iOS 26 update breaks personal hotspot on iPhone 16 Pro Max

wemaxtech wrote:

Actually a lot of other iPhone users are having the same exact issue so your comment is not helpful at all.

How many is "a lot?"

You have two choices. You can decide, a priori, that the reason your hotspot doesn't work is because of a system update. If you do that, you're also making an assumption that you don't have to do any troubleshooting and that some future update will fix your problem. Could it be true? Yes, anything's possible. Is it the likely cause of your problem? No. That means, as Mr. Finch said, you'll never have a working hotspot because you're waiting for Apple to fix it when it's not something Apple can fix with an update. That takes us to the other choice. You can troubleshoot the issue and try to figure out what the actual cause is. You may well get your hotspot working. The worst-case scenario for this choice is that you won't be able to fix it, but you're no worse off, and you will have learned something.

If you do nothing, you increase the chances that nothing will happen.

wemaxtech wrote:

@Lawrence

Actually a lot of other iPhone users are having the same exact issue so your comment is not helpful at all.

And a lot more users do not have the exact or similar issue. In the millions or more likely hundreds of millions. So this isn’t an update issue. If it was you would see thousands of posts, and news stories in every tech media source. So it is still up to you to diagnose it or contact Apple or your carrier for help with it.

Did you read far enough in the thread to see my post with troubleshooting steps: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/256145788?answerId=261853783022&sortBy=oldest_first#261853783022

WHAT DEVICE?!?! can you a be a wee bit more specific when you type "plug USB into device" 'cus you know, there are millions of devices of all types of sectors and for specific functions in teh world. Please beggin you to tell me what device you are speaking of. I am literally pulling my hair out over how everything you wrote is so clear i'm doing it and then i read device... WHAT DEVICE OR WHICH ONE

His comment is valid but he can be less standoffish and supercilious about it!

People are having legit issues and asking for help from the community so saying ‘nonsense’ is very wrong. It’s not a case of vpn clearly and nobody is here to waste their time so stop speaking like we’re kids.

I haven’t had any issues with my hotspot until this update and nothing else which has been suggested here seems to be working.

Contacting apple support now is the next best option.

Thank you

QueenLoue wrote:

His comment is valid but he can be less standoffish and supercilious about it!

Tone trolling a post from a month ago?

People are having legit issues and asking for help from the community so saying ‘nonsense’ is very wrong. It’s not a case of vpn clearly and nobody is here to waste their time so stop speaking like we’re kids.

It's only wrong if it's not true.

I have found here in the forums (and in life in general) that everything is more pleasant and easier if I assume that people have good intentions.

I would be having the problem you are having

I tried after reading below toggling Airplane Mode on off resetting internet connectivity twice turning the phone line off on

I conclude the problem would be the carrier after reading below

I currently have iOS 26.6

Could you explain to me eSIM APN

Do you know more

Who would be reading what I would be writing here

I have the problem of the Personal Hotspot being greyed out

I have iPhone 16e currently iOS 26.6

I tried what I read worked for other people but did not work for me

I would not be able to find where to turn the carrier off

I would not be familiar enough with the terminology eSIM APN

Would you like to tell me what could be helpful for me

Do you think would need to contact the carrier

This is absolutely a software issue. Anyone saying differently is incorrect. Apple needs to fix this in an update. It nearly had me downgrade tonight

Me too. Just started happening.

Same issue

Same issue

I’m experiencing the same problem. Personal Hotspot remains grayed out after updating to iOS 26.0.1.

Same issue on iPhone 15 Pro Max, I’ve tied all solutions and also installed the update that came out today and still the option is grayed out.

I did this. Worked for a week. Back to my connection in and out every second. Laptop dropping while trying to work.