Tethering isn’t iPhone-only; it’s available on many smartphones. As long as users have the right software and a data plan from a cellphone company that includes it, users can wirelessly connect their devices to a smartphone and use the phone’s cellular internet connection.
How iPhone Tethering Works
Tethering works by creating a short-range wireless network using the iPhone as its hub. In this case, the iPhone functions like a traditional Wi-Fi router. The iPhone connects to a cellular network to send and receive data and then broadcasts that connection to the devices connected to its network. Data sent to and from the connected devices is routed through the iPhone to the internet. Tethering is usually slower than broadband or Wi-Fi connections, but it’s also more portable. As long as the smartphone has data service reception, the network is available. Tethering on the iPhone supports connections between devices using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB.
iPhone Tethering Requirements
To use your iPhone for tethering, you must have:
an iPhone 3GS or newerrunning iOS 4.3 or newera data plan that supports tethering.
Any device that can connect to Wi-Fi, including the iPad, iPod touch, Macs, and laptops, can connect to an iPhone with tethering enabled.
How Tethering Differs From a Personal Hotspot
You may have heard the terms “tethering” and “Personal Hotspot” discussed together. That’s because tethering is the general name for this feature, while Apple’s version is called Personal Hotspot. Both terms are correct, but when looking for the feature on iOS devices, look for anything labeled Personal Hotspot.
How to Use Tethering on iPhone
Using tethering on the iPhone is really easy and, to make it easier, we’ve got instructions on how to set up and use a hotspot on your iPhone. If you’ve been using Personal Hotspot, but now the option is missing from your iPhone, check out How to Fix a Missing iPhone Personal Hotspot. If the Personal Hotspot menu is present, but the feature just isn’t working, try How to Fix It When iPhone Personal Hotspot Is Not Working.
How to Automatically Connect Family Members to iPhone Tethering
If you use Family Sharing to share media and purchases, family members’ locations, and other data amongst members of your family, you can easily share your Personal Hotspot, too. To let Family Sharing group members automatically connect to your iPhone’s Personal Hotspot, follow these steps:
Security for iPhone Tethering
For security purposes, all tethering networks are password-protected by default. That means that they can only be accessed by people with the iPhone’s tethering password. That makes them pretty secure. If you want, though, you can change the default password of your iPhone Personal Hotspot.
Data Usage With iPhone Tethering
The data used by the devices tethered to the iPhone counts against the phone’s monthly data usage limit. This means that letting other people connect to your iPhone’s Personal Hotspot can use up your data really quickly. Data overages caused by using tethering are charged at the same rate as traditional data overages.
Maximum number of simultaneously connected devices: 5Maximum number of simultaneously Wi-Fi connections: 3
Costs for Tethering
When it debuted on the iPhone in 2011, tethering was an optional feature that users could add to their monthly voice and data plans. Since then, the way that phone companies price their plans for smartphone users has changed, making data services the foundation of the monthly cost. As a result, tethering is now included in most plans from every major carrier for no additional price. The only requirement is that the user must have a monthly plan that includes a certain amount of data to get the feature. That amount varies by phone company. In some cases, users with unlimited data plans are not able to use tethering to prevent high data use.
Troubleshooting Problems with iPhone Tethering
You may run into problems with tethering from time to time, including other people not being able to connect to your hotspot. If you’re facing these problems, check out our articles:
How to Fix It If iPhone Personal Hotspot Is Not Working. How to Fix Missing Personal Hotspot on iPhone.
