Your laptop can’t see a phone hotspot when band, security, drivers, or settings block discovery; switch to 2.4 GHz, update, and reset network.
Hotspot Not Showing On Laptop — Fast Checklist
Work through these quick wins first. Each one targets a common reason a phone hotspot stays hidden on a Windows PC or Mac.
- Toggle the hotspot off, wait 10 seconds, then turn it on again.
- Turn Wi-Fi off and back on, then refresh the laptop’s network list.
- If you use an iPhone, enable “Allow Others to Join.” On iPhone 12 or newer, try the Compatibility toggle to force 2.4 GHz.
- On Android, set the AP band to 2.4 GHz, then test again.
- Forget the hotspot on the laptop, then reconnect with the exact password.
- Disable VPN, firewall tools, or battery savers during testing.
- Restart both devices.
| Issue | Why It Hides | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Band mismatch (5 GHz/6 GHz vs 2.4 GHz) | Old adapters scan only 2.4 GHz or skip 6 GHz. | Pick 2.4 GHz or a mixed band mode on the phone. |
| Security mode mismatch | Laptops that lack WPA3 won’t list a WPA3-only hotspot. | Change hotspot security to WPA2 or WPA2/WPA3. |
| Hidden SSID or scan delay | Hotspot broadcasts late or hides its name. | Wait 30–60 seconds or rename the hotspot and retry. |
| Driver disabled | Wi-Fi adapter is off in Device Manager. | Enable the adapter and update the driver. |
| Airplane mode or radio off | Wi-Fi or Bluetooth was toggled off. | Turn radios back on and rescan. |
| Saved profile glitch | Old settings stop discovery. | Forget the network and reconnect fresh. |
| Carrier limits | Plan blocks tethering or ran out of data. | Check plan; contact your carrier. |
| Battery saver | OS pauses radios to save power. | Disable battery saver while testing. |
| Personal Hotspot cache (Apple) | Continuity cache gets stale. | Turn Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off/on on both devices. |
| VPN or firewall filter | Discovery frames get blocked. | Quit VPN and security apps; test again. |
Why Your Laptop Can’t See The Phone Hotspot
Wireless discovery depends on band capability, security, and timing. If any one of these falls out of line, the SSID never shows.
Band And Channel Choices
Many phones default to 5 GHz for speed, and some models can even expose 6 GHz. Old laptops, budget USB dongles, and power-restricted tablets may only scan 2.4 GHz or skip DFS channels. A quick switch to 2.4 GHz boosts visibility on almost every client.
Security Modes
A WPA3-only hotspot will not appear on hardware that works with WPA2. Pick WPA2 or a mixed WPA2/WPA3 mode on Android when discovery fails. iPhone Personal Hotspot works with a broad set of clients; if it fails to appear, use the 2.4 GHz compatibility toggle on newer models.
Discovery Path On Macs
Macs can show an iPhone under Personal Hotspot through Continuity. That path relies on both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth being on and signed in with the same Apple ID. If the name doesn’t surface, toggle Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices, or open the iPhone’s Personal Hotspot screen to wake it.
Saved Profiles And Timing
A stale profile, a typo in the password, or a scan delay can hide the SSID. Forget the network on the laptop, wait a minute, then try again. Renaming the hotspot also clears cached fingerprints.
Windows Fixes That Work
Start simple, then step up only if the hotspot still refuses to appear.
- Turn Wi-Fi off and on from Quick Settings, then click the refresh icon in the network picker.
- Click “Manage known networks,” remove the phone hotspot, then connect again.
- Open Device Manager → Network adapters → right-click your Wi-Fi card → Enable (or Disable, then Enable).
- Update the adapter driver from the laptop maker or the card vendor.
- Run Network reset: Settings → Network & internet → Network reset. The PC restarts and rebuilds adapters.
If you need a walkthrough, see Microsoft’s Wi-Fi connection guide for adapter checks and reset steps.
Heads-up: a reset clears saved Wi-Fi, VPN, and proxy data. Keep passwords handy.
Macbook Fixes That Work
When a Mac can’t see a phone hotspot, radio toggles and Continuity cues usually bring it back.
- Turn Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on. Both are needed for Instant Hotspot discovery.
- From the Wi-Fi menu, choose Network Settings, then click the three-dot menu next to your phone and Remove From List.
- On the iPhone, open Settings → Personal Hotspot and leave that screen open for 15 seconds.
- Back on the Mac, wait for the phone to appear under Personal Hotspot. If it stays missing, restart both devices.
If you use Instant Hotspot, make sure both devices share the same Apple ID and have two-factor on. You can also set Ask To Join Hotspots to Automatic under Wi-Fi settings.
iPhone Hotspot Settings That Make It Visible
These switches affect whether laptops can see the SSID at all.
