You only realize WiFi is not as ubiquitous as you thought it was when your boss wants to hop on a last-minute video call and the coffee shop you’re at has no guest network. That’s when you’d better know how to use your phone as a hotspot. That type of urgent scenario is not the best moment to figure out how to connect your laptop or tablet to your mobile network, so you might as well learn now. That way, the next time you find yourself in a tricky situation, you’ll be ready to hop online.
A quick note: some mobile plans do not support hotspotting, so even though your phone has the ability to share data, nothing will happen unless your mobile service provider allows it. So before you start trying to tether your device, confirm that your plan has a dedicated hotspot quota or that you are allowed to use your phone’s data on another device. How to use an iPhone as a hotspot On iOS, you’ll find the hotspot menu by opening the Settings app, and tapping Personal Hotspot. If you’re using an older version of iOS, you may need to go to Settings >Cellular >Personal Hotspo