By Tony Polanco

Copyright tomsguide

Skip to main content

Tom’s Guide

Newsletters

View Profile

Search Tom’s Guide

You May Like

iOS 26 has an awesome Wi-Fi upgrade for your iPhone

How to download macOS Tahoe

macOS Tahoe is live now: 5 features to try first

Phone Insights

Phone Best Picks

Phone Deals

Phone Face-Offs

Phone How-Tos

Phone Reviews

Network Carriers

Android Phones

Google Phones

Motorola Phones

OnePlus Phones

Samsung Phones

Nothing Phone

TV Best Picks

TV Face-Offs

Audio Insights

Audio Best Picks

Audio Deals

Audio Face-Offs

Audio How-Tos

Audio Reviews

Over-Ear Headphones

Bluetooth Speakers

Smart Speakers

TV & Audio Brands

Entertainment

Streaming Devices

Prime Video

Paramount Plus

PlayStation

Handheld Gaming

Gaming Peripherals

Connections

Computing Insights

Computing Best Picks

Computing Deals

Computing Face-Offs

Computing How-Tos

Computing News

Computing Reviews

VPN Best Picks

VPN Face-Offs

VPN How-Tos

VPN Reviews

Operating Systems

Identity Theft Protection

Parental Controls

Malware & Adware

Virtual Reality

Augmented Reality

Smart Glasses

Chromebooks

Gaming Laptops

Apple Desktops

Gaming Desktops

Android Tablets

Computing Brands

AI Insights

AI Best Picks

AI Face-Offs

Google Gemini

Apple Intelligence

Mattress Best Picks

Mattress Deals

Mattress Face-Offs

Mattress How-Tos

Mattress News

Mattress Reviews

Mattress Care

Mattress Toppers

Pillows & Bedding

Smartwatches

Fitness Trackers

Smart Rings

Apple Watch

Home Insights

Home Best Picks

Home Face-Offs

Home How-Tos

Home Reviews

Home Topics

Home Appliances

Home Office

Home Security

Home Brands

Popular Brands

View Phones

Phone Insights

Phone Best Picks

Phone Deals

Phone Face-Offs

Phone How-Tos

Phone Reviews

Network Carriers

View Network Carriers

Android Phones

View Android Phones

Google Phones

Motorola Phones

OnePlus Phones

Samsung Phones

Nothing Phone

TV Best Picks

TV Face-Offs

Audio Insights

View Audio Insights

Audio Best Picks

Audio Deals

Audio Face-Offs

Audio How-Tos

Audio Reviews

Headphones

View Headphones

Over-Ear Headphones

View Speakers

Bluetooth Speakers

Smart Speakers

TV & Audio Brands

Entertainment

View Entertainment

View Streaming

Streaming Devices

Prime Video

Paramount Plus

View Gaming

PlayStation

Handheld Gaming

Gaming Peripherals

Word Games

Connections

View Computing

Computing Insights

Computing Best Picks

Computing Deals

Computing Face-Offs

Computing How-Tos

Computing News

Computing Reviews

VPN Best Picks

VPN Face-Offs

VPN How-Tos

VPN Reviews

View Hardware

View Software

Operating Systems

View Security

Identity Theft Protection

Parental Controls

Malware & Adware

View VR & AR

Virtual Reality

Augmented Reality

Smart Glasses

View Laptops

Chromebooks

Gaming Laptops

View Desktops

Apple Desktops

Gaming Desktops

View Tablets

Android Tablets

Computing Brands

AI Insights

AI Best Picks

AI Face-Offs

AI Engines

Google Gemini

Apple Intelligence

View Wellness

Mattresses

View Mattresses

Mattress Best Picks

Mattress Deals

Mattress Face-Offs

Mattress How-Tos

Mattress News

Mattress Reviews

Mattress Care

Mattress Toppers

Pillows & Bedding

View Fitness

Smartwatches

Fitness Trackers

Smart Rings

Apple Watch

Home Insights

Home Best Picks

Home Face-Offs

Home How-Tos

Home Reviews

Home Topics

Home Appliances

Home Office

Home Security

View Outdoors

Home Brands

Popular Brands

Meta Connect LIVE
iPhone 17 Pro Max Review
iPhone Air Review
iPhone 17 Review
Best laptops

Best Mattress

Don’t miss these

iOS 26 has an awesome Wi-Fi upgrade for your iPhone

How to download macOS Tahoe

macOS Tahoe is live now: 5 features to try first

I review Macs for a living: 5 ways macOS Tahoe has made me more productive

Online Security
These 5 macOS settings are a security risk and you should turn them off now

Online Security
7 iPhone security settings you should enable right now to lock down your smartphone

This macOS Tahoe feature lets me track my coffee orders in real time — and I’m obsessed

How to install a VPN on iPhone

I’ve been using the new Spotlight in macOS Tahoe 26 — and it’s an absolute game-changer

macOS Tahoe 26 is ready to try out: here’s how to download the public beta

I swapped my home internet for a 5G connection for 6 weeks — here’s what happened

5 must-try iOS 26 features for your iPhone — and how to use them

I Love macOS, But These 3 Apps Fix What Apple Still Gets Wrong

Unlock the Power of iOS 26 — 3 AI Shortcuts You Need to Try Now

I recently got hacked — here’s 5 hidden Apple security features I wish I’d known about

Operating Systems

macOS Tahoe 26 finally lets you automatically join your iPhone’s hotspot — here’s how to do it

Tony Polanco

18 September 2025

It’s easier than ever to connect your Mac to your iPhone’s hotspot

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

If you’re on the road, it’s not always easy to find a place with reliable (or safe) Wi-Fi. This can be especially frustrating if you’re trying to get work done.

