How smart is the iPhone when using a hotspot?

[mrklaw]

now I have an iPhone 6s along with an iPad Air 2. Occasionally I want to use my iPad out and about and it would be handy to use my iPhone as a personal hotspot. But I'm worried that the iPad will see it as a wifi access point and eat all my data downloading updates, podcasts etc.

Is there some intelligence built in - especially if I'm using the Instant Hotspot feature - that would prevent the iPad from going crazy with my data? I remember on my Xperia android phone that it had a setting for personal hotspots so it treated them differently to normal wifi access points

 

[Blujelly]

Mine is connected to my WiFi all the time and occasionally connected to my iPhone via hotspot.

All I do is just turn the hotspot off on my iPhone obviously it doesn't connect to it again unless I select it too. I've also had my hotspot on before whilst my iPad was disconnected from the WiFi and it didn't automatically connect.

if you're worried about this after using your iPad just turn off the wifi to be safe.

 

[windywalks]

now I have an iPhone 6s along with an iPad Air 2. Occasionally I want to use my iPad out and about and it would be handy to use my iPhone as a personal hotspot. But I'm worried that the iPad will see it as a wifi access point and eat all my data downloading updates, podcasts etc.

Is there some intelligence built in - especially if I'm using the Instant Hotspot feature - that would prevent the iPad from going crazy with my data? I remember on my Xperia android phone that it had a setting for personal hotspots so it treated them differently to normal wifi access points

There's unfortunately no such thing on the iPhone/iPad hotspot combo. As you may have noticed, when you use cellular data through the iPhone on your iPad you can download updates over 100MBs and system updates too, therefore there's no throttling/limiting going on.
It will eat through your monthly data allowance quickly.

 

[iphonedude2008]

You should be fine using it. Just don't use apps like Apple news, Netflix, or allow updates while connected.

 

[diamond.g]

You should submit a feedback request for Apple to add connection metering.