I don’t want to believe I’m currently the only person who needs to why his Android hotspot is not working and needs solutions to fix it. Android HotSpot not working as your primary hotspot could occur on any device like laptops, desktops, Android, iPhones and other devices that can be turned into a source of internet access to other devices.
You need to know that the “Android Hotspot Not Working” is a general problem that can affect any device. It’s not peculiar to a particular device alone.
Here in this article, we will provide answers to “why is my hotspot not working” and also provide a general solution to fix the hotspot issue on your device.
This article will also cover the troubleshooting tips that you need to fix personal hotspot not working on iPhones and Windows.
Why is my Hotspot not Working on Android
Hotspots may stop working on your device for a few reasons and the reason varies depending on the device that you are using. However, for Android users, the following could be a few of the reasons why your Android hotspot is not working.
- The hotspot is not turned on.
- Your Android phone is overheating
- Outdated Android OS
- Third-party apps interfering with your phone hotspot
- Android phone is not rooted
If your Android phone experiences any of the reasons listed above then your phone hotspot might not work perfectly.
How to Fix Android Hotspot Not Working
Since we know the possible reasons why your phone hotspot is not working it will be easy to fix it. Meanwhile, you’d have to try all the possible troubleshooting tips below to find out which of the errors is affecting your phone.
Upgrade your Android OS
Updating your phone OS to the latest release can help fix your hotspot not working. You want to ensure that you phone OS is always up-to-date.
- Go to your “Phone Settings.”
- Scroll down and tap “About Phone.”
- Tap your “Phone OS” to search for the latest update.
- If there is an “Update” available you will be prompted to download and install the latest update.
If you are running the latest version of your device OS you will not see any update available instead your phone will display “you are runing the latest version” or something similar.
Reset Network Settings
Another steps to take to fix your phone hotspot not working include resetting your network settings. So, as a measure to fix your phone hotspot you need reset the network settings.
- Go to your “Android Settings.”
- Tap “Additional Settings.”
- Scroll down and choose “Back up and reset.”
- Select “Reset Phone.”
- Choose “Reset Network Settings.”
- Type your “Unlock Code” or confirm your “Fingerprint” lock.
Your phone netwwork settings will be reset. Now check whether your hotspot is working by clicking on the hotspot icon to enable it.
Restart your Phone
Restarting your phone could fix the phone hotspots. With just a restart you can clear all the glitches causing your phone not to work.
- Press and hold your “Android Phone Power Button” for about 5 seconds.”
- Swipe up to “Restart.”
Once the phone restarted try to check whether the hotspot is turned on.
Change “Hotspot Security” to “None”
If your phone hotspot is not orking you should consider setting the security to “None” first to see whether you can connect to your hotspot without using a password. I did this on a several occassions and my Hotspot works and I then turned on the password and limit the number of devices that can connect to it.
- Go to “Settings” on your “Android” phone.
- Tap “Connection & Sharing.”
- Choose “Hotspot.”
- Tap “Hotspot Settings.”
- Tap “Security.”
- Choose “None.”
Turn on your phone hotspot and see if your other devices can connect to it. If yes, then leave it for a while, change the hotspot password, and enable the security feature to set a new password. In this case, your device may see it as a variation of the first hotspot name.
Edit Wi-Fi Settings
This is another way to fix hotspot problem on your Android phone. Technically, your phone hotspot should come back to life and start working effectively. If this problem persists, consider editing your phone’s Wi-Fi.
- Go to Settings > Wi-Fi > Advanced > uncheck Avoid poor connection (option available on some devices).
Also clear phone hotspot caches
- Go to Settings > Manage Apps > Hotspot Shield. In the App info screen, tap Clear data.
Format your Android Phone
This is a harsh decision and you should only use this method when you have tried the steps above and none of the works.
However, before you procee to format your Android phone you should consider removing the linked Google account if you can’t remember the login password. Here is how to remove Google Gmail account from your Android phone.
- Go to your “Android” phone settings.
- Choose “Additional Settings.”
- Click on “Back up and reset.”
- Toggle on “Automatic Restore” to restore your backup settings automatically after the format.
- Choose “Reset Phone.”
- Tap “Erase All Data.”
- Type your phone “Lock screen password.”
Wait for a couple of seconds for your phone to complete formatting. Once it’s done you will be prompted to set up your Android phone from the scratch. With this, your phone hotspot should be working fine.
Why my Hotspot is not Working iPhone
Below answers some of the reasons why your hotspot is not working on your iPhone no matter how hard you tried to make it work.
- Your personal hotspot isn’t turned on.
- Your iPhone is running an outdated iOS.
- There is an error with your iPhone network settings.
These are simple glitches though but it can ruin your iPhone hotspot from working.
Hotspot not Working iPhone
With the following troubleshooting tips you will be able to fix hotspot not working on your iPhone instantly.
Turn on Personal Hotspot
Before you conclude that your iPhone hotspot is not working you need to put it to active first by turning on the hotspot on your device.
- Go to your “iPhone Settings.”
- Click on “Cellular.”
- Select “Personal Hotspot or Settings.”
- Toggle on “Personal Hotspot.”
At this point if your personal hotspot button is missing then you need to contact your network carrier to ensure that they support hotspot usage.
Restart your iPhone and the Device that want to Connect to your iPhone Hotspot
Here is another measure to fix hotspot not working on your iPhone. You need to restart both devices. Your iPhone and the device that is connecting to your iPhone internet-access with the aid of your iPhone hotspot.
- Press and hold the keys to turn off your iPhone for a couple of seconds.
- Choose “Shut Down” or “Turn Off.”
- Wait for a couple of seconds and turn on the iPhone.
Take the same or somewhat similar approach on the second device to restart it and attempt to turn on your iPhone hotspot to see whether it is turned on and the other devices are able to detect and connect to it.
Update your iPhone OS
If your device support the latest iOS you should consider upgrading your device to it.
- Go to your “iPhone” settings.
- Tap on “General.”
- Select “Software Update.”
- Select “Download Update” if there is an update available otherwise you should see info that you are running the latest iOS.
Reset Network Settings on iPhone
If your iPhone hotspot is yet to work then you should focus on the network settings. Here, we will consider resetting the network settings as the measure to fix your iPhone hotspot not working or not allow connections from other devices.
- Go to your iPhone “Settings”
- Tap on “General”
- Choose the “Transfer or Reset [Device]” option.
- Tap “Reset” >> Reset Network Settings.
The steps above reset your iPhone resets Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and VPN and APN settings.