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psychoo118 Author

Level 1

0 points

iOS 7.1 Personal Hotspot APN settings won't save on iPhone 4

Hello,

I am facing a problem, which would be great to resolve. Since I updated to iOS 7.1 I can't set APN setttings for Personal Hotspot in my iPhone. If I go to Settings -> Cellular -> Cellular Data Settings, and I set the APNs(for data+mms) and i go back to save the freshly set APN settings then it saves, but if I touch any fields in the "Personal Hotspot" section (even focusing) and I go back the same way any changed value won't save (e.g. I also change data APN). In the menu "Cellular" there is an option for personal tethering where it just keeps loading and after a ehile it becomes an available option, but if I click on it it displays an error message like: "...contact: Carrier". So I tried everything, I reset my network settings, did 3 full restore(via iTunes, in recovery mode and DFU too). Then finally I downgraded to iOS 6.1.2 and guess what, it started working.. Then I thought it repaired some settings bug which burned in my device and I restored 7.1 in DFU. Now it is not working again. I need the help of community since I need hotspot tethering so hard everyday for my job. Thanks in advance!

Péter Józsa

iPhone 4, iOS 7.1

Posted on Mar 11, 2014 12:35 AM

Top-ranking reply

555gallardo

Level 1

5 points

Posted on Mar 11, 2014 1:20 AM

Same problem here! Updated iPhone 4 16GB to iOS 7.1 and now i can't use a personal hotspot anymore!

View in context

631 replies

Tiammatj

Level 1

14 points

Mar 20, 2014 11:08 AM in response to psychoo118

Hi,

I didn't read all the 18 pages, but I also noticed since upgrade I can't save anymore the APN settings with iPhone 5s and iOS 7.1. I have unlocked phone bought from Apple, and I'm using it with Proximus in Belgium.

Yet, even without the APN setting itself, the hotspot is working fine:

While the computer at the same time is showing:

So I don't know what's going on but, thanfully, the Hotspot functionality continues to work.

br,

Petri

andre.l

Level 1

0 points

Mar 20, 2014 11:29 AM in response to Lexiepex

@LexSchellings

So you say that even with an unlocked iPhone, using a carrier that supports tethering but is not on the list I should not be able to do so? This is ridicolous. My wife just bought an iPhone 5c for 700 Euro, is using such a carrier and is not able to do tethering any more. She is really p... off.

_fabio_

Level 1

0 points

Mar 20, 2014 11:39 AM in response to psychoo118

I am completely disappointed by Apple and I am now considering to move to android after I realized I missed Personal Hotspot on my Iphone4 just because updating from iOS 7.0.6 to iOS 7.1... Unbeliveable. My carrier is Wind Italy.

ToniSlow

Level 1

0 points

Mar 20, 2014 12:21 PM in response to Tiammatj

Usually it's a iPhone 4 problem. iPhone 5S hotspot works with unsupported carrier with iOS 7.1 and empty APN.

Mar 20, 2014 12:27 PM in response to Tiammatj

@tiammatj

did you actually tried to open a few websites? With the same config (proximus, ios7.1) I CAN create a personal hotspot, connect a wireless pc/tablet to the iPhone 4 personal hotspot, but NOT surf the web (no internet connection) with the pc/tablet (I can with the Iphone itself). Thanks for the info! :-)

Kinsem

Level 1

0 points

Mar 20, 2014 12:29 PM in response to psychoo118

Same problem here: iPhone 4 + Wind data plan + iOS7.1 = no more tethering!!!!

Everything was fine with iOS7.0.x and any non-iOS device.

Apple please don't play with our money and fix it!!!

psychoo118 Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 20, 2014 12:30 PM in response to Tiammatj

Dear Petri,

We have heard about cases when people who had non-apple partner carriers and after they upgraded to 7.1 from 7.0.6 their personal hotspot was just working as fine as before. But of course they couldn't change APN settings. In my opinion it is only possible because their APN settings somehow remained in their phones and updating did not erase it and they can not be changed because their settings can not be saved. But he rest of the users were not so lucky. I mentioned it but you said that you didn't read the whole topic so I could manage to downgrade back to 6.1.2 and set my APN settings correctly. Then I updated right from 6.1.2 to 7.1 and this resulted that the option "Personal Hotspot" became availabe and i could also turn it on and off, but on wifi connection could not be established with it and on USB cable computer didn't see it as a Network Interface. Maybe if I did it from 7.0.x then I could have succeed. Because the version of carrier bundles(explained on page 15-16) are different: 6.1.2 - "12.0" and 7.1 - "16.0" (if I remember well), so while updating to 7.1 the settings had to be somehow changed in order to work with the newer version(16.0) but the values still remained. I hope that it is understandable 🙂

psychoo118 Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 20, 2014 12:42 PM in response to psychoo118

I would like to ask everyone, who are claiming that Apple did this on purpose, why do you think the this is true. Because of an article read on some blog? Have you even read all of the comments in this topic? If you did it then I don't understand why are you still believing this bullsh*t. Sorry for the expression but.. I think the researches we have done are more likely to corroborate that it is a bug. I won't say that I'm 100 % sure and I won't claim that I am the one who is absolutely true and all of the others are lieing, because of course you can be also true, but the evidences persuaded me.

