Instant Hotspot! Freaking awesome!

[lparsons21]

Got my iPhone 6+ and iPad Air 2 over the last couple days. The iPad is a wifi only since I can see no advantage to paying the $130 premium for a cell equipped one and paying more each month or just buying data for it.

Using a mobile personal hotspot on the phone gives you the ability to set up an adhoc network simply and easily and using the cell plans data on any wifi equipped device.

The Instant Hotspot that Apple introduced in iOS8 for some of the iPhones an iPads makes it so much simpler to use from an those Apple devices. Basically just click on the personal hotspot from the device (iPad, iPhone and Mac) and it automagically shifts the hotspot on even if the phone is asleep at the time. When you disconnect in one way or another, then the hotspot turns off automagically.

To use non-Apple gear to attach to it, it is the same old way. And if you haven't started it with an Apple device first, then you have to manually start the personal hotspot the way that's been done all along.

For all Apple users, this is one sweet thing!!

 

[T134]

It is about time that Apple copied another feature we've had in Android for years.

 

[lparsons21]

Hold on, Android has NOT had an automagic hotspot that I've ever seen.

With Apple I can leave the phone in my pocket asleep and get to the personal hotspot without any action required on the phone itself. The hotspot isn't the story, Apple's had that for lots of years too. The instant hands off use is new.

 

[lparsons21]

Ah, I did some