I just switched over to Verizon with the new iPhone 5. I tried setting up my personal hotspot, but none of my devices are recognizing in the list of available wi-fi connections. I've tried using my first generation iPad and MacBook Pro. Any ideas?
First you have to make sure your bluetooth is on then turn on your personal hotspot under General an then under cellular an switch it to on or activate it if your plan already allows you then do a full power cycle an then it should pop up under the bluetooth..
Then go on your mac or iPad an look for it be whatever your named your phone i asked the same thing if your device don't recognize it then more then likely its not on or not activated but once its achieve then you well see it in your network on your macbook or iPad.
So, I have to connect to them via bluetooth and not wifi?
I think your phone has to have the Bluetooth turned on. When you connect the the laptop to phone you would go to wifi on laptop. Just guessing tho as I haven't tried it yet
I was able to connect via bluetooth with my iPad. The iPhone 5 still isn't showing up in the wifi list on my computer. I tried syncing the computer via bluetooth and it said it wasn't supported.
Hi kveille,Using the personal hotspot can become tricky as there are three different options available. Based on your details, it sounds like you've been trying the option to connect using WiFi on your computer and iPad. We have the steps needed for iOS 6 to activate and use WiFi so I encourage to use these exact steps to get it to work http://bit.ly/SFLD2b. You will need to check that the MacBook Pro is setup to pick up the network the right way. Check by following http://bit.ly/PJkOWZ. Step 9 demonstrates how to find the network name that you can look for on your computer. Try these steps and keep us posted to the status of the connection.Thank you,MariaC_VZWPlease follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport
Once you lose the connection between the devices, this procedure is useless... I may get lucky by resting the iPhone 5 and the ipod touch 4g / iPad 1st gen.. Is this Verizon issue or Apple issue?
I have to reset my iphone every time i want to use the personal hotspot -- not seen by my laptop(s) or iPad unless i restart the phone. Had iphone 4 on AT&T and it worked much, much better.
Hi there Manueltech!I definitely want you to be able to connect seamlessly! I double checked all reports and didn't find this as an actual recorded known issue.Can you do me a favor? Try changing your hotspot password and let me know what happens!Thanks, MelissaM_VZWFollow us on Twitter @vzwsupport
No change...
Thanks for your concern...
I just switched over from Android (HTC Thunderbolt) and have been using mobile hot spot forever. Personal Hotspot on iOS is AWEFUL! Does not show up for eternity. Turn off/on repeatedly, turn off wifi on rMBP over and over and finally if I'm lucky can get it to connect. This issue needs to be fixed ASAP; pointless for me to pay $30 a month for unlimited MHS to VZW if I can't use the connectivity. What is the reasoning for requiring Wifi/Bluetooth and USB tethering?? I did not have to enable any of the above for using my prior hotspot; it just worked and advertised as a WAP. Lack of configuration options is also disturbing (no control over how many devices or which devices (mac filtering) can access the personal hotspot.
My experience is similar to d1c1ple. Thunderbolt worked perfectly and when it didn't it at least gave you an error to let you know it wasn't working. I connected my iPad via Bluetooth today and it seems to work as expected with no issues connecting ( so far).
I am very disappointed with the iPhone 5. I expected at least on par performance with the phone it replaced. Between the hotspot issues and the lack of data and voice simultaneously, I will not recommend it.
I'm sorry for any inconvenience with the hotspot on the iPhone 5, Tony_v. Please sure the device has the latest iOS 6.0.1 update. You can get this over the air or via iTunes. Once installed, please test the hotspot connectivity. Keep me posted!Thanks,AdamE_VZWFollow us on Twitter @VZWSupport
I can add my $0.02 to this discussion.
The folks at Verizon seem to be either not taking the time to fully understand this WIDESPREAD issue - or are ignoring it, at least somewhat.
I have 6.0.1 on my iPhone 5 with iOS6. Here's how it works (or doesn't work):
I have my device (laptop) turned on. I enable the hotspot on my iPhone (by turning it on). Then, like the other respondents on this thread, I go to my laptop's wifi section. The hotspot will NOT show up. I turn the hotspot on/off - to no avail. It generally takes about 5 minutes of this crazy and frustrating routine for it to finally show up.
To answer your question before you ask it, yes - I'm waiting an adequate amount of time for the darned thing to show up. It's not a problem with the password or anything like that. This happened on the iPhone 4 I used to have as well. I could make it work by simply deleting the last letter of my password and re-typing it, then hitting 'done.' Immediately, it would show up. The iPhone 5 with iOS6 will not work using that trick.
To make matters worse, it's very embarrassing after I converted all of the higher ups in our organization to the iPhone 5 devices. We were formerly on BlackBerries and they were used almost exclusively for hotspots or just telephones. They are now hooked on the 'internet experience' on the iPhone enough that there is no going back to the BlackBerries or I'd pitch these iOS devices in a heartbeat. But it's frustrating to get a half dozen calls a week from people that sign off on my payroll, expressing displeasure over this hotspot issue that Verizon and Apple both seem to profess not to understand - or acknowledge.
I've read all of the posts but am not experiencing any problems with the hotspot issue. I too just switched from an Android (Razr) and my experience couldn't have been easier. I am updated to IOS 6.0.1. I enabled the hotspot feature under the Settings/General/Cellular path and acknowledged that I only wanted to connect WiFi and USB. I then changed the default password to something more familiar. I immediately looked at available WiFi networks on my MacBook Pro and the iPhone showed up almost immediately. I connected, entered the password and was browsing in seconds.
I'm not sharing this to dispute that there is a problem for many people but just to say that it's not happening in every situation.
Please help me use the personal hotspot on my iphone5. It is essential that i get it to work, otherwise the phone is useless to me, as the hotspot capability is the main reason i upgraded from my old non-smart phone. please don't try to sell me an extra nonphone device (jetpack or whatever) for connecting as they did in the verizon store because i can't afford it. The people in the verizon store made me wait for an hour to talk to someone, and then just seemed to want to make me spend even more money than i've already spent on the new phone.
I've tried calling Verizon Customer Service, but they won't help me unless i call from a separate phone, and i don't have another phone to call from. They just argue and say come on, you must have another phone, but i live in a rural area and i really don't.
Every once in a while I can get the hotspot to work, but only rarely does it show up as a connection on my computer or kindle.
I've tried following the steps i've found here and elsewhere on the internet, but nothing seems to make it work consistently.
I've read conflicting info here and on the internet, and so i have these questions:
1. do i need to have the phone's bluetooth on?
2. do i need to have the phone's wifi on? When i turn wifi on, it quickly connects the phone to my local wifi service (it's automatic where i live, and I can't turn it off) as a connection that replaces the 3G connection for the phone. does that keep my phone's hotspot from connecting to my computer or kindle?
3.do i need to turn location services (GPS) off on the phone to connect to my computer and kindle?
Please tell me *exactly* what to do and the *exact order* in which to do it. My computer is a toshiba laptop. my kindle is a 1 and 1/2-year-old basic black and white kindle.
Please i am *begging* you to help me, as i *must* have the hotspot capability for my job.
PS I've been a customer since before the company was called Verizon, back to the Cellular One days, but this is just too much to take. I've spent *many hours* dealing with this problem, to no avail.
*Please Help!*
I registered so I could help you out.
you're saying that your phone automatically connects to your home WiFi, go to settings, then wifi, click on the arrow to the right next to your wifi connection, choose "forget this network". Now you should be using Verizon's data, UNLESS your phone picks up another wifi connection automatically, if that happens repeat the above steps to stop automatic wifi connection of that wifi source.
This is how I use hotspot with my mac air and iPad without any problems: Settings, Wifi ON (but NOT connected to a Wifi signal), Bluetooth ON, Personal Hotspot ON. After I turn on Personal Hotspot within 5 seconds it is discoverable on my computer.
Great. It's really helpful to me to hear that someone else is not having the same problem that I and a bunch of other people are having.
Said nobody, ever.
I just upgraded to 6.0.2 this morning. And I'm still having the hotspot issue as well. And I couldn't possibly care any less if someone else is NOT having it - I would just appreciate it if Verizon (who I know is monitoring these threads) would please acknowledge the issue and explain what is going to be done about it.
After trial and error and NO help from Verizon, I've finally gotten it to work.
Here's what works for me:
Put the phone on a table next to the device you wish to connect to the personal hotspot.
Go into Settings.
Set Airplane Mode to off.
Set Wifi to not connected.
Set Bluetooth to off.
Don't do anything to the Personal Hotspot setting you see underneath the Bluetooth setting thing.
Instead, go into General. Go to Cellular. Go to Personal Hotspot. If it's set to on, turn it off, wait five seconds, then turn it on. If it's off, turn it on.
Within another five seconds, you should the iphone listed among your wireless choices on your computer, Kindle, or whatever.
Leave the settings as indicated above (let well enough alone, let sleeping dogs lie, if it ain't broke don't fix it, etc.!), even if you don't wish to connect at that time.
If you come back later and want to connect, go into General. Go to Cellular. Go to Personal Hotspot. It will still be set to on from the last time; turn it off, wait five seconds, then turn it on.
This is now working for me flawlessly (knock wood!). I want to give a HUGE thank you and shout out to . . . MYSELF for figuring this out through many HOURS of trial and error when Verizon was useless. LOL!
Thank you so much!!
I too am having issues with the hotspot feature.
I have tried turning it off, back on so forth, so on, etc. and nothing works reliably.
Pretty frustrating.
Before you ask, IOS 6.1 (10B143)
You are a genius!
I even made Verizon give me a new phone because of this issue!!!
Thank you!!
