Updating iPad with iPhone WiFi Hotspot - iOS 26.4.2

Yes, you can update your iPad using your iPhone's Personal Hotspot, but there are some important limitations to be aware of for iOS/iPadOS updates:

The "Low Data Mode" issue you're seeing:

Apple intentionally restricts large OTA (over-the-air) updates from downloading over Personal Hotspot connections unless you change a specific setting. This is separate from your iPhone's Low Data Mode setting.

Here's the fix:

1. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Personal Hotspot (or Settings > Personal Hotspot)

2. Make sure "Allow Others to Join" is ON

3. There is NO native setting to override the update restriction on the iPad side

Workarounds to update iPad via iPhone hotspot:

Option A - Use a USB connection (recommended):

- Connect iPad to your iPhone via a USB-C cable

- On iPhone, go to Settings > Personal Hotspot > Allow Others to Join

- The iPad should detect the iPhone as a USB tethered connection

- USB tethering is NOT restricted by Apple's update size limits

- On iPad, go to Settings > General > Software Update and try again

Option B - Update via Mac/PC (best for large updates):

- Connect your iPad to a Mac or PC

- On Mac: open Finder > click your iPad > click "Check for Update"

- On PC: open iTunes > click your iPad > click "Check for Update"

- The update downloads to the computer, not over mobile data

Option C - Wait for Wi-Fi:

- The most reliable option is to use a standard Wi-Fi network for large updates

- Apple's update servers work best over stable broadband connections

The USB tethering approach (Option A) is usually the quickest solution when Wi-Fi isn't available.

murray451 wrote:

Thank you! That’s a very detailed reply and much appreciated. I shall be giving it a try over the next few days.

Sorry, the detailed report is nothing but that user posting your question into an AI Chatbot, which you could also do into a Google Search, and like many AI responses is wrong.

It does appear detailed, but as you can see, nothing there has anything to do with updating your iPad using a WiFi connection from your Personal Hotspot on your iPhone. The correct answer is that it is NOT possible to use a WiFi connection to your Personal Hotspot for updates.

v1v3km wrote:

Apple intentionally restricts large OTA (over-the-air) updates from downloading over Personal Hotspot connections unless you change a specific setting.

Here's the fix:

3. There is NO native setting to override the update restriction on the iPad side

C'mon, you should be able to do much better than that simply by reading the AI nonsense before you are posting. First you say that the update is restricted with a Personal Hotspot connection unless you change a specific setting. Then you claim you have provided the fix which says there is NO native setting to override the update restriction.

The correct answer is that you cannot use a WiFi Personal Hotspot connection to an iPhone for an update. It really is that simple.

PC = personal computer, in this case a Windows machine. Linux will not work nor will a ChromeBook.