EDIT 1

Also I would like to ask you how logical would be that Apple no longer supports these providers because they did not make a contract with them, but they just leave the option for the users to change the APN settings and do not save them. From a company like Apple it would be a very bad feature which would kill their image. I know that there are contracted carriers who limit the hotspot possibility for their clients but that's why these profiles are signed and the validation is taken so seriously. (I have explained these profiles on page 15-16) So I think without a jailbreak these users won't be able to abuse.

Message was edited by: psychoo118

Tiammatj

Level 1

14 points

Mar 20, 2014 12:58 PM in response to stijnvanachter

@stijnvanachter

Yep, I did - just tried simple 'telnet www.google.com 80' to fetch content + separately pinged another server.

Note that I used iPhone 5s for the test rather than iPhone 4. I could test this with iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 as well, but unfortunately my iPhone 4 is jailbroken and still safely at iOS 6.x version. 🙂

@psychoo118: Thanks for the explanation. Could make sense, as despite just replacing the iPhone 5s last weekend due to screen issue, I did upgrade from iOS 7.0.x -> iOS 7.1 via iTunes using DFU mode (wanted to make sure I have fresh clean firmware as basis), on the top of which I restored a backup from old iPhone 5s iOS7.1 phone. Even if I saw the APN setting already empty there, it could have still carried over... OR then the iPhone 5s isn't affected. Unfortunately I didn't try this with vanilla iOS7.1 before restoring from the backup.

Now I'm really curious to test even more, but ... I think I'll just settle for the working setup.

Notice though, I tried to enable 4G (not supported by Proximus in Belgium) by swapping Sonera sim card from Finland (supported carrier) to see if it would remain available once switching back to Proximus sim card.. Indeed 4G was available while Sonera sim was in (this also replaced cellular data settings including MMS + hid completely APN part) but of course the 4G didn't stick when swapping back Proximus card... so it's still possible 5s isn't affected, or them I've been very lucky with APN settings somehow.

br,

Mar 20, 2014 3:24 PM in response to paulinafromlyons

Fixed. Turn wi-fi off > hard close > turn back on > turn wi fi on > personal hotspot reappeared in my settings.

Thanks.

I still think the updates are too big, though!

psychoo118 Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 20, 2014 4:14 PM in response to paulinafromlyons

checked this "fix" or I don't know what to call. You are right, hot spot menu re-appeared in settings app and I can enable it, but I can not connect to it on wifi nor on USB. 😟 So I wouldn't call it a fix maybe a partly fix. 🙂

Mar 20, 2014 4:23 PM in response to paulinafromlyons

Can you explain it? What's 'hard close'? Do you restart the phone? Sorry, but i don't understand what you mean.

psychoo118 Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 20, 2014 4:29 PM in response to jponcenavarro

Well, you go into settings app, turn off wifi then you double press your home button to enter app switcher and you slide up the settings up to close it(it is called hard close). then yo go back to the home screen and launch settings app again and you turn on your wifi. you go back to the main settings page and voila: hotspot should be there 🙂

Mar 20, 2014 6:58 PM in response to psychoo118

Today I called tech support at Apple, and this is what they said :Your phone is not under warranty , if you want to solve the problem of sharing internet, you should pay 35 Euros. If the problem is hardware will give the money back (WITH THE CONDITION THAT YOU ACCEPT THE REPAIR ) , if the problem is software , we will resolve the problem.😮OK ... chooses to pay 35 euros.😐What happened after 83 minutes of calling and technical assistance ?Sr, We regret that your phone has a fault which does not allow to set VPN to share internet . You have to take your phone in for service repairs. The approximate cost may be around 200 Euros.ONE MOMENT PLEASE .... Miss, I do not think the problem is the phone ! ! If we carry out all the adjustments you are indicating me on a Vodafone SIM and not a Pepephone SIM . CHA CHAN .... " IT WORKS " ... Why is it useless with a virtual operator ?No response ........ ! ! No solution ...... NO MONEY BACK! 😠

Cedrenos

Level 1

0 points

Mar 21, 2014 12:38 AM in response to psychoo118

Same problem here: Iphone 4, officially unlocked, cant save any hotspot settings since 7.1 😠

service provider: BOB, Austria.

iOS 7.1 Personal Hotspot APN settings won't save on iPhone 4