Other Autoconnect to IPhone hotspot

[Avery52]

My IPhone Wifi hotspot (the first one in the screenshot) is shown with a different icon from any other hotspots (Android, broadband etc).

This doesn't bother me except I need to manually re-connect my Mac to the hotspot whenever it's restarted/woke up from sleep, instead of it auto-connecting like other wifi hotspots.

Anyway to get the Mac to auto-reconnect?

Specs:
IPhone 6 iOS 11.2
MBP MacOS Sierra

 

[cynics]

Open network preferences on the Mac when connected to the iPhone and click “automatically join this network”.

You’ll want to be using the Instant Hotspot feature of MacOS and iOS so it activates the hotspot on the iPhone remotely so it can authenticate via iCloud.

 

[Avery52]

Open network preferences on the Mac when connected to the iPhone and click “automatically join this network”.

There is no such option though it should already be automatically joining known networks (it has no problem doing so for my broadband/school wifi).

You’ll want to be using the Instant Hotspot feature of MacOS and iOS so it activates the hotspot on the iPhone remotely so it can authenticate via iCloud.

The hotspot on iPhone is always on so there's no need to activate it again.
The problem is the MacOS cannot auto-reconnect to the iPhone hotspot after MacOS wake up from sleep.

 

[dontwalkhand]

I don’t think it’s possible as it is designed as a secondary internet connection not a primary. It’s intentionallu this way so you don’t drain your phone’s battery or burn through data when the Mac decides it wants to do an update.

 

[cynics]

There is no such option though it should already be automatically joining known networks (it has no problem doing so for my broadband/school wifi).

The hotspot on iPhone is always on so there's no need to activate it again.
The problem is the MacOS cannot auto-reconnect to the iPhone hotspot after MacOS wake up from sleep.

This is what mine looks like using High Sierra 10.13.4.



If I check that. Unplug my home router, put my iMac to sleep, and then wake it up it connects to my iPhone. Can't attest to its reliability.

With my Hotspots OFF on my iOS devices if I view Wifi network drop down I see this.



Other wifi networks are listed below those including my home network. Those are my devices signed into my iCloud that are within range and have hotspot functionality.

I don't know why you wouldn't get the ability to automatically join. Do you have the automatically join feature with actual networks?

Could be something to do with the "Instant Hotspot" feature, or lack thereof. I don't have a way of testing this since I would need to sign out of iCloud to do it. Instant Hotspot is one of Apples Continuity features. It requires the devices to be signed in with the same AppleID, Bluetooth to be on (this is how it can show battery life, LTE reception, and activate the hotspot remotely), Wifi to be on, and probably some other stuff.

Doubt any of that helped you but good luck!

 

[Nuno Lopes]

This used to work … somehow it stopped working for me. MBP 14, iPhone 13 Pro Mac, latest iOS.