How to Fix iPhone Hotspot Not Showing Up on PC?

It's a frustratingly common scenario: you need to get your Windows PC online, your Wi-Fi is down, but your iPhone has a perfectly good cellular signal. You enable Personal Hotspot, but when you check your PC's available networks, it's nowhere to be found. An iPhone hotspot not showing up on PC is one of the most baffling tech issues, seemingly happening for no reason at all.

This connection failure can strand you when you need internet access the most, turning a simple task into a major headache. The good news is that the solution is often a simple fix. Let's see how to fix iPhone hotspot not showing up on PC quickly and safely.

Part 1. Why My iPhone Hotspot Not Showing Up on PC?

Here are the common reasons why your iPhone's hotspot may not be showing up on your PC:

• The Personal Hotspot feature is disabled on the iPhone.
• The iPhone is not on the main "Personal Hotspot" settings screen, so it has stopped broadcasting its network to save power.
• The PC's Wi-Fi adapter is not compatible with the 5 GHz band that newer iPhones use by default.
• A temporary software glitch exists on either the iPhone or the PC.
• The PC's Wi-Fi is turned off, or the computer is in Airplane Mode.
• The PC has a corrupted or outdated saved network profile from a previous connection to that hotspot.
• The iPhone's network settings are corrupted.
• The PC is missing the necessary network drivers (like those included with iTunes) to recognize the iPhone.

Part 2. How to Fix iPhone Hotspot Not Showing Up on PC?

Knowing the possible reasons why your iPhone hotspot not showing up on PC. Let’s follow these 7 methods to fix this issue. You can try them one by one.

Fix 1: Keep the Hotspot Screen Open

This is the most common reason and the quickest fix. To save battery, your iPhone only broadcasts its hotspot network for a short time. If no device connects, it stops being "discoverable."

Step 1: On your iPhone, go to Settings > Personal Hotspot.

Step 2: Make sure that "Allow Others to Join" is toggled ON.

Step 3: You must stay on this specific settings screen. Do not lock your phone or navigate to another app.

Step 4: While your iPhone is on this screen, check the list of available Wi-Fi networks on your PC. It should now appear.

Fix 2: Enable "Maximize Compatibility"

If you have an iPhone 12 or newer, your phone creates a 5 GHz hotspot by default. This is faster, but some older PC Wi-Fi cards can only "see" 2.4 GHz networks. This setting forces your iPhone to use the 2.4 GHz band, which every Wi-Fi-enabled PC can find.

Step 1: Go to Settings > Personal Hotspot.

Step 2: Toggle the "Maximize Compatibility" switch to ON.

Step 3: Check your PC's Wi-Fi list again.

Fix 3: Perform Basic Resets

A simple "off and on" can clear temporary software glitches on either device.

Step 1: On your PC, turn your Wi-Fi off, wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on to force a fresh scan.

Step 2: If that fails, perform a full restart of both your iPhone and your PC. This clears temporary memory and connection states.

Restart iPhone(For iPhone X or later models): Press and hold either volume button and the side button (on the right) at the same time. Keep holding them until the "slide to power off" slider appears on the screen. Drag the slider across the screen. After the phone turns completely black (wait about 30 seconds), press and hold the side button again until you see the Apple logo.

If you're using the older iPhone models, please refer to the official Apple website: How to restart your iPhone?

Restart your PC: Click the Start button (the Windows icon) in the bottom-left corner (Windows 10) or bottom-center (Windows 11) of your screen. Click the Power icon (it looks like a circle with a small vertical line). Select "Restart" from the menu that pops up.

Your computer will then close all programs and automatically shut down and turn back on.

Step 3: As a final quick reset, toggle Airplane Mode on your iPhone. Turn it on for 15 seconds, then turn it off. This forces all your phone's wireless radios to reset.

Fix 4: "Forget" the Network on Your PC

If you have connected to your iPhone's hotspot in the past, your PC might be trying to use an old, corrupted network profile or a saved password that is now incorrect.

Step 1: On your Windows PC, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi.

Step 2: Click on "Manage known networks".

Step 3: Find your iPhone's hotspot name in the list, click it, and select "Forget".

Step 4: Go back to the Personal Hotspot screen on your iPhone and scan for networks again on your PC.

Fix 5: Reset Your iPhone's Network Settings

If nothing else works, your iPhone's network configuration might be corrupted. This step is a last resort, as it will erase all your saved Wi-Fi passwords and Bluetooth connections.

Step 1: Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.

Step 2: Tap Reset > Reset Network Settings.

Step 3: Your iPhone will restart. After it boots up, try enabling the Personal Hotspot again.

Fix 6: Use an Alternative Connection Method

If the Wi-Fi hotspot still refuses to show up, you can bypass Wi-Fi and use a more direct connection.

Use a USB Cable: This is the most stable and reliable method. Simply connect your iPhone to your PC with your USB charging cable. Your PC should automatically detect it as a wired network adapter.

Use Bluetooth:

Step 1: Pair your iPhone and your PC using the Settings > Bluetooth menu on both devices.

Step 2: On your PC, go to your Bluetooth settings, find your iPhone, and look for an option to "Join a Personal Area Network (PAN)".

Fix 7: Use a System Repair Tool for Deeper Issues

If the standard fixes—like restarting your devices or resetting network settings—do not work, the problem might be a more stubborn software glitch within iOS itself. This can happen if a system file related to networking becomes corrupted. In this situation, a simple toggle won't help.

This is when a dedicated third-party iOS system repair tool, TunesKit iOS System Recovery, can be a potential solution. This software is designed to fix over 150 different iOS system issues like iPhone stuck on Apple logo, iPhone white screen, and iPhone orange screen of death. It can fix your device without losing personal data.

Here are the steps to fix iPhone hotspot not showing up on PC using TunesKit iOS System Recovery.

Step 1Connect Your iPhone and Launch the Software

Download and install the TunesKit iOS System Recovery software onto your PC, then launch the program. Connect your iPhone to the PC using a USB cable. Once your device is detected, click on the "iOS System Repair" module and then click "Start."

Step 2Select the Repair Mode

You will be presented with two options: "Standard Repair" and "Deep Repair." You should select Standard Repair. This mode is designed to fix most common issues without erasing any of your data.

Step 3Download the Firmware Package

The software will automatically detect your iPhone model and prompt you to download the correct firmware package for it. Confirm the details are correct and click "Download."

Step 4Start the Repair Process

After the firmware download is complete, click the "Repair" button. The software will begin fixing your iPhone's operating system. It is critical that you keep your iPhone connected to the PC until the process is finished.

After the repair is complete, your iPhone will restart. Once it's back on, try enabling the Personal Hotspot again to see if your PC can now detect it.

Part 3. FAQs about iPhone Hotspot Not Showing Up on PC

Part 4. Conclusion

Alright, we've listed all the proven solutions to fix iPhone not showing up on PC. If these common solutions fail, the problem may be a deeper iOS system glitch. In this case, a tool like TunesKit iOS System Recovery can be used. This software is designed to fix underlying OS issues by repairing the system files, offering a "Standard Repair" mode that aims to solve networking and hotspot problems without erasing your personal data.