How to use your iPhone as a Wifi router or modem to share internet data connection to other devices

iPhone hotspot Is the home modem not working properly and do we need to finish the work we are doing on the PC even with the help of the Internet? In these cases it can be very useful use the iPhone as a real modem, thanks to the sharing of the connection to the cellular data network and the creation of an ad hoc Wi-Fi network (also called hotspot), a Bluetooth connection or a USB cable connection. Whichever method is chosen, the result is guaranteed: in fact, we will be able to connect our computer or any other device to the Internet using the data offer of the active subscription on the inserted SIM card.

In this guide we will show you how to use iPhone as a modem or router, showing you all the steps to follow to share the connection on the cellular data network and connect PCs, noteboks, Macs, MacBooks, other iPhones, Android tablets and iPads.

Configure iPhone as a modem or wifi router

On modern iPhones, you can configure up to four different types of hotspots, so you can choose the best technology or method to connect your devices each time. The simplest hotspot is Wi-Fi, but we can also configure the host via Bluetooth (if the PC or device to be connected has Bluetooth), the hotspot via USB cable (the most practical and secure) and, as exclusive novelty of the iPhone, automatically connect the devices connected to the family account in hotspot In family.

How to activate Wi-Fi host on iPhone

To activate the Wi-Fi hotspot on our iPhone we open the app Settings, let's get to the menu Cell phone and activate the data connection by pressing on the switch next to the item Cellular data.
Once this is done, let's go back to the first screen of the app Settings, we press on the menu Personal hotspot and turn on the switch next to the item Allow others to log in.

Personal hotspot
After activating the item, the network will be immediately available with the name of the iPhone itself and the password shown on the screen. If we try to connect an Apple device associated with our Apple ID account, the password will not even be requested: access will be immediate, since the hotspot password is synced with iCloud.
To change the password for accessing the Wi-Fi network (the one already present is randomly generated by the iPhone when the function is first started) simply press on the item Wi-Fi password in the menu Personal hotspot.

How to activate other hotspots on iPhone

In addition to connecting via Wi-Fi, on iPhone it is possible also take advantage of the hotspot via Bluetooth or the hotspot via USB cable.


To take advantage of the Bluetooth connection, make sure that Bluetooth is active both on the computer and on the iPhone, open the Bluetooth icon on the PC or Mac, press the name of the iPhone and type the security code shown on the latter to establish the connection.
If instead we don't want to use a wireless connection (common scenario when the iPhone is empty), just get the iPhone USB cable, connect it to a free USB port and, once the connection is established, open the network menu of our computer and press on the iPhone name to establish a connection to the Internet. In the latter mode we will be able to surf the Internet and keep the iPhone under charge, so that we can continue surfing until the battery of the notebook runs out (on PC instead we can surf without limits).

How to set up Family Sharing automatic connection

In addition to the methods seen above, there is another way to connect to the hotspot generated by the iPhone: just take advantage of the mode In family. This mode allows our family members who (use other Apple devices) to automatically connect to our hotspot using their Apple accounts previously added to the account In family.

In the Apple family
To activate the family account we open the app Settings on our iPhone (which will act as organizer or parent), press the name of the Apple ID at the top, press the menu In family and finally on Set up your family group. Now we will have to do is follow the instructions on the screen and, at the appropriate time, indicate the Apple IDs of our family and their permissions.

After activating Family Sharing, let's take the path again Settings> Personal Hotspot, we press on the new menu In family and, for each member of our family, we choose if they can automatically connect to your hotspot (when active) or if they need to ask for authorization via real-time on-screen notification. This will allow us to offer an emergency connection for the whole family when the landline modem is not working properly or the ADSL or fiber optic connection is not available.

Conclusions

The hotspot on the iPhone is really very simple to configure and, as per Apple tradition, it is well integrated with all the other Apple devices on the network and configured with our same account: in fact it will be enough to activate the hotspot to immediately allow the access to all our Apple devices. For other non-Apple devices we will have to use the password indicated in the sharing screen, even if it is always possible to use the hotspot via Bluetooth or via USB cable.
The function that allows the automatic connection of the Apple devices on the screen is really very interesting In family, so as to speed up the connection of our family's iPhone, iPad and Mac without even having to enter the password.

If we want to create a hotspot network even with a PC running Windows 10 or with an Android mobile device, we invite you to read our guides Create a WiFi hotspot on Windows PC is How to activate Hotspot on Android to share Internet via Wifi, Bluetooth or USB.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here