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I recently bought an iPad2 (WIFI only) in addition to my iPhone 4 I already had. There are two reason I took the wifi only model:

  1. I am not planning on taking the iPad everywhere I go. That's what the iPhone is for.
  2. I have an unlimited data plan with free tethering on the iPhone. If I ever need Internet on the go, I just make a personal hotspot and use the iPhone's connection on the iPad.

However, in order to join that hotspot, I need to first take the iPhone, go to settings and then I can join the hotspot with my iPad. I guess it's a nice security compromise, however it is still a real pain if I use the iPad 2-3 times per hour over the day at work and have to go to the iPhone's settings every time. This also happens if my GF's iPhone 3G wants to connect to my hotspot (she has no data plan).

Is there a way to allow certain devices to join the hotspot at a moment's notice, without taking out the iPhone itself?

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  • Exactly what I want to know
    – Peter
    Commented Nov 3, 2011 at 5:25
  • I THINK apple makes it this way so iPhone can save battery: as soon as you disconnect from the hotspot, it "turns off" wi-fi. So every time you want to connect again you have to click there so you can turn on again.
    – Pierobon
    Commented Jun 2, 2012 at 12:53

4 Answers 4

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If you connect to the iPhone not via wifi but via bluetooth, there is no need to do anything on the iPhone, just establish the connection using the iPad's bluetooth settings. Of course, bluetooth on the iPhone must then remain always switched on. I do this all the time, the iphons remains in the pocket ...

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It’s a power saving feature not a security issue. People forget to turn the hotspot off and that drains the battery. It appears apple has decided that with no settable waiting period the hotspot should shut down if there is no traffic which is what happens when the iPad goes to sleep.

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What happens to me is that I pick up the iPad after some inactivity, and it is disconnected, and fails to connect automatically. However, instead of going to the iPhone's settings, I go to the iPad's WiFi settings and tap the hotspot's SSID. Once in a while, just opening settings triggers it connecting, but usually, I have to actually tap on it.

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no there isnt but yes it is a good security compromise.

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  • 2
    Might you elaborate on how this is a security compromise?
    – bmike ♦
    Commented Sep 30, 2013 at 23:49
  • I don't see how this is a security compromise given that the personal hotspot network uses WPA2 and is basically unbreakable other than by brute forcing, but that would take an insane amount of time.
    – user56648
    Commented Aug 30, 2014 at 0:11
  • Or an insane amount of luck.
    – WGroleau
    Commented Mar 1, 2020 at 20:30

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