Laptop Can’t Connect to iPhone Hotspot: 7 Quick Ways to Fix It
Restart the hotspot before trying other solutions
5 min. read 
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Key notes
- Many owners of iPhones complained about the inability to connect their Windows 10 laptops to the WiFi hotspots of their phones.
- This problem exists on even some of the earliest models of phones, but the solutions are typically the same.
- There might be several problems producing this issue, but this guide will help you fix every one of them.
If your Windows laptop refuses to connect to your iPhone’s hotspot—or just hangs on “connecting” forever, you’re not alone. Whether the hotspot isn’t showing up, is grayed out, or just won’t stay connected, the issue usually comes down to a few common Windows or iOS quirks.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the real fixes that work.
How do I fix a laptop if it can’t connect to an iPhone hotspot?
1. Use a data cable
- Drag down from the right top of the iPhone, then long press the network icon.
- Tap the Cellular Data icon, then press the Personal Hotspot icon.
- Use a data cord to link your iPhone to your Windows computer.
- The Windows computer will connect to your hotspot, and the connection will seem like an Ethernet one.
The connection to the iPhone’s hotspot can be made using this straightforward and dependable approach, but you must use an authentic Apple cable or a certified cable. This method will work like a charm if the iPhone hotspot is not showing up in Windows.
2. Troubleshoot the Wi-Fi hotspot problems
- Turn the Personal Hotspot off.
- Verify if the Wi-Fi is ON in Settings > Wi-Fi.
- Turn the Personal Hotspot back on.
3. Update network drivers
- Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
- Expand the Network adapters section.
- Look for your Wi-Fi adapter (it might include words like “Wireless,” “AC,” or your laptop brand).
- Right-click it and choose Update driver.
- Click Search automatically for drivers.
- Windows will search for and install any available updates.
- If it says you already have the best driver, move to the next fix—or try a third-party updater.
If you’d rather avoid digging through menus or want automatic scans and repairs, you can use a reliable tool like PC HelpSoft Driver Updater to handle everything for you.
4. Change the name of your iPhone
- Go to Settings > General > About > Name.
- Now click on the X icon to remove your current name.
- Enter a new name, and you’re good to go.
Note: A few users reported that removing extra spaces from the hotspot name fixed the problem for them, so be sure to try that as well.
Once you change the hotspot name, your PC can connect to the iPhone Wi-Fi hotspot again.
5. Use the Forget option for the Wi-Fi hotspot
- Click the Wi-Fi icon in the bottom right corner.
- Now locate your Wi-Fi hotspot, right-click it, and choose to Forget from the menu.
Try to connect to it again, and you’ll be asked to enter a password. After doing that, the Wi-Fi network will start working.
Using this option, you will stop your device from connecting automatically to the same hotspot source. This way, your iPhone will forget your PC Wi-Fi address, so you can try and reconnect to the iPhone hotspot.
6. Change the iPhone’s hotspot password
- Drag down from the right top of the iPhone, then long press the network icon.
- Tap the Cellular Data icon, then press the Personal Hotspot icon.
- Navigate to Settings > Personal Hotspot.
- Tap on Wi-Fi Password, then edit it.
According to users, if Windows doesn’t connect to the iPhone Wi-Fi hotspot, the issue might be your hotspot’s password. However, you can fix this problem simply by changing your hotspot’s password.
This process should be done fast and without much technical knowledge. So the little thing to do is press the change password button and introduce your old and new password to reset it quickly.
The problem should be resolved, and you’ll be able to connect to the iPhone’s hotspot again.
7. Uninstall the Intel Proset wireless software
- Open the Settings app and go to the Apps section.
- Select Intel Proset wireless software from the list and click on Uninstall button.
- Follow the instructions on the screen to remove it.
Once you remove the software, restart your PC.
Note: If you don’t use Intel Proset software, remove your wireless software and check if that helps.
How to connect iPhone Hotspot to a laptop?
- Drag down from the right top of the iPhone, then long press the network icon.
- Tap the Cellular Data icon, then press the Personal Hotspot icon.
- Click on the network icon on your computer, and click on the forward pointing network arrow.
- Choose your hotspot network from the list and click Connect.
Wrapping up
Hotspot issues aren’t limited to iPhones. If your laptop also struggles to connect to an Android hotspot, or you’re using a MacBook with similar connection problems, the fixes might overlap.
You’ll also find helpful steps if you’re facing a mobile hotspot setup error on Windows 10 or if the mobile hotspot isn’t working at all on Windows 11.
Let us know if the steps above have done the trick for you. If not, maybe you can share with us your exact problem, and we’ll try to find a solution together.
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