- Settings → Personal Hotspot → turn on “Allow Others to Join.”
- On iPhone 12 or newer: turn on the Compatibility toggle to use 2.4 GHz.
- Tap Wi-Fi Password and use plain letters and numbers. Avoid emojis and symbols.
- If the list stays blank, go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Reset → Reset Network Settings, then re-enable the hotspot.
Apple documents these steps in its Personal Hotspot guide.
Carriers can disable tethering on some plans. If the option keeps vanishing, contact your carrier or try a different SIM to confirm.
Android Hotspot Settings That Make It Visible
Menus vary by brand. These tips apply across Pixel, Samsung, OnePlus, and others.
- Settings → Network & internet → Hotspot. Set AP band to 2.4 GHz or pick a “compatibility” mode.
- Change Security to WPA2 or WPA2/WPA3 mixed. Test after each change.
- Edit the hotspot name and pick a short ASCII name. Save and toggle the hotspot off/on.
- If discovery still fails, reset network settings and try again.
Driver And Adapter Checks
Some laptops ship with tiny Wi-Fi cards that fall back to 2.4 GHz or lose scans while on low power. A few minutes in Device Manager can cure that.
- Open Device Manager → Network adapters → double-click your Wi-Fi card.
- On the Power Management tab, clear the box that lets the computer turn off the device.
- Find Preferred Band to 2.4 GHz, if available, then test.
- If the vendor lists a newer driver, install it. Reboot and scan again.
- If discovery still fails, uninstall the adapter from Device Manager, check “Delete the driver,” reboot, and let Windows reload a fresh copy.
If your card tops out at 802.11n and struggles with phones, a low-cost USB 802.11ac or ax adapter can be a quick fix.
Channel And Region Quirks
Phone hotspots can pick DFS channels on 5 GHz. Some laptop cards skip those channels during normal scans. If a rename and rescan still shows nothing, force the phone to 2.4 GHz, then try again from the same room.
On 2.4 GHz, channels 1–11 are safe in most regions. If your hotspot app lets you pick a channel, stick to those. That avoids silent country-code mismatches.
| Platform | Menu Path | What To Change |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11/10 | Settings → Network & internet → Network reset; Device Manager → Network adapters | Reset the stack; re-enable the Wi-Fi adapter. |
| macOS | Wi-Fi menu → Network Settings; Apple menu → System Settings → Network | Remove old profiles; keep Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on for Instant Hotspot. |
| iPhone | Settings → Personal Hotspot; Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Reset Network Settings | Turn on join access; use the Compatibility toggle; reset radios if stuck. |
| Android | Settings → Network & internet → Hotspot; Hotspot configuration | Set band to 2.4 GHz; pick WPA2 or mixed mode. |
Still Can’t See It? Try Cable Or Bluetooth
USB or Bluetooth bypasses Wi-Fi scanning. That can get you online while you sort out radio settings.
- iPhone → USB to Mac or PC: connect the cable, wake the phone, tap Trust if asked; then pick the iPhone from the network list.
- Android → USB to Windows: use USB tethering from the Hotspot screen. Macs can’t use Android USB tethering.
- Any phone → Bluetooth tethering: pair the devices, then share the connection from the tethering menu.
Deep Checks When Nothing Works
At this stage, you want to rule out policy blocks and corrupted stacks.
- Test with a second laptop or tablet. If that device sees the hotspot, the issue sits on the first laptop.
- Create a new hotspot name and a short password. Avoid spaces and punctuation.
- Disable third-party antivirus or firewall tools for one test scan.
- Boot Windows into Safe Mode with Networking and check the list again.
- On Android, turn off “Wi-Fi sharing” or “Wi-Fi to mobile hotspot” bridging features that add complexity.
- On iPhone, sign out of the Personal Hotspot screen, wait, then sign back in to iCloud if Continuity looks stuck.
Still stuck? Network reset on both the laptop and the phone clears stacks and profiles. Rebuild the hotspot, then connect fresh from two meters away with no VPN.
Make Your Hotspot Easy To Find Next Time
- Keep a short, clean hotspot name and password that use only letters and numbers.
- Stay on 2.4 GHz when you travel with older laptops or cheap adapters.
- Update iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS before trips.
- Carry a tiny dual-band USB Wi-Fi adapter for old PCs.
- Turn off VPN and security suites during first connect, then re-enable.
- Charge the phone; low-power modes tend to throttle radios.
One more tip: write the menu paths you used for your phone brand in a notes app. Next time a laptop can’t see the hotspot, you’ll flip the right switch in seconds, with zero fuss.