Table of contents
First check whether the phone itself can browse using the travel eSIM with Wi-Fi off. If it cannot, fix mobile data before hotspot settings. If phone data works, check whether the exact package permits tethering and whether it has a separate sharing allowance.
A working hotspot needs both a usable mobile-data connection and a working link to the other device. A laptop showing “connected” proves only the second part. An unlimited allowance on the phone does not automatically mean unlimited sharing.
Choose the symptom before changing settings
| Symptom | Check first | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Hotspot option is missing or unavailable | Plan/carrier permission and selected data line | Ask the provider whether tethering is enabled for this package |
| Laptop cannot find or join the hotspot | Hotspot name, password and compatibility | Retry the local Wi-Fi connection |
| Laptop joins, but has no internet | Phone cellular data and sharing allowance | Test phone browsing, then check provider limits |
| Only one connected device fails | That device’s network/VPN settings | Compare another device briefly without downloading large files |
Rule out a mobile-data problem
- Select the travel eSIM for mobile data and make sure the line is enabled.
- Turn the phone’s Wi-Fi off briefly and open a small webpage. Pause large backups or updates during the test.
- If the page does not load, stop here and use installed eSIM but no data.
- If it loads, keep the travel line selected and test with just one connected device.
Do not let automatic data switching hide the result by falling back to a chargeable home SIM. The installation guide covers line selection. Keep a route back to trusted Wi-Fi while diagnosing, especially if you need to open the provider account.
Check the exact plan’s hotspot permission
Read the product’s tethering terms and current remaining allowance. Check for a separate sharing cap and its reset period, not just the headline phone-data amount. If the terms are silent, ask the provider; missing information is not permission.
For Holafly, hotspot availability and the shareable daily amount are stated in the destination plan’s technical details. Its hotspot guide tells travellers to check those exact details. Do not apply a monthly subscription’s sharing terms to a one-off trip package, or borrow one destination’s limit for another.
A hotspot filter helps identify plans with confirmed support, but it does not promise an unlimited tethering allowance or remove a provider’s conditions. If you are comparing again, check your destination’s plans and the full specifications before buying. Changing phone settings cannot grant an allowance the package does not include.
If an iPhone hotspot cannot be found or joined
- Open Settings → Personal Hotspot and enable Allow Others to Join, where available.
- Stay on that screen while the other device joins the displayed network using its password.
- On the joining device, toggle Wi-Fi off and on and confirm that it selected the correct hotspot.
- If your supported iPhone offers Maximize Compatibility, try it for a connection problem, then retest.
Apple’s hotspot troubleshooting documents these checks. Maximize Compatibility can reduce internet performance and Wi-Fi security for connected devices, so use it deliberately rather than treating it as a universal speed setting. Do not remove the hotspot password to make joining easier.
On Pixel or another Android phone
On Pixel, look under Settings → Network & internet → Hotspot & tethering → Wi-Fi hotspot. Check the name and password. Turn Data Saver off for a Wi-Fi tethering test, then review whether you want to restore it afterwards. Google’s Pixel tethering instructions explain this requirement and warn that carriers may restrict or charge for tethering.
Other Android phones use different names, including Mobile Hotspot under Connections. Use the manufacturer’s instructions for your model. Do not copy an APN or an “APN type” tweak from another eSIM provider: ask whether your exact plan needs a tethering-specific setting.
If the hotspot disappears only after being idle, check its automatic shut-off setting. If it drops during active use, record the timing and whether phone browsing also fails. That distinction helps support separate a local Wi-Fi issue from a mobile-network or allowance problem.
When to stop and ask support
- Phone browsing works, but the hotspot setting is missing despite confirmed plan support.
- You have sharing allowance left, but every connected device has no internet.
- The provider’s instructions require a setting that your phone does not expose.
- The connection fails again after one careful retry of the documented settings.
Send the exact plan, phone/software, joining device, error wording and results of the phone-only test. Keep your hotspot password and eSIM activation details out of public screenshots. Do not reset the phone or delete the travel profile to troubleshoot the laptop’s connection.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my laptop connect to the hotspot but have no internet?
The local Wi-Fi link can work even when the phone has no usable cellular data. First test phone browsing with Wi-Fi off, then check tethering permission and any separate sharing allowance.
Does unlimited eSIM data include unlimited hotspot use?
Not automatically. Check the exact plan’s tethering terms and allowance. Monthly subscriptions and ordinary prepaid trip plans can have different rules.
Will changing the APN unlock hotspot sharing?
Not if the plan does not permit it. Change connection settings only when the provider supplies instructions for that exact eSIM; do not use an unrelated APN or bypass a package restriction.
Related help
For a slow rather than broken connection, read fair-use and reduced-speed rules. For a tablet’s own cellular line rather than phone sharing, see eSIM on an iPad.