4 Ways to Fix iPhone Hotspot Not Working on Mac

Quick tips

• Enable Handoff on iPhone and Mac to ensure seamless Hotspot sharing between devices.
• Turn off Low Data Mode on your iPhone and personal SIM card by going to Settings > Mobile Service > Mobile Data Options > Data Mode > turn off Low Data Mode.
• Reset network settings if nothing works. You will not lose your personal data after a network reset.

Basic fixes

• Manually turn on Hotspot and mobile data: You can check and manually turn on Hotspot and mobile data on your iPhone and Mac, which go hand in hand.
• Keep your iPhone closer to your Mac: Holding both devices close to each other helps you connect quickly.
• Use the same Apple account on your iPhone and Mac: It is important that both devices are connected to the same Apple account.
• Disconnect other Bluetooth devices: Your Bluetooth devices should not be connected to your Mac.

Fix 1: Enable Handoff on iPhone and Mac

Handoff is a feature that allows you to download something from one Apple device and share it with another Apple device connected to iCloud. For iPhone Hotspot to work on your Mac, you need to enable the feature on both your iPhone and Mac.

On iPhone

Go to Settings > General > AirPlay and Handoff and then turn it on Transmission.

On Mac

Step 1: Click Apple logo in the upper left corner, then select System settings.

Step 2: To choose General and then go to AirPlay and Handoff.

Step 3: Switch on Allow transfers between this Mac and iCloud devices.

Fix 2: Turn off Low Data Mode on iPhone

Low Data Mode prevents excessive mobile data usage on iPhone and may prevent you from using the Internet on your Mac.

open Settings > Mobile service > Mobile data options > Data mode > turn off Low data mode.

Fix 3: Disable VPN on Mac

VPNs are great for connecting to websites that aren’t available in your region. However, you should try disabling this feature if you can’t connect your Mac to your iPhone hotspot.

Step 1: open System settings and then click VPN from the left menu.

Step 2: Turn off VPN connection on Mac.

Fix 4: Reset network settings

If your iPhone is experiencing network issues, your device’s hotspot won’t work on your Mac. You need to reset the network settings on your iPhone.

Step 1: Open Settings app on your iPhone and scroll down to General.

Step 2: Scroll down and select Transfer or reset iPhone.

Step 3: Obtain Resetting and select Restart network settings from the menu below.

Resetting network settings does not affect your personal data.