How to Enable or Disable Personal Hotspot?

Personal Hotspot is a feature on smartphones/tablets that allows us to share cellular data with other devices. There are times when users find it difficult to connect their devices to a network when they are on the run. Many organizations do not prefer the use of public Wi-Fi networks in hotels, parks, airports, etc., as these networks can be extremely risky. On the other hand, a Personal Hotspot is much safer and can help users connect to the internet within no time. You can use Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB to connect to a Personal Hotspot.

With the help of an ideal device management solution such as Hexnode UEM, IT administrators can enable or disable Personal Hotspot on their iOS devices remotely. In this way, the admin can either permit or restrict data tethering on their iOS devices.

Enable Personal Hotspot on iOS devices

To enable Personal Hotspot on a target iOS device from the MDM console,

1. Log in to your Hexnode portal.
2. Go to Manage > Devices.
3. Choose a target iOS device.
4. Go to Actions and select Enable Personal Hotspot.
5. A pop-up emerges asking for confirmation. Hit Continue to proceed.

Sharing Cellular Data through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB

Wi-Fi

Tethering over Wi-Fi works just as connecting to any other Wi-Fi network.

1. On the device from which you want to share the network, go to Settings > Personal Hotspot (if you don’t see Personal Hotspot in Settings, tap Cellular > Personal Hotspot) and make sure to toggle the switch on. Also, ensure that Allow others to join is on.
2. Note the name of the device and the password if provided.
3. Next, on the device that you want to connect to the network, turn ON the Wi-Fi option from Settings > Wi-Fi and select the iPhone or iPad sharing cellular data.
4. Enter the password for your Personal Hotspot and join the network if prompted.

Bluetooth

Personal Hotspot supports Bluetooth connection on Mac and PC. To connect other iOS devices, it is recommended to connect via Wi-Fi.

Follow the steps mentioned below to connect a device to the Personal Hotspot with Bluetooth:

1. On the Personal Hotspot enabled device, go to Settings > Personal Hotspot and make sure Allow others to join is on.
2. Now, go to Settings > Bluetooth and turn the Bluetooth option on.
3. Follow the steps below depending on the device you need to connect to the Personal Hotspot:
   • For an iOS/iPadOS device, turn on the Bluetooth and then tap on the device that provides Personal Hotspot. Verify the code appearing on the device and tap Pair on both devices.
   • For a macOS device, navigate to System Preferences > Bluetooth and turn it on. Select the iOS device providing Personal Hotspot, click Connect, and follow the onscreen instructions. To connect the Mac to the Personal Hotspot, click on the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar. Select the iOS device that provides Personal Hotspot and click on Connect to Network.
   • For a Windows PC, make sure to turn on the Bluetooth settings from the Notification area. Select Add a Bluetooth device and follow the onscreen instructions. To connect the Windows PC to the Personal Hotspot, click on the Bluetooth icon in the Notification area and choose Join a Personal Area Network. Right-click on the iOS device and select Connect using > Access Point.

USB

Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes on your Mac or PC. Follow the steps below to connect your Mac or Windows PC to the Personal Hotspot:

For a Mac,

1. Connect your Mac to the iOS device that provides Personal Hotspot with a USB cable.
2. Go to System Preferences > Network and select the connected device.
3. Click on the gear icon on the bottom-left menu and select Make Service Active.
4. Uncheck the option Disable unless needed and then click on Apply to connect to the Personal Hotspot.

For a Windows PC,

1. Connect your Windows PC to the iOS device using a USB cable.
2. If prompted, trust the device to connect to the network.

The distance that tethered devices can be apart from each other while still working depends on how they are connected. A device tethered over USB only has limited range. Tethering over Bluetooth gives a range of a couple dozen feet, while Wi-Fi connections stretch a little farther.

Disable Personal Hotspot on iOS devices

To disable Personal Hotspot on your iOS devices,

1. Log in to your Hexnode portal.
2. Go to Manage > Devices.
3. Choose the device on which you want to disable Personal Hotspot.
4. Go to Actions and select Disable Personal Hotspot.
5. You will be asked if you want to stop sharing Personal Hotspot. Hit Continue to execute the action.
6. Personal Hotspot will be disabled.