This article explains how you can fix if the option for Personal Hotspot is missing on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max. Some users are experiencing that they are unable to set up or use Personal Hotspot because they don’t see the option to turn on or turn off the “Allow Others to Join” setting. Some users have said that they started having this problem after updating their device and then the option has suddenly disappeared from Settings.
Please follow the steps below. Before you do anything, ensure that your iPhone 18 Pro has the latest version of iOS. Go to Settings > General > Software Update. If there is an update, tap Download and Install.
1. Check that Cellular Data is on
If Personal Hotspot is dimmed or unavailable, open Settings, tap Cellular, and make sure that Cellular Data is turned on.
2. Airplane Mode / Restart
The next step is simple but effective. It can fix the missing Personal Hotspot problem.
- Go to Settings and turn on Airplane Mode.
- Go to Settings > General > Shut Down, then drag the power-off slider and wait 30 seconds for your iPhone to turn off.
- To turn it back on, press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.
- Turn off Airplane Mode.
- Now go to Settings to see if Personal Hotspot is present.
3. Check your carrier
If the Hotspot option is not showing in Settings, it is possible that your carrier does not offer this feature. Or, your carrier may offer this, but the data plan you purchased may not include this. Some cellular carriers may charge extra for this. And lastly, it is possible that you have exceeded your cellular hotspot data limit.
The first thing you should do is to contact your carrier to ensure that your service plan includes hotspot and your account is active.
4. Reset your APN settings
Your APN settings may cause this feature not to show up. Please note that this may not apply to you, as you can only edit or view your APN on your iPhone 18 Pro if your carrier allows it.
Do not edit the APN unless directed by your carrier or mobile device administrator. If you enter incorrect APN settings, you might lose cellular data connectivity and receive additional charges.
You may want to reset your APN settings to revert to your carrier’s default settings. Here is how:
- Open the Settings app, tap Cellular, tap Cellular Data Network, then tap Reset Settings.
- Where your device shows Mobile Data, open the Settings app, tap Mobile Data, tap Mobile Data Options, tap Mobile Data Network, then tap Reset Settings.
Please also contact your carrier to see if your APN settings are correct. Different carriers may require different settings for using the Personal Hotspot feature.
5. Update carrier settings
It is possible that your carrier may have been aware of this issue and released an update to address the missing Personal Hotspot option problem that you may be facing. You should check for a carrier settings update. Here is how:
- Make sure that you connect your device to Wi-Fi or a cellular network.
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap General.
- Tap About.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to install your carrier update.
If your carrier releases a mandatory update, you will see an OK button instead of an Update button.
6. Force restart your iPhone 18 Pro
Simply force restart your device to fix this problem. Here is how:
- Press and release the Volume Up button.
- Press and release the Volume Down button.
- Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.
7. Reset network settings
Some of your network settings may be corrupted and causing this missing Personal Hotspot problem. You can reset your network settings to fix it. Please note that this will erase all of your network settings such as your Wi-Fi passwords. If you want to do this, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset, then tap Reset Network Settings.
After resetting, you will have to re-enter your Wi-Fi passwords. Apple notes that cellular data roaming may also be turned off.
So you have tried everything and Personal Hotspot is still missing on your iPhone 18 Pro? Then you may want to contact Apple.
