Mel Magree
Level 1 (28 points)
iPhone

Q: iPhone wi-fi hotspot not always recognized

Sometimes my MacBook Air recognizes my iPhone 5SE as a hotspot, sometimes it recognizes it and then rejects it, and sometimes it doesn't recognize it at all.

 

It seems that I have toggle Settings>Cellular>Personal Hotspot several times before I can get my MacBook Air (10.10.5) to recognize my iPhone and hold the connection.

Posted on Sep 21, 2016 3:27 PM

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Mel Magree

Q: iPhone wi-fi hotspot not always recognized

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  • Helpful answers

  • by alex_h1,Helpful

    alex_h1 alex_h1 Sep 23, 2016 6:09 PM in response to Mel Magree
    Community Specialists
    Sep 23, 2016 6:09 PM in response to Mel Magree
    Hello Mel Magree,
    Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. 

    I understand from your post that your iPhone 5s is not always recognized by your MacBook Air. I know how important it is for you to be able to use the hotspot feature on your iPhone 5s. In a situation like this I recommend using the steps from the following article: 

    Get help with Personal Hotspot in iOS

    Best Regards.

  • by Mel Magree,

    Mel Magree Mel Magree Sep 23, 2016 6:26 PM in response to alex_h1
    Level 1 (28 points)
    iPhone
    Sep 23, 2016 6:26 PM in response to alex_h1

    Thanks for your prompt answer about connecting another device with my iPhone as the hotspot.

     

    My point is there is neither rhyme nor reason as to what steps I have to take to connect to my iPhone as a hotspot.

     

    If I go to my regular coffee shop, when I enable Wi-Fi on any of my devices, the device recognizes the shop's Wi-Fi and gives the correct password.  The same if I go to medical facility.

     

    But if I use my iPhone as a hotspot there is no predicting how many steps I will have to take to connect a device to my iPhone hotspot.

     

    Tonight, i turned on my personal hotspot on my iPhone.  I turned on my MacBook Air and looked at the list of Wi-Fi spots.  There were none listed.  I currently am at our cabin with no active sites within a mile.  However, when I am in the city I get a long list of sites.  Sometimes, but not always, my iPhone is listed.  Tonight I only got connected to my hotspot when I turned Personal Hotspot off and then on.

     

    This is not the seamless operation that Apple once touted.