Using your iPhone as a hotspot is a great option, but you might not want to fiddle around with settings every time you need to connect. Thankfully, macOS Tahoe has made it easy to use your iPhone as a personal hotspot.
If you’ve updated your iPhone and Mac to their latest operating systems (iOS 26 and macOS 26, respectively), here’s how you can enable automatic hotspot joining.

You may like

iOS 26 has an awesome Wi-Fi upgrade for your iPhone

How to download macOS Tahoe

macOS Tahoe is live now: 5 features to try first

1. Go to Wi-Fi settings

(Image: © Apple / Tom’s Guide)

In the top right corner of the screen, click on the Wi-Fi button on the Menu Bar or in Control Center. This will open Wi-Fi Settings.

2. Scroll down to “other” section

(Image: © Apple / Tom’s Guide)

Next, scroll down until you find the “other” section. Here, you’ll see options for Ask to join networks and Ask to join hotspots. Click on the up and down arrows.

3. Select Automatic

(Image: © Apple / Tom’s Guide)

Once you click on Ask to join hotspots, you’ll see three options: Never, Ask to join, and Automatic. Click on Automatic.
And that’s all there is to it. Like I said, having to constantly manually join your hotspot can be frustrating, especially if you’re in a hurry. Now that you can automatically join your hotspot, you can save a few precious minutes.
It’s also worth noting that Auto-Join works with Family Sharing. That means your Mac can automatically connect to a family member’s personal hotspot or let their Mac automatically connect to yours.
Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

More from Tom’s Guide

You can turn off Galaxy AI on your Samsung phone — here’s how
Your phone battery is dying faster than it should — here’s how to fix it
Write better messages with Writing Assist on your Samsung Galaxy S25

Today’sMacBook deals

Apple 13″ MacBook Air M4 (2025)

$799View Deal
See all prices

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 (2024)

$1,299View Deal
See all prices

Apple 15″ MacBook Air M4 (2025)

$999View Deal
See all prices

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M4 (2024)

$1,799View Deal
See all prices

Apple Macbook Air (M1 2020)

$599View Deal
See all prices

We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

Sign up to get the BEST of Tom’s Guide direct to your inbox.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

See more Computing How-Tos

Tony Polanco

Social Links Navigation
Senior Computing Writer

Tony is a computing writer at Tom’s Guide covering laptops, tablets, Windows, and iOS. During his off-hours, Tony enjoys reading comic books, playing video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending too much time on X/Twitter. His non-nerdy pursuits involve attending Hard Rock/Heavy Metal concerts and going to NYC bars with friends and colleagues. His work has appeared in publications such as Laptop Mag, PC Mag, and various independent gaming sites.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

iOS 26 has an awesome Wi-Fi upgrade for your iPhone

How to download macOS Tahoe

macOS Tahoe is live now: 5 features to try first

I review Macs for a living: 5 ways macOS Tahoe has made me more productive

These 5 macOS settings are a security risk and you should turn them off now

7 iPhone security settings you should enable right now to lock down your smartphone

Latest in macOS

How to download macOS Tahoe

macOS Tahoe is live now: 5 features to try first

Apple macOS Tahoe review: Apple Intelligence and Liquid Glass upgrades are a winning combo

Apple macOS Tahoe 26 launches today — here’s all the new features to try first

I Love macOS, But These 3 Apps Fix What Apple Still Gets Wrong

I review Macs for a living: 5 ways macOS Tahoe has made me more productive

Latest in How To

macOS Tahoe 26 finally lets you automatically join your iPhone’s hotspot — here’s how to do it

How to use your iPhone to read laundry care labels instantly

How to watch Billie Jean King Cup Finals 2025 for FREE: live stream tennis online from anywhere, schedule

I used Google’s Nano Banana to try a bunch of different hairstyles — and the results blew me away

I updated to iOS 26 on day 1, and these are the 5 new features that impressed me the most

How to download watchOS 26 — your guide to installing the latest Apple Watch software

LATEST ARTICLES

I’ve been using watchOS 26 for months, and this one feature makes it worth the upgrade

How to use your iPhone to read laundry care labels instantly

iPhone Air battery life tested — here’s how it really stacks up

Corded vs cordless vacuum cleaners — which one is better for cleaning? Here’s what an appliance expert says

5 best Prime Video movies to stream now before they leave this month

Tom’s Guide is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Terms and conditions

Contact Future’s experts

Privacy policy

Cookies policy

Accessibility Statement

Advertise with us

Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street,

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait…