Problems with the new iOS 8 "Instant Hotspot" feature

Question

Level 1

0 points

Problems with the new iOS 8 "Instant Hotspot" feature

I can’t really get it to work between my iPhone 5S and my iPad Mini Retina.

Continuity works — handoff between applications, call forwarding from iPhone to iPad.

The two devices see each other via Bluetooth and can exchange photos and files.

When I enter the "WiFi" menu on the iPad, I can see the iPhone name among the "Personal hotspots" categories, as well as its battery status and cell coverage.

When I click on it, however, the connection always fails; after twenty seconds or so, I get the error "Unable to turn on Personal Hotspot on <phone name>".

The only way to make it connect is to manually go to the personal hotspot setting screen on the iPhone, as I used to do before iOS 8; this kinda defeats the purpose of the "Instant Hotspot" feature, however 🙂

I already reset the network settings on both devices several times, but to no avail.

Has anyone experienced the same issue?

iPhone 5s, iOS 8

Posted on Sep 21, 2014 8:29 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 21, 2014 12:18 PM in response to 1oracolo

I Have the exact same problem. On top of that sometime handoff for email crashor shows an error message. Safari handoff won't lpad the page at all. I've reset network, reset data and setting 3 times.

seriously apple release 8.1 to fix all of these. its ridiculous. I really hope you apple pay won't be like this

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Answer 2

Sep 22, 2014 5:00 AM in response to 1oracolo

Sand issue. I can see my iPhone but my iPad fails to make a connection. It was working flawlessly in the GM version of iOS 8 but I can't get it to work at all in release.

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Answer 3

Urmetv

Level 1

14 points

Sep 22, 2014 2:35 PM in response to 1oracolo

I have exactly the same problem between 5s and iPad Mini (1st gen).

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Answer 4

Sep 22, 2014 3:04 PM in response to Urmetv

Also an iPad mini (retina). Seems to be a trend.

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Answer 5

nws75

Level 1

8 points

Sep 22, 2014 7:38 PM in response to 1oracolo

I have this same problem. However my iPad air won't connect at all to my iPhone 5 anymore. My late 2013 27" iMac does however. I've restored both devices twice and reset network settings twice. No luck.

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Answer 6

buda77

Level 1

4 points

Sep 22, 2014 11:45 PM in response to 1oracolo

Same problem here. Ipad Mini retina not connecting to Iphone 5s. I see the battery level of the iPhone. Only way to connect is via the "old" hotspot appraoch.

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Answer 7

navia72

Level 1

10 points

Sep 23, 2014 7:14 AM in response to 1oracolo

I had the same problem between my iPhone 6 and iPad air but what worked for me was resetting both devices a few times. After the third or fourth reset my iPhone appeared as a personal hotspot on the iPad even when the hotspot feature was turned off on the phone.

Give it a try, it may work for you too.

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Answer 8

1oracolo Author

Level 1

0 points

Sep 23, 2014 9:49 AM in response to 1oracolo

What worked for me, too, was resetting both the network settings and then the general settings on both devices, while always leaving bluetooth on, as detailed by Giacecco in this other topic: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6542160?answerId=26670517022#26670517022

I know, it sounds a bit like black magic, and I have no idea why this should work; however, it worked 🙂

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Answer 9

Sep 30, 2014 6:00 AM in response to 1oracolo

When I first upgraded my iPhone 5 and iPad Air to iOS 8 my iPhone 5 showed up on the iPad in the new "Personal Hotspots" category and worked fine. Later I found it wasn't showing up. I tried cycling wireless on and off, turning the phone and iPad on and off without success. I could still turn on the Personal Hotspot and connect the old way from the wireless network list on the iPad. Yesterday I tried cycling "Ask to Join Networks" on then back off on the iPad. That seemed to do the trick. It worked for about a day then disappeared until I turned wireless off and on on the iPad. The bottom line is that it works randomly.

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Answer 10

rob92uk

Level 1

0 points

Oct 5, 2014 10:17 PM in response to 1oracolo

Same problem here between iPhone 6 and iPad mini. It just doesn't work and I have to tether the slow way. Both devices have been reset and iOS 8.0.2 reinstalled but still no instant hotspot, it's there, but just won't connect.

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Answer 11

rob92uk

Level 1

0 points

Oct 6, 2014 2:29 AM in response to 1oracolo

I've finally solved this problem, after numerous resets of the network settings without success I tried signing out of iCloud on both devices. I tried that twice along with another reset of the network settings, and bingo! Instant tethering is now working.

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Answer 12

dgeens

Level 1

8 points

Oct 8, 2014 5:20 PM in response to navia72

What do you mean by resetting? I have reset my device already 5 times by restoring the backup...

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Answer 13

1oracolo Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 9, 2014 5:34 AM in response to dgeens

I think we’re all talking about resetting the network and/or the general settings; restoring from a backup won’t help 🙂

When you restore the phone from a backup, you also restore the old settings. When you only reset the settings, you keep installed apps and other content: you only reset things like ringtones, screen brightness, font size, keyboard preferences… and a bunch of stuff we don’t really have control over but which can impact the issue we’re talking about and many others 🙂

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Answer 14

Oct 20, 2014 11:15 AM in response to 1oracolo

After install iOS 8.1 on my iPhone 6 and iPad Mini Retina it still does not work for me ;(

But with Yosemite it works.

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Answer 15

Oct 21, 2014 7:36 AM in response to 1oracolo

Has anyone had the issue of the personal hotspot not turning off automatically once the device using it is either turned off or the user disconnects? My PH continues to stay turned on and I thought I had read somewhere that it was supposed to turn off automatically to save power.

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