If your devices do not support Instant Hotspot, you can still tether your phone to your computer, iPad or iPod Touch by going into Settings and turning on Personal Hotspot on the phone. If you do not have a data plan that includes a mobile hotspot you would have to contact your carrier to add it on to your data plan and there may be additional fees for that. The iPhone or iPad needs to have a cellular connection enabled that has mobile hotspot as part of the data plan. You also need to have an iPhone or iPad running iOS 8.1 with a Lightning connector.

Your device will remember the fact that you used your phone’s hotspot and the next time you want to go online when you do not have Wi-Fi, it automatically rejoins the hotspot.įor Instant Hotspot to work, you do need to have a 2012 or newer iMac, 2012 or newer MacBook Air, 2012 or newer MacBook Pro, 2012 or newer Mac Mini or late 2013 Mac Pro. When you aren’t using your phone’s hotspot, your device will disconnect automatically to save battery life. When you join the Wi-Fi network on your Mac, iPad or iPod Touch, the name of your phone will be listed automatically. Now you do not even have to set up a personal hotspot on your iPhone and enter in the Wi-Fi Password for your personal hotspot. When you are in an area with your Mac, iPad or iPod Touch that does not have Wi-Fi, they can connect to your phone’s personal hotspot when your iPhone is nearby. Continuity also includes Handoff, iPhone Cellular Calls, SMS Relay, and AirDrop. This is one of the features of Continuity, which further integrates and connects your Mac and iOS devices. Now that iOS 8.1 is out, with iOS 8.1 running on your iPhone, you can use your iPhone as a Instant Hotspot for your Mac (running Yosemite) and for your iPad or iPod Touch (also running iOS 8.1).

Hotspot macbook iphone