Connect your Mac to your iPhone's Personal Hotspot

Why it happens

Your iPhone can share its mobile data as a small Wi-Fi network, but only while Personal Hotspot is allowed and the phone is awake enough to be found. If your Mac and iPhone use the same Apple Account, the iPhone appears in the Mac's Wi-Fi menu with no password needed. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth must both be on, because the Mac finds the phone over Bluetooth first.

How to fix it

1. On your iPhone, open Settings, tap Personal Hotspot and turn on Allow Others to Join. Note the Wi-Fi Password shown on that screen in case you need it.

2. On the Mac, make sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are both on. You can check both in Control Center at the top right of the screen.

3. Click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar and choose your iPhone under Personal Hotspots. If you don't see it, click Other Networks.

4. Or open System Settings, click Wi-Fi and choose your iPhone from the list. Enter the hotspot password from your iPhone if the Mac asks.

   Wi-Fi

5. When it connects, the Wi-Fi icon changes to two linked rings. Open a web page to check it works.

Still not fixed?

1. iPhone not listed? Wake it, keep it right next to the Mac and leave the Personal Hotspot screen open for a moment. Then turn Allow Others to Join off and on again.

2. On the iPhone's Personal Hotspot screen, turn on Maximize Compatibility. It uses a slower but more widely supported type of Wi-Fi, which helps some Macs connect.

3. If Personal Hotspot is missing on the iPhone or says to contact your carrier, your mobile plan may not include it. Your carrier can switch it on.

4. Connected but slow? Turn on Low Data Mode for the hotspot on your Mac, so background updates and iCloud syncing pause while you're on mobile data.

   Wi-Fi›Details…

5. Still no luck with Wi-Fi? Connect the iPhone to the Mac with its charging cable, tap Trust on the iPhone if asked, and the Mac can use the hotspot over the cable.

6. If other devices can join your hotspot but the Mac can't, even after restarting both, contact Apple Support. If nothing can join, contact your mobile carrier.