Nowadays we want to be connected to the Internet, wherever we are and at all times. That’s easy for our iPhone, which comes with built-in internet connection, but more tricky for other devices like the Mac or even the iPad, if it’s a Wi-Fi only model.
If we find ourselves in a situation where there is no Wi-Fi available, but we need to connect our other devices to the Internet, a practical solution is to use the Internet Sharing feature of our iPhone. A feature that allows us to share the mobile data connection with any device and person.
Before we start, it is crucial that we have an active mobile data plan on the iPhone and that we are in an area with coverage. It is equally important, moreover, that our data rate allows us to share the Internet connection and see under what conditions it does. This is something that the vast majority of operators allow for free, but it is good to check to avoid additional charges.
How to configure the Internet Sharing function on our iPhone
It will be from the iPhone from where we are going to activate the function, consult the consumption and also deactivate the connection once we have finished using it. We will do all that from the Settings app of our phone, the steps to share internet through the Personal Hotspot are as follows:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- We enter Personal Access Point.
- Activate Allow others to connect.
Now, that done, there are two ways to share our mobile data connection with other devices: Wi-Fi and USB cable.
The option to use Wi-Fi is the most popular and also the easiest. Just below the option we have just activated, we will see written down the password of the Wi-Fi network that our iPhone is going to create. The name of it will always be the name of our iPhone, while the password itself can be changed with a simple tap.
Then, from the device we want to connect, whether it’s a Mac, another iPhone or an Android device, we simply search for the network we just created – with the same technology used by AirDrop – enter the password and start browsing.
Another option is to share the connection via cable. This is a less used one, but it can be useful if we have a device that does not have Wi-Fi connection. We will need a USB cable compatible with both devices, connect the cable between the two and then, on the device we want to connect to the Internet, look for the wired connection. Here we will not need a password.
How to view consumed data and disconnect devices
It is important to keep in mind that sharing our mobile data connection can quickly consume a good amount of data. To monitor data usage, we can open the Settings app and go to Mobile Data -or ask Siri to open that section- to see the consumption in the “Internet sharing” section. This way we can avoid skipping the limit of our tariff.
Finally, when we have finished sharing internet, it is more than advisable to disconnect the devices and disable the “Internet Sharing” function on the iPhone. To do this, simply go to Settings > Personal Hotspot and disable Allow others to connect.
The Internet sharing function from the iPhone is a useful tool to share our mobile data connection with other devices when there is no Wi-Fi available. A resource that allows us to have access to the network of networks from virtually anywhere with the same ease that represents activate an option on our iPhone. It’s as simple as that.
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