Neil Hughes
One of the new Continuity features between iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite is Instant Hotspot, giving users the ability to automatically connect to the Internet through their iPhone's cellular data connection without the need to touch their phone.
Instant Hotspot requires an iPhone running iOS 8.1 and a Mac with OS X Yosemite installed. As with other Continuity features, both devices must be logged in to the same iCloud Apple ID.
Users must also have a carrier plan with tethering enabled to take advantage of Apple's hotspot functionality. Unlike before, when users were required to open the iOS Settings application and enable Personal Hotspot, Instant Hotspot allows the feature to automatically be enabled without any input.
On a Mac, simply choose the Wi-Fi menu, and the name of the iPhone, along with cellular signal strength and battery life, will be shown. On an iPad, this information can be found in the Wi-Fi section of the iOS Settings app.
With Instant Hotspot, users will no longer be required to enter a Wi-Fi password to tether with their iPhone. The system is secure and the credentials are authorized via their iCloud account.
If a user does pick up their iPhone, they're alerted of the hotspot connection by a blue bar at the top of the screen, which also displays the number of active connections. And as before, tethering between two Apple devices displays a pair of chain links in the Mac's Wi-Fi menu bar.
Apple's system also intelligently disconnects from Instant Hotspot when the tethered Mac or iPad is not using data. This helps to preserve battery life on the connected iPhone, as tethering can place a considerable drain on the handset.
Other Continuity features in iOS 8 are SMS relay, Handoff, and call answering, all of which have been detailed in AppleInsider's ongoing Yosemite Tips series.
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41 Comments
I've been using this between my iPad and iPhone since iOS 8 came out. It's a great feature for a commuter like me... I can just pull out my wifi iPad and leave my phone in my pocket. Much handier while sitting on the bus/train...
I wonder what 'automatic' means in that context. It was possible to do this before although using Bluetooth. I did that all the time. The only advantage of this is that I can turn off personal hotspot in the iPhone' settings. Cool would be if it would connect automatically when no other network is available but that seems not possible. Then it were true automatic
It's indeed a great feature that I've started to use regularly during my commute by train. But a small correction: it is not necessary to leave your personal hotspot switched "on". The switching "on" and "off" is done through the Instant Hotspot feature itself. Very neat.
Question ... Does invoking this with AT&T mean losing a grandfathered in limitless data plan? Or does AT&T simply charge extra? I can't see how they could differentiate so I am guessing it would. I know they refused to let us add an iPad to our limitless data plan.
Of course, you also need a newer Mac since Continuity doesn't work on pre-Bluetooth 4 Macs. I can use Personal Hotspot but I still need to enter a passcode.
@digitalclips I don't have unlimited data plans anymore but our Mobile Share plan at 10GB has been way more than enough for our 5 iPhones and we're not charged for tethering.