Personal Hotspot stays grey. The Mac joins the network and then drops. Or the laptop never sees the phone’s Wi-Fi name. Apple Support 119837 and 111785 keep the order short. Turn Allow Others to Join on. Restart both devices. Then Maximize Compatibility. Reset Network Settings only after those steps fail.
This path matches current iOS 27 wording. Personal Hotspot may sit under Settings, or under Settings → Cellular → Personal Hotspot, depending on the carrier screen. The feature needs Cellular Data on, and a plan that allows tethering. Extra carrier fees can apply.
This is not the same case as home Wi-Fi that will not join. For that grey toggle, see our note on Wi-Fi that won’t connect or stays greyed out. Bluetooth pairing faults are separate too (Bluetooth won’t connect or accessory won’t pair).
Turn on Allow Others to Join
On the iPhone or iPad that should share data, open Settings. Tap Personal Hotspot. Or open Cellular, then Personal Hotspot. Tap Allow Others to Join so it is on.
If Personal Hotspot is missing or dimmed, open Settings → Cellular and turn Cellular Data on. Apple says the wireless carrier must enable Personal Hotspot on the plan. Contact the carrier when the menu never appears.
Stay on the Personal Hotspot screen while the other device joins. Apple notes the Wi-Fi name and password on that page. Change the password under Wi-Fi Password if needed. Use at least eight ASCII characters.
Restart both devices, then Maximize Compatibility
Restart the iPhone or iPad that provides the hotspot. Restart the Mac, iPad, or other phone that needs the link. Try joining again after each restart.
Install the latest iOS or iPadOS on the hotspot device when an update is waiting. On the joining side, keep Wi-Fi on. On a Mac, pick the iPhone’s name from the Wi-Fi list in Control Center or System Settings. Enter the password shown under Personal Hotspot.
On iPhone 12 and later, and on recent iPad Pro and iPad mini models Apple lists in Support 119837, open Personal Hotspot and turn on Maximize Compatibility. Then try the join again. Apple warns that Maximize Compatibility can reduce internet performance and Wi-Fi security for devices on the hotspot. Turn it off when older gear no longer needs it.
If the joining device shows a password error, open Personal Hotspot on the host phone again and re-check the Wi-Fi password. Toggle Wi-Fi off and on on the client, then select the correct network. The Personal Hotspot icon can appear next to that name when the share is live.
USB tethering on Mac, then Reset Network Settings
For a Mac that will not stay on the phone’s Wi-Fi hotspot, Apple also documents USB. Update macOS first. Connect the iPhone with a known-good USB cable. Trust the computer when asked. Confirm the phone appears in Finder.
Open System Settings → Network. If iPhone USB is listed, select it, make the service inactive, then make it active again. If iPhone USB is missing, add that network service, then try once more. Unplug the cable when you finish, or turn off Allow Others to Join, so the Mac does not keep using cellular data each time you charge.
When Wi-Fi and USB joins still fail, reset network data on the hotspot iPhone. Open Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset Network Settings. Enter the passcode. Saved Wi-Fi passwords, cellular, VPN, and APN settings clear. Rejoin home Wi-Fi, turn Cellular Data back on, open Personal Hotspot, and enable Allow Others to Join again.
AirDrop and hotspot share some radios, but the menus differ. If file transfer is the real fault, use the AirDrop not working on iOS 27 steps. Control Center layout changes do not fix tethering; today’s tip on customizing Control Center tiles is a separate path.
Photo: Apple
Source: Apple Support 119837 (If Personal Hotspot is not working on your iPhone or iPad), Dec. 15, 2025; Apple Support 111785 (Connect to the Personal Hotspot of an iPhone or iPad), May 7, 2026
