Managing hotspots in iOS 13, iPad and macOS Catalina: this is how you do it

iOS 13 handles personal hotspots slightly differently than previous versions. The connection remains active, even if the sending iPhone is not used. This can cause problems with your (limited) data bundle. We show you how to manage hotspots in iOS 13, iPadOS and macOS Catalina.

Turn off hotspot in iOS 13: this is how you do it

Hotspots can be incredibly useful. If your Wi-Fi network is not working for a while and you need the iPad, you ‘borrow’ the internet from your iPhone in this way. In iOS 13, paired devices remain connected even though your iPhone screen is off. This can cause problems, especially if you have a limited internet bundle. Fortunately, you can easily manage hotspot access:

  1. Open the Settings app of your iPhone (or iPad);
  2. Tap ‘Wi-Fi’ at the top of the settings menu;
  3. Scroll down and choose ‘Automatically connect to hotspot’.
hotspot disable ios 13 screens

Here you have three options. If you choose the top option, this device will never connect to a personal hotspot. With the second option, permission is requested in advance. The third option does not take this into account and always connects to hotspots if there is no WiFi network within range. In macOS Catalina you can also disable hotspots, although the steps to follow are slightly different:

  1. Open System Preferences from the Dock, or from the Apple menu in the Finder;
  2. Click on ‘Network’ and choose a WiFi network in the left column;
  3. Then uncheck the second option.

Why turn off hotspot

Since iOS 13 and iPadOS, devices remain connected to the source of the hotspot. This can lead to unpleasant situations. For example, if you forgot to connect your iPad to a Wi-Fi network but downloaded all kinds of app updates, your iPhone’s hotspot will be used for this. If you have a limited data bundle, this quickly ends up in the paper. It is therefore often more convenient to require devices to request permission. This way you can maintain more control.

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