Hotspot Keeps Disconnecting

With the rise of remote jobs, maintaining a strong Internet connection has never been more important, especially if you have to work on the go.

However, if your hotspot keeps disconnecting, you risk losing any work that you’ve done online.

In this blog post, we’ll look at what can cause your hotspot connection to drop both on iPhone and Android devices and what you can do to fix it. 

Let’s dive in.

Hotspot Keeps Disconnecting on iPhone

If you’re an iPhone user and you’re having trouble with your connection, here’s what you can do to figure out why your iPhone hotspot keeps disconnecting or isn’t working and fix it.

Data limit

Most cell phone plans come with a data usage limit. If you exceed that limit, you won’t be able to connect to the Internet, which would explain why your mobile hotspot is not working.

Here’s how to check whether you’ve gone over the limit.

1. Go to the ‘Settings’ app.
2. Tap on ‘Mobile Data’.
3. Scroll down to ‘Personal Hotspot.’ 

Here, you’ll find a detailed breakdown of the data you’ve used for the month, which will help you understand if you need to upgrade your plan.

Disable low data mode

If you’re on a limited data plan, you might have enabled the ‘Low Data Mode’ which decreases the mobile data usage. When this feature is on, the iOS software disables most background tasks like automatic updates, downloads, and the hotspot from operating, which may cause your hotspot to disable randomly. 

To deactivate ‘Low Data Mode’:

1. Go to the ‘Settings’ app.
2. Tap on ‘Mobile Data’.
3. Select ‘Main SIM’.
4. Scroll down to find ‘Low Data Mode’ and disable it.

Reconnect hotspot

Sometimes, turning your hotspot off and on can fix the Personal hotspot that keeps disconnecting.

To turn it off,

1. Tap ‘Settings.’
2. Select ‘Personal Hotspot.’
3. Toggle the ‘Allow Others to Join’ switch to turn it on and off. 

Keep hotspot on screen

Users of the iOS beta build, whose iPhone hotspot disconnects when locked, can keep it connected by leaving the ‘Personal Hotspot’ screen on. This will drain the battery faster, but it’s a great trick for emergencies.

Disable low power mode

Unlike the ‘Low Data Mode’ option that keeps the data usage at a minimum, the ‘Low Power Mode’ helps users save battery. This option can also turn off your hotspot if it detects that it’s draining the battery while in use. 

To disable it:

1. Go to the ‘Settings’ app.
2. Find the ‘Battery menu.’
3. Disable ‘Low Power Mode.’

Reset network settings

Another reason why your hotspot won’t stay connected might be a glitch in your network settings.

To reset them:

1. Go to the ‘Settings’ app.
2. Under ‘General’ tap on ‘Transfer or Reset.’
3. Select ‘Reset.’
4. Tap “Reset Network Settings.’

Update carrier settings

If your iPhone hotspot keeps turning off, you can try to update the carrier settings. They usually update automatically, but you might be required to manually update them if the update is big or if you’ve disabled automatic updates. 

To update the network settings:

1. Go to the ‘Settings’ app
2. Under ‘General’ select ‘About.’
3. Scroll down to ‘SIM details.’
4. Check the ‘Network Provider.’

You’ll receive a pop-up notification if there’s an update available.

Update device

Lastly, you can try updating your device in case there’s an issue with the software in the current version that could affect your hotspot functionality. Outdated software can also be the reason why your iPhone keeps disconnecting from your PC as well.

To update your iPhone: 

1. Tap ‘Settings.’
2. Select ‘Software Update.’
3. Tap ‘Update’ (if available).

Hotspot Keeps Disconnecting on Android

There are also several reasons why a hotspot keeps turning off on an Android device. 

Here’s how you can detect the issue and try to fix it. 

Restart your device

A simple solution to fix the connectivity issue is restarting your device. 

To restart your phone, press the ‘Power’ button, hold it down for a few seconds, and tap on the ‘Restart’ option on your screen. 

Data limit

One of the main reasons why you might not be able to connect to the Internet with the hotspot on is that you’ve reached your data usage limit. 

To check your data usage:

1. Tap on the ‘Settings’ app. 
2. Select ‘Wi-Fi & Networks.’
3. Scroll down to find ‘Data Usage.’

There, you’ll be able to check if you’ve reached your data limit. If that’s the case, then that would explain why your hotspot won’t stay on.

Timeout settings

Some Android phones have a ‘Timeout Setting’ that may turn off the hotspot automatically if no devices are connected to the phone, which can disable your hotspot.

To fix it:

1. Go to ‘Settings.’
2. Select ‘Wi-Fi Hotspot’ under ‘Hotspot & Tethering.’
3. Tap on ‘Always keep Wi-Fi hotspot on.’

With this option on, your mobile data will be active at all times and no other setting will interfere with your hotspot connection. 

Disable battery saver

The reason why your hotspot won’t stay on is that your battery saver is enabled since it temporarily stops background apps from draining the battery. 

You can find the ‘Battery Saver’ option in the dropdown menu on your phone.  If it’s not there:

1. Tap on the ‘Settings’ app.
2. Select ‘Battery.’
3. Tap on ‘Battery Saver.’

You can either disable the battery saver or exclude certain apps from getting affected. 

Disable Wi-Fi

If your Wi-Fi connection is turned on on an Android phone, you won’t be able to use your mobile data or your hotspot. Your hotspot might be randomly turning off if your Wi-Fi automatically detects networks and tries to connect to them, which would disable your hotspot from operating. 

To prevent this from happening, you should turn your Wi-Fi off completely when you plan to use your mobile data and hotspot. 

Update device

If all fails, you can try updating your device. An issue with the older version of the software can potentially affect your hotspot connection and can cause it to randomly disconnect. 

To update your Android device: 

1. Open ‘Settings.’
2. Tap on ‘About Phone’.
3. Select ‘Check for Updates.’
4. Tap the Update button (if there’s an update available). 
5. Tap ‘Install.’

Other Reasons Why Your Hotspot Keeps Disconnecting

Other existing factors that could potentially break up your mobile hotspot connection include:

• Your device is out of range.
• There’s an interference issue (another hotspot connection is affecting yours).
• Your device’s antenna is damaged.
• The software updates for your device have stopped.  

Bottom Line 

If you’re having trouble with your hotspot connection, the good news is that there are several ways to fix it (depending on what causes the issues in the first place) both on iPhones and Android devices. The solution can be as simple as restarting your device or updating your software.