4 Fixes for iPhone’s Hotspot Not Showing on Windows 11

Quick Tips

• Open Settings on Windows 11 > Personal Hotspot > turn on Maximize Compatibility.
• Open Settings on Windows 11 > Bluetooth and devices > View more devices > More Bluetooth settings > Allow Bluetooth devices to find this PC.
• If none of the steps worked, your last resort is to connect your iPhone to the Windows PC via a USB cable.

Basic Fixes

• Enable and disable Airplane mode: You may begin your troubleshooting regime by enabling and disabling Airplane mode from the Action Center on your Windows 11 PC.
• Reconnect your USB Wi-Fi adapter: This will help ensure that the USB Wi-Fi adapter is connected properly to your PC.
• Update Windows 11 version: Installing the latest version of Windows 11 can surely help fix the issue.

Fix 1: Turn on Maximize Compatibility in iPhone Hotspot Settings

Since the Windows platform is outside the Apple ecosystem, enable Maximize Compatibility for your iPhone Hotspot.

Open Settings > Personal Hotspot > enable Maximize Compatibility.

Tip: You should also enable the toggle for Allow Other to Join.

Fix 2: Disable Randomize MAC Address on Windows 11 PC

This feature prevents location tracking while using public Wi-Fi networks. Your Windows 11 PC assigns a random Mac address to enable the same.

Open Settings > Network and Internet > Wi-Fi > Turn off Randomize MAC Address.

Fix 3: Turn on Allow Bluetooth Devices to Find This PC

Another way to increase compatibility and quickly connect your PC to iPhone Hotspot is by turning on this feature.

Open Settings > Bluetooth and devices > View more devices > More Bluetooth settings > Allow Bluetooth devices to find this PC.

Fix 4: Reset Network Settings

If the troubleshooting solutions above didn’t help, try resetting the Network on your Windows 11 computer. Note that this will remove all your network customizations and set them to default. Yes, that means you must configure some of it again.

Open Settings > Network and internet > Advanced network settings > click on Network reset under More Settings > Reset now > choose Yes to confirm.

Your PC will now restart. Once you see the home screen, check whether your iPhone hotspot is showing up.

Alternative: Connect Your iPhone to Windows PC via USB

If none of the steps worked till now, your last resort is to connect your iPhone to the Windows PC via USB cable. We recommend using Apple’s official USB cable. While third-party cables would work, they can be unreliable. Also, you must download and install iTunes on your PC.

After downloading iTunes, sign in with your Apple ID. Then, connect your iPhone to your Windows PC.

Step 1: Open Settings > Personal Hotspot > enable Allow Others to Join and Maximize Compatibility.

Step 2: Connect your iPhone with the Windows 11 PC via the USB cable. Keep your iPhone screen turned on during this process.

If you use a third-party USB cable, iTunes might not recognize your iPhone and stop tethering.

Step 3: Open iTunes on your Windows 11 PC.

Step 4: Tap on Trust in the pop-up on your iPhone screen.

Step 5: Open Settings on Windows 11 and click on Network & Internet > Ethernet.

Step 6: Click on Sign In next to the Ethernet network name for iPhone Hotspot.

After your Windows PC connects to the iPhone Hotspot over USB, it’ll show Connected under the network name.