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Instant Hotspot / Personal Hotspot Not Functioning Correctly

Repost due to header spelling fail... Sorry!

Performed the iOS update to 8.1 and the instant hotspot isn't functioning. Whenever I try to connect from my MacBook I get the error: Failed to enable Personal Hotspot on "Tim's iPhone" - Check to see if the tethering device is turned on and in range of your computer.


I've reset the network settings on the iPhone, cleared all of my saved networks on my MacBook to try to get it back to a semi-reset state (though I did a full drive erase and installed Yosemite from scratch so I can't imagine my settings are very far from virgin state yet) but I'm still unable to connect unless I manually turn on the Personal Hotspot on the iPhone first (even then, connecting is a bit hit and miss which was never a problem before). Restarting each device multiple times and logging into and out of the iCloud account on each device hasn't changed anything.


Even worse is that, prior to upgrading from 8.0.2, the feature worked perfectly between my iPad and my iPhone. It even shut the personal hotspot off as soon as you disconnected from the iPhone. Now, it's hit and miss as well; Connecting every 3rd or 4th try but leaving Personal Hotspot "on" on my iPhone after disconnection.


The smooth experience between my iPad and iPhone is what gave me such high expectations for the Yosemite release. Now I'm sitting here with that still not functioning and the original experience gone. How disappointing.


---

Tim

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Yosemite (10.10)

Posted on Oct 20, 2014 2:18 PM

Reply
100 replies

Mar 15, 2017 6:01 PM in response to Tim Klein

Simple Process


1: On the device that needs the internet connection (eg your MacBook), Turn Off WiFi


2: On iPhone,


- Set to Airplane Mode = On

- Go to Settings -> Personal Hotspot


set to OFF

then change WiFi password


- Go to Settings -> General -> About


change Name to a name that the device (eg your MacBook) requiring the hotspot has never connected to. Important step, otherwise your device (MacBook) may try using some saved setting for a previously used wifi name.


- Now go back to Settings -> Personal Hotspot and Set to ON


- Set Airplane Mode = OFF


- Wait for your iPhone to be fully connectedness to your mobile network


3. On the device that needs the internet connection (eg your MacBook), Turn ON WiFi


then Connect to your new personal hotspot using the new password

May 3, 2017 5:18 PM in response to Tim Klein

Step 2 in Tim's instructions should carry an important caveat: If you have iCloud Keychain enabled on your Apple devices, resetting Network Settings on your iPhone [General -> Reset -> Reset Network Settings] will delete all your wifi hotspot settings from all your devices including your Mac.


Also, I had this same issue with the instant hotspot feature and the solution for me was simply to delete an erroneous entry for my iPhone in my Mac's keychain (use the Keychain Access utility in macOS) which was listed as something like "airport sharing key" (sorry I deleted it without thinking to commit the name to memory) the best part was I didn't need to sign out/in of iCloud and wait for all my data to sync on any of my devices or reset any network settings and I only needed to reboot my Mac.


I figured out my issue was that my Mac was still looking for my original iPhone which had recently been replaced under warranty. Step 3 of Tim's instructions helped as renaming my iPhone [General -> About -> Name. Resetting network settings] allowed me to connect to the hotspot manually but the instant hotspot entry in the macOS menu bar wifi network list was still there and I still couldn't use it to connect to my iPhone… until i deleted the keychain entry I mentioned above and rebooted my Mac.

Oct 21, 2014 7:46 AM in response to Tim Klein

Add my voice to the list. Tried over and over with personal hotspot already on, already off, phone open to the personal hotspot page, etc. It shows in the list, but gives the same error. I did finally get it to connect (am on it now) but took a while to get there. Am worried about what happens when it drops and how many tries it will take to get it back.

Oct 21, 2014 7:52 AM in response to Tim Klein

I'm not sure that this is a Yosemite problem,(which is where you've located this thread), so much as an iOS problem.

Have you posted a thread under that category where you might get more help for it?

Just a really friendly, and not flame-y in the least, suggestion, as one is more likely to find clever fixes from the people who are focussed on your specific problem under the correct topic.


I only toss this 2 cents at you because I have had such wonderful experiences getting help in these forums myself.

🙂

Oct 21, 2014 9:53 AM in response to Tim Klein

Ok... I've had some success with the issue. It seems to be a combination of resetting my network settings on my phone and reinitializing the iCloud accounts on both devices. Following are the steps that worked for me on several different devices. They may not all be absolutely necessary but it's what finally got the functionality working on all of my devices.


1. Sign out of the iCloud account on both devices. (I let iCloud delete everything when asked. It all comes back when sign back in later)

2. Reset Network Settings on the iPhone (General -> Reset -> Reset Network Settings)

3. If necessary, Rename the phone to what you want it called (General -> About -> Name. Resetting network settings consistently renamed my phone to just "iPhone")

4. Power down both devices.

5. Restart iPhone and log back in to iCloud.

6. Restart other device and log back into iCloud.


---

Tim

Oct 21, 2014 10:58 AM in response to Tim Klein

Tim, this procedure WORKED for me. Thanks so much! I had done *everything* you mention several times -- everything except Reset Network Settings.


I had had pretty much all of the Continuity features working, except for the SMS features which require iOS 8.1, before updating the from 8.0x to 8.1. After doing the update, I only temporarily had any Continuity/Handoff/Messages/Phone capability at all. Then it all died.


I'm still getting the Cocoa 4608 error when trying to get a Mail handoff from Mac OS to iOS, but... everything else is better. So far anyway.


So THANKS again to you, Tim!

Instant Hotspot / Personal Hotspot Not Functioning Correctly

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