Share your internet connection from iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular)
If you have an active cellular data plan, you can use Personal Hotspot to share a cellular internet connection from your iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular models) to other devices. Personal Hotspot is useful when the other devices don’t have internet access from a Wi-Fi network.
Note: Personal Hotspot is not available with all carriers. Additional fees may apply. The number of devices that can join your Personal Hotspot at one time depends on your carrier and iPad model. Contact your carrier for more information.
Set up Personal Hotspot on iPad
Go to Settings > Cellular Data, tap Set Up Personal Hotspot, then follow the onscreen instructions.
Note: If you don’t see Set Up Personal Hotspot as an option, but you have an active cellular data plan and Cellular Data is turned on in Settings > Cellular Data, contact your carrier about adding Personal Hotspot to your plan.
You can change the following settings:
Change the Wi-Fi password for your Personal Hotspot: Go to Settings > Personal Hotspot > Wi-Fi Password.
Turn off Personal Hotspot and disconnect devices: Go to Settings > Personal Hotspot, then turn off Allow Others to Join.
Connect a Mac or PC to your Personal Hotspot
You can use Wi-Fi, a USB cable, or Bluetooth to connect a Mac or PC to your Personal Hotspot. Do one of the following:
Use Wi-Fi to connect from a Mac: Click the Wi-Fi status menu
in the menu bar, then choose your iPad from the list of available networks.
If asked for a password, enter the password shown in Settings > Personal Hotspot on your iPad.
The Wi-Fi status icon
in the menu bar changes to the Personal Hotspot icon
as long as your Mac remains connected to your Personal Hotspot.
Note: You can connect your devices to Personal Hotspot without entering a password when you’re signed in with the same Apple ID on your Mac and iPad, and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are turned on on both devices.
Use Wi-Fi to connect from a PC: In the Wi-Fi settings on your PC, choose your iPad, then enter the password shown in Settings > Personal Hotspot on your iPad.
Use USB: Connect iPad and your computer with a cable. If you receive an alert that says Trust this Computer?, tap Trust. In your computer’s network preferences, choose iPad, then configure the network settings.
Use Bluetooth: To make sure your iPad is discoverable, go to Settings
> Bluetooth and leave the screen showing. Then on a Mac, choose Apple menu
> System Preferences, click Bluetooth, select your iPad, then click Connect. On your iPad, tap the name of your Mac, then follow the onscreen instructions on your Mac.
On a PC, follow the manufacturer directions to set up a Bluetooth network connection.
Connect iPhone, iPod touch, or another iPad to your Personal Hotspot
On the other device, go to Settings > Wi-Fi, then choose your iPad from the list of available networks.
If asked for a password on the other device, enter the password shown in Settings > Personal Hotspot on your iPad.
Note: You can connect the devices without entering a password when you’re signed in with the same Apple ID on each device, and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are turned on on both devices.
When a device is connected, a blue band appears at the top of your iPad screen. The Personal Hotspot icon appears in the status bar of the connected device.
With Family Sharing, you can share your Personal Hotspot with any member of your family automatically or after they ask for approval. See Set up Family Sharing on iPad.
When you share a Personal Hotspot from your iPad, it uses cellular data for the internet connection. To monitor your cellular data network usage, go to Settings > Cellular Data. See View or change cellular data settings on iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular models).
If you need more help using Personal Hotspot, see the Apple Support article If Personal Hotspot is not working.