 23,2018 | by Joy

Personal Hotspot is an incredibly useful feature that can transform your iPhone XS Max/XS/X/8/8 Plus/7/6S/6 into a mini Wi-Fi hotspot. It shares the Internet connection with other devices nearby via Wi-Fi, USB or Bluetooth. It is quite convenient, but many users recently complained that their iPhone Personal Hotspot not working on iOS 12. If you are worrying about the same issue, just read on. The article will show you 7 possible solutions to fix it.

Before learning the methods, it is very important to find out the possible factors that may lead to iPhone Personal Hotspot not working. Doing so will surely increase the chances of successfully fixing the problem. 

You need to verify the cellular data settings, network and account status. If your Cellular Data is not enabled on iPhone, then it might be the main cause for this issue. Besides, do not ignore to check the Bluetooth, password, faulty USB connections or port, etc., as any small factors will cause this problem. 

Sometimes, if you update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS, you may encounter this issue. In fact, many problems will arise after the update of iOS system operating. For example, some users reported that there is no Service on iPhone after iOS 12 upgrade. Here, you might want to know more about the iOS 12 potential problems and fixes.

After knowing the main causes, let’s see the possible 7 solutions below to fix iPhone Personal Hotspot not working on iOS 12.

Method 1: Restart Cellular Data

Launch Settings app on your iPhone and then turn Cellular Data off or directly switch on Airplane Mode for a few seconds. Then turn it off and turn on Cellular Data again.

Method 2: Enable Personal Hotspot on Your iPhone

Check whether the carrier supports the Personal Hotspot on your iPhone or not and ensure that the Personal Hotspot is enabled through the carrier. Simply go to “Settings” and switch on “Personal Hotspot”.

Method 3: Check the Name and Password of the Wi-Fi Network

If the name or password of the Wi-Fi network is wrong on your device, you may encounter the Personal Hotspot not working on iPhone. Now follow the steps to check them.

Check the name of the Wi-Fi network - Go to “Settings” > “General” > “About” and then you will see the name of the iPhone, which should be the same as the name of the Wi-Fi network.

Check the password of the Wi-Fi network – Just simply go to “Settings” > “Personal Hotspot” to check the password.

Method 4: Switch Your Personal Hotspot Modes

As mentioned above, the Personal Hotspot can share the Internet connection with other devices via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB. If one mode can’t work properly, simply try another one. It usually works to fix the issue of iPhone Personal Hotspot not working. For instance, if you share your Personal Hotpot via Wi-Fi, try to switch it to USB or Bluetooth connection.

Method 5: Reset Network Settings

If you still can’t fix it, try to reset the network settings. The method can also work with other issues, like Instagram Notifications not working on iOS 12, iPhone can’t make or receive calls after iOS 12 update.

Now, go to “Settings” > “General” > “Reset” > “Reset Network Settings”. Note that this will delete all network settings including Wi-Fi networks, passwords, cellular settings, etc. returning them to factory defaults.

Method 6: Update Carrier Settings

Carrier providers often release the new updates to fix the network connection error. Now follow the steps below to check out if there is an update from the carrier.

Go to “Settings” > “General” > “About”. Then, if a message popup saying “Carrier Settings Update”, click “Update” immediately.

Method 7: Remove the Previous APN Changes

Sometimes, the installed APN certificates might cause a conflict within the code and might be preventing the Personal Hotspot feature from showing up on your devices. 

If you installed any previous APN certificates, now try to remove the previous APN changes to fix the issue. Go to “Settings” > “General”. Scroll down to “Profile” and then remove the certificate.

Bottom Line:

Hope the above methods can help you effectively fix iPhone Personal Hotspot not working. As we said, many problems will arise after the update of the latest iOS. Therefore, do not forget to transfer iPhone files to PC for backup before the iOS update to avoid any data loss.

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