How to connect to someone elses hotspot

By Amy Spitzfaden–Both Updated 10/05/2022

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Share your iPhone's internet access with family members without the sign-in hassle.
Share Your Hotspot Password-free Using Family Sharing
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How do I connect to someone else's mobile hotspot?
Why can't I connect to my friends hotspot?
Can anyone connect to my hotspot?
How do you connect to an iPhone hotspot?

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Many of us share our data with our family members via a Wi-Fi hotspot on a regular basis—perhaps a spouse needs to get some work done or your kids are trying to do homework. Whatever the reason, sharing password access can be arduous, and it's unnecessary if you have Family Sharing. This easy method lets you bypass passwords and allow the people you trust to connect effortlessly to your hotspot. Not every service provider offers hotspots; so before you set this up, check to make sure this is available with your plan. Let's take a look at how to turn off the password requirement for family members when sharing data through a WiFi hotspot.

Go to Settings.
Tap Personal Hotspot. If that is not an option, tap on Cellular first, and then you will see the personal hotspot option.
Tap the toggle next to Allow Others to Join and make sure it's green. This will turn your hotspot on.
Tap Family Sharing.
Tap the name of the person you want to share with.
Select either Ask for Approval or Automatic, depending on your preference. Ask for Approval will keep it so that person must request access each time they try to connect, and Automatic will allow them to automatically connect when they are in range.

Now when your family member wants to connect to your hotspot, they can simply go to their Wi-Fi settings and tap the name of the network. If Family Sharing is on, they'll connect right away, or as soon as you give approval, no password necessary. If you're looking for another easy way to share a Wi-Fi password, you can also create a scannable Wi-Fi password. For more great iPhone tutorials, sign up for our free tip of the day, and if your hotspot isn't working, check out our article on how to fix an iPhone hotspot.

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Amy Spitzfaden–Both's picture

Amy Spitzfaden Both is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life, an award-winning novelist, and an iPhone enthusiast. Over the past decade, her work in the publishing industry has included live coverage of industry events including the Yale Publishing Course and Magazine Innovation’s ACT 9 Experience, providing editing services for several start-up publishing houses, and acting as newsstand consultant for magazines such as The Old Farmer’s Almanac and The New York Review of Books. She graduated from M.I.U. with a Bachelor’s in Literature and Writing, and has gone on to publish two novels and two short stories. Her debut novel Untold won the 2014 Chelson Award for Fiction.
Writing everything from book reviews to skincare tips, Amy discovered a passion for bringing exciting and useful information to even the most casual researcher. The mix of usability and endless possibilities is what drew her to Apple products originally, and the more she learns, the more she loves.
Amy lives in New Hampshire with her husband and daughter. When she’s not writing or glued to her iPhone, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and creating her own tea blends.

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How do I connect to someone else's mobile hotspot?

Sharing a connection this way is called tethering or using a hotspot. Some phones can share Wi-Fi connection by tethering..

On the other device, open that device's list of Wi-Fi options..

Pick your phone's hotspot name..

Enter your phone's hotspot password..

Click Connect..

Why can't I connect to my friends hotspot?

Verify that the Mobile Hotspot or Smartphone Mobile Hotspot feature is turned on. Check that the connecting device's Wi-Fi is turned on. Update to the latest firmware version for all devices. Restart the Hotspot device or phone.

Can anyone connect to my hotspot?

What this means is that when you create a hotspot on your Android smartphone, Android doesn't create a password to the hotspot and, as a result, anyone can connect to the network at will. If you are in a public place, someone can choose to use your expensive bandwidth and unapologetically use it up. That is not all.

How do you connect to an iPhone hotspot?

On the device that you want to connect, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and look for your iPhone or iPad in the list. Then tap the Wi-Fi network to join. If asked, enter the password for your Personal Hotspot.