Share this article
Improve this guide
FIX: Surface Pro won’t connect to the iPhone’s hotspot
Make sure that the WiFi setting on your Surface are correctly set
5 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
Share this article
Improve this guide
Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial teamRead more
Key notes
No matter which device you’re on, whether it is an iPhone or Android, your Surface Pro will work with it, so you can get the most out of them.
When used together, you canaccess your photos, music, documents, and other favorites, but you can also connect to your mobile phone as a hotspot, via the tethering functionality.
Both theSurface Pro 4and iPhone work just great together, but there are times when the Surface Pro 4 won’t connect to your iPhone’s hotspot, either because of network settings, or another underlying cause.
This article looks at how to fix this connection issue using the solutions below.
How do I fix Surface Pro 4 not connecting to the hotspot?
1. Check special characters on the SSID name
Sometimes your Surface Pro 4 won’t connect with theiPhonehotspot because of special characters used in the iPhone name, which makes the device not recognize the characters, therefore you need to change it.
Note:Numbersarespecialcharacterstoo, so delete spaces and apostrophes, but numbers as well. E.g. don’t writeBob’siPhone, writeBobsiPhoneinstead.
2. Disable Network Device
One other solution is to disable your network device on your Surface Pro 4. In order to do this, you need to fiddle with your adapter settings and transform your other device into a wireless network.
3. Check WiFi settings on your Surface
Sometimes, simply checking if your Wi-Fi connection is actually on is all you need to do. Also, the Airplane mode needs to be off in order for your internet to work, because if it is enabled, it will block any time of data transfer from your phone.
4. Check your network on another device
If your iPhone hotspot appears in the list of available networks on your Surface Pro 4 but you can’t connect, ensure the network is working properly on another device. Also, make sure that the device has a working internet connection that could be transferred through the hotspot.
If it doesn’t work on any other devices, the problem might be with the network or hardware itself, preventing it from properly connecting to your Surface Pro.
5. Check the date and time settings
You can also check and, if needed, correct your date and time settings on your Surface Pro 4. This information can interfere with your connection if the date and time on your devices do not correspond with each other.
6. Check to see if MAC address filtering is enabled
MAC filtering can bring up the Surface Pro 4 won’t connect to the iPhone hotspot issue. If it is turned on, change it by following the aforementioned steps.
7. Check the signal
If you have limited or no connectivity, then you may be out of range so you need to check your signal. In the taskbar, select awireless networkand check to see how many bars are lit up in the cellular icon.
If you have only one lit bar or none, you are likely on the edge of or out of your operator’s range. To reconnect, you need to move to get back in range.
Losing a wi-fi signal is easy, especially if you’re in a different room or far away from your router. The wi-fi radio waves have a hard time passing through concrete walls, so keep that in mind.
8. Allow roaming
If you are traveling outside of your mobile operator’s network coverage area and want to use an iPhone hotspot connection, make sure that roaming is turned on.
Roaming allows you to connect to theInterneteven when you are away from your mobile operator’s network.
Some operators charge extra for roaming or have a different data plan with this included. Set your Surface so roaming turns on by default when you are out of your mobile operator’s range.
This sums up all the possible fixes for your issues regarding the Surface Pro 4 connection to a mobile hotspot.
Did any of these solutions help get your connection back? Share with us in the comments section below. Also, leave any other suggestions or questions that you may have and we’ll be sure to check them out.
More about the topics:iPhone issues,windows 10
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
User forum
0 messages
Sort by:LatestOldestMost Votes
Comment*
Name*
Email*
Commenting as.Not you?
Save information for future comments
Comment
Δ
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
