Iphones hotspot feels like designed by a 5 year old with simple logic to turn it off if connected devices are idle! Which modern device uses 24/7 high data?! I can’t even chill in peace without my iphone turning off hotspot. Anyone know how to actually use the hotspot continuously or should I just throw this phone away and buy a cheap android that can do basic functions better?
iPhone 14 Pro, iOS 18
Alright here is the solution:
There is no solution from Apple. Apple can’t bother adding a feature “keep hotspot turned on”.
Note that when you are using a connected device actively, if that device isn’t constantly using high stream of data, it will disconnect. So if you are streaming a movie where the movie has been buffered for the next 2 minutes and isn’t using data for the next 2 mins, it gets disconnected by iphone even if that device itself is connected.
So best solution? Find a phone that won’t let you down when you need portable hotspot.
Alright here is the solution:
There is no solution from Apple. Apple can’t bother adding a feature “keep hotspot turned on”.
Note that when you are using a connected device actively, if that device isn’t constantly using high stream of data, it will disconnect. So if you are streaming a movie where the movie has been buffered for the next 2 minutes and isn’t using data for the next 2 mins, it gets disconnected by iphone even if that device itself is connected.
So best solution? Find a phone that won’t let you down when you need portable hotspot.
There's no problem to solve. Your phone is doing as it was designed to do, which is to disengage if the devices are idle. It's not an opinion. It's a fact. Keep in mind Hotspot is a service from your carrier. It's more likely your carrier has mandated the Hotspot to disconnect if the connected devices are idle.
Whether you call it a threat or not, what are we supposed to surmise, when you ask if you need to buy a cheap Android as an alternative? That's a knee jerk reaction and it's one that's fine if you think an Android would be a better option for you. It just wasn't a necessary thing to say. All you needed to ask was why does the Hotspot disconnect if the devices are ide. And I explained why.
And I don't need to know how anything works on Android. This is an iPhone forum and I do know how things work on iPhone. Comparing two different platforms and expecting the same functionality isn't realistic. Android does what it does. Apple does what it does.
If you want to tell Apple you want them to adopt a different way, you can let them know your thoughts here --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple
If you think buying a cheap Android is the solution to your problems, by all means buy one. We don't care, as threats like this don't honestly matter to us users on this user to user only forum. But if you want to know why it disconnects when the devices your Hotspot is connected to, then there really is a simple reason. It conserves power and reduces data usage. Now, I have no clue how Android handles Wifi in general and I honestly don't care how they do. But I respect that iPhone turns Wifi off if a device is idle. It saves my battery and stops data usage, which is unnecessary if a device isn't actually doing anything.
Do as you wish of course.
Hi,
Apple Developer here. I would urge you to speak respectfully to community members. As a member of the Apple user community, it is expected for them to dislike other branded products, I do myself. The main issue here seems to be that the hotspot turns off when you are using your laptop while travelling. May I know is it a Macbook? Yes or No. And if Yes, what model is it?
Also, if you are constantly using the laptop/Macbook for work or leisure during travel, the hotspot should not turn off. If it does while using Internet, please consult an Apple verified expert. If you are not constantly using the hotspot, then the system is set up to reduce battery and data usage. The auto-switch off is also designed to heavily reduce security risks by ensuring that unwanted or unauthorised connections are not possible. One good piece of advice I can give is that if your laptop is indeed a MacBook, sometimes setting the iPhone as a “trusted personal hotspot” in Wi-Fi settings helps maintain connection longer.
Thanks and goodbye.
Na boss. I got so upset today after losing ton of work because of my iphone, I went ahead and bought one myself. So far I am connected. Problem is not about disconnecting truly idle devices, but disconnecting actively using devices thinking they are idle because they aren’t using high internet constantly.
b0xed wrote:
Note that when you are using a connected device actively, if that device isn’t constantly using high stream of data, it will disconnect.
Yes, that is correct. That's the way the iPhone works.
Dear b0xed,
Due to your lack of Apple Ecosystem use, with the ChromeBook, it’s a lot harder for me to find you a solution.
Now, if you have multiple tabs active at one point, there should be no issue with the hotspot, as long as even one application/ tab is open, there is always background internet activity. If you are still experiencing issues when multiple tabs are open please book an appointment at your nearest Genius Bar. If you need support with this, reply to my message and I will get back to you as soon as possible. My response time varies between 1-7 days. Thanks.
[Edited by Moderator]
If you don’t know the answer or even how things work on android.
I know how things work on Android and I can tell you the Android phones also turn off after 10 minutes of being idle.
Why do you perceive that as threat? Are you from apple? Another community member should focus on what solves the problem, even if that means moving away from ****** technology. If you don’t know the answer or even how things work on android, who asked for your opinion?
And I do appreciate it turning off hotspot(not wifi) some times. But not when I am trying to work on my laptop when travelling.
b0xed wrote:
Another community member should focus on what solves the problem,
Everyone here is volunteering their time. Dictating how they should do that may result in them deciding not to help you at all.
I am not being disrespectful to anyone but people who starts talking as if this is how hotspots should work and bash me for talking about a problem that other OS can solve. If they didn’t like me talking about other OS, they could’ve just solved the original issue, not gaslight someone saying that’s how hotspots are suppose to work.
I’ve lost 10k+ worth of work because of this issue and I am ******. Its not macbook, its chromebook, and I an actively using it. As in programming in vscode(in linux development environment) while having tons of tabs open. But it seems like unless there is a continuous stream of internet being used, iphone doesn’t consider that connection as active? That’s convenient!
b0xed wrote:
But it seems like unless there is a continuous stream of internet being used, iphone doesn’t consider that connection as active?
Correct.
How to keep hotspot turned on when connected devices are idle?
