iPhone 16 Pro Max hotspot not detected on some macOS devices

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Level 1

10 points

iPhone 16 Pro Max hotspot not detected on some macOS devices

My iPhone 16 Pro max (18.1) hotspot shows up on android phones, iPhones, iPads, PC, laptop and my nephew's macbook, but not on my mac mini and my wife's macbook (macos SW is up to date). I tried my Samsung S22 Ultra hotspot and it's showing up on my mac mini and wife's macbook so there's nothing wrong with these mac devices. What could be the reason why my iPhone is not showing up on these 2 mac devices?

Troubleshooting performed:

Restarted my iPhone, mac mini and wife's macbook
Start mac on safe mode
Turned Cellular Data off/on
Turned hotspot off/on
Turned airplane mode on/off
Force restart
Reset network settings

I don't know if the issue is with the iPhone 16 or my mac mini and my wife's macbook. Please help. I've been an Android user my entire life and never had a single issue. This is the 1st time i tried using an iPhone and started having several issues right away. Can a factory reset possibly resolve this issue?

Other issues:

I sometimes can't turn on hotspot on the control center. I had to go to settings and enable it from there.
Charge limit is set to 80% but it still charges to 100%

Posted on Nov 7, 2024 9:05 AM

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Answer 1

GeeZ06

Level 4

3,210 points

Nov 7, 2024 12:14 PM in response to EGO8

Hello EGO8, Do the following Network checks;

First the easy check; On your Mac Mini and Wife's MacBook at the Top of Menu Screen click on the Wi-Fi signal icon. Do you see under Personal Hotspots the name of your iPhone Hotspot? If yes click it and it should connect for you. If you don't see the Personal Hotspots then continue on below.
Both devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on and connected to same Wi-Fi network.
Your iPhone MUST have Cellular data turned ON. Note: You can only use Personal Hotspot by sharing your iPhone device's cellular internet connection. You can't connect your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network, and then share that network with another device.
The devices are within 30 feet of each other.
If you're using a VPN, make sure its configuration does not prevent local networking as it may interfere with some connectivity features. You may want to turn VPN off.
If you're sharing your Personal Hotspot with your Apple Devices, it's faster to connect if you sign in to the same Apple Account on both devices. For your Wife you may want her Mac to connect to your iPhone Hotspot via Family Sharing, especially if she has a separate Apple ID account and set Family Sharing to Automatic for her on your iPhone.
Hope this helps a little🤠.

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Answer 2

EGO8 Author

Level 1

10 points

Nov 8, 2024 5:13 AM in response to EGO8

Finally, my iPhone 16 hotspot already appeared on my mac mini and my wife's macbook. But it only shows up if I turn on the mac mini and macbook's wifi via control center. If I turn it on through the system settings, it's still not showing up. It's weird.

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Answer 3

GeeZ06

Level 4

3,210 points

Nov 8, 2024 7:26 AM in response to EGO8

Hello EGO8,

Well it is working and that is a good thing. So confirm in Settings > Wi-Fi you DO NOT see a Personal Hotspots Section, but you do see it from Menu Bar Control Center Settings? That is weird🤠.

If you are close to an Apple Store make an appointment to their Genius Bar (or call them) and bring your iPhone & Wife's MacBook. Maybe they have easy solution we are not seeing🤠.

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

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Answer 4

EGO8 Author

Level 1

10 points

Nov 7, 2024 3:32 PM in response to GeeZ06

Thank you! I’ll try your recommendations. But i’m just wondering coz my iphone 16 hotspot is showing up on my nephew’s macbook and can connect to it. But i’ll try your suggestions.

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iPhone 16 Pro Max hotspot not detected on some macOS devices

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