It doesn’t seem to be a widespread issue — so far I’ve heard of it happening on Telstra iPhone 4S units, but it may go further — but it looks like the upgrade to iOS 5 may remove the personal hotspot feature entirely. Here’s how to get it back.
I’ve got to give thanks to Daniel Vooks (of Vooks.net) for passing this one along. Not just because it’s useful information, but because restoring an iPhone 4S last night with a Telstra SIM in it made the same thing happen to me. Over the weekend, Daniel upgraded to iOS 5. Alongside all the shiny new features he noticed that something was missing; the personal hotspot feature that was present previously. He did something brave — he phoned Telstra support to sort out the issue. Not always the smoothest procedure, but he’s shared the details of what worked for him with me, which means none of the rest of us have to spend hours waiting on hold. Thanks (of a sort) to my own 4S doing the same thing last night, I can screenshot the procedure for you.
Republished from Gizmodo
John
Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 11:11 AMThere’s another fullproof way.
Settings->General->Reset->Reset Network Settings.
Scott
Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 1:32 PMI lost the Personal Hotspot feature when I installed the iOS 5 GM about two weeks ago. After a bit of searching, I found a source that suggested the same approach in this article. I’ve been happily using Personal Hotspot and iOS 5 ever since!
For the record, it’s not just the new iPhone 4S that is affected; I’m using an iPhone 4 32GB on a Telstra Business plan.
hafiz
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 12:04 PMit is not working on my phone4. Model A1332 EMC380B. STUPID IOS5.
Will
Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 9:24 PMI was cursing and swearing about my iPhone 4 32G on the Telstra business not able to hotspot until I came across Scott’s comments on top, and the reset worked !!!!!!
THANK YOU TO BOTH SCOTT AND JOHN !!!!!
igwe
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 8:29 PM@@hafiz
November 4, 2011 at 12:04 PM
it is not working on my phone4. Model A1332 EMC380B. STUPID IOS5.
—————————————————-
i have the same model A1332, do this to activate your hotspot
setting>general>network>cellular datanetwork>(scroldown)internet tethering>enter APN (most time APN name is your provider and password is internet)
Bob Bevill
Friday, November 18, 2011 at 3:53 AMUpgraded to 5.0.1. Lost Personal Hotspot connectivity. Performed: Settings->General->Reset->Reset Network Settings. Awesome!! Everything is back
Meeks
Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 12:37 PMSince the iOS5 update my iPhone 4 has had hotspot issues too. Last night the phone entirely shut down when trying to upload a PDF attachment via email. I tired putting it on a FTP, same thing. Phone literally turned off, then restarted with the hotspot still on when it was back up, however the hotspot then wouldn’t work unless I turned it off and back on. I ended up sending the PDF fine from another persons Internet connection and computer so it wasn’t the file. I’ve always had issues with my hotspot stopping working, if no device is connected to it for a few minutes it seems to stop working entirely. If I go into it, it still shows as on but wont work until I turn it off an on again. But this new issue is much worse. Highly annoying as I use my 3G data plan and hotspot to create a wireless network at home and it is our sole Internet connection for 2 iPhones, a mac and an iPad.
eckythump2
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 12:16 AMmy “personal hotspot” hasn’t been up for years.
Varun
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 10:29 PMAwesome! Worked perfectly for me on my factory unlocked iPhone 4.
Miriam
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 11:38 PMHelp! I used the personal hotspot connection for the first time last night and have used 134% of my 2GB monthly allowance…do u think it’s from streaming tv over hotspot? I’m with Telstra.. Just updated my iPhone 4 today..
Fi
Sunday, October 23, 2011 at 1:36 PMStreaming tv on 3G? Yeah, it’s probably from that.
Nik
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 6:59 AMWorks! Thanks
Rodney
Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 9:00 PMThanks, LifeHacker. Works OK on the upgraded iPhone 3. Still have not managed to get the wifi hotspot working on the iPhone 4, but at least the Bluetooth works & I can het to the Interwebs again.
Peter Robertson
Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at 9:46 PMUpgraded my iPhone 3GS to iOS5, then iOS5.0.1 and:
1. Lost all my contacts and could only find a backup from May even though iTunes always assured me it was doing backups.
2. Lost my personal hotspot. BUT, not as described here, seems fine on phone, but connector on my Win 7 machine is not working, thinks it’s an ethernet adaptor and insists network cable is unplugged and assures me it’ll work fine when I plug it in. (I am connecting phone –> PC via USB.)
This Apple stuff is often really dodgy, I get so sick of all the crap about “it just works!” No, it works a lot of the time just like any other tech stuff.
Oh, insult to injury, when I ran out of help tree options on Apple’s site, in the next step, they suggested I might like to pay them a fee to fix it.
Gee, that’s an upgrade I’m really glad I accepted.
Peter
Tim Brooke-Taylors Union Jack
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 4:09 PMI saw the Network reset settings but was too scared to touch it until I read the Lifehacker forum dudes. The visual aids provided were so ridiculously helpful, I had the problem fixed in a squat. Why doesn’t the iPhone come with an instruction manual or troubleshooter page?(Is that like asking why can’t the government just print more money?) Some people still look at paper and still read instructions! Poop! Fixed now. Yay!! …and Eckythump; it probably never was.
Aparna
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 7:39 AMWhoa… !! Found missing hotspot on my iphone4 after changing name and reset….Finally…after 2 days of mental trouble…am glad I came to this page, thanks a ton
LPro
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 8:23 PMIn my case the Personal Hotspot appeared in Settings->General->Network but was grayed out and had its round cursor always circling.
All I had to do was to phone customer service for my carrier and say I wanted to use this feature. They configured something into the GSM network and after a Network Reset I have it functional. Worth a try.
Louise
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 2:27 PMThank you so much, as I couldn’t find the hot spot feature since up grading from the iPhone 3 to iPhone 4S.
Every easy for me to locate and use:
Setting>General>Network>Personal Hotspot>On
Simple!
James
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 4:35 PMThis really worked for me I did the network reset but it didn’t show up so I went on the Cellular data settings > Internet tethering > I put up my providers settings then I went back to settings now I just got the personal hotspot back on!!!
James
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 4:35 PMI did the network reset but it didn’t show up so I went on the Cellular data settings > Internet tethering > I put up my providers settings then I went back to settings now I just got the personal hotspot back on!!!
Kirupa
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 12:14 PMHi
I am using iPhone-4s, after approach above steps still could not get back Hot spot. Any other suggesion let me know.
thanks,
Martin
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 5:45 AMBut what im supposed to do, when i dont see even after “reset network settings” internet thetering or personal hotspot as well?? Cellular data settings includes only cellular data apn etc & mms settings. Jailbreaked iOS5.0.1 , BB 02.10.04, iphone 4 16gb
MTK
Monday, March 19, 2012 at 1:23 PMHi guys, I don’t have the ‘personal hotspot’ icon either……I’ve done the ‘Reset Network Settings’ but that hsan’t helped….is it because my iPhone 4 is 4.2.1??? If so, how do I update to 4.3? I’ve synced my phone as recently as last week, and don’t recall seeing anything about installing version 4.3
Aswin r prabhu
Friday, April 13, 2012 at 5:08 PMsame issues faced by martin.. exactly the same.. did the the network reset but still the personal hotspot is missing.. have a gevey sim unlocked, iphone 4, ios 5.0.1,bb2.10.04.. pls help.. desperatley in deed for personal hotspot.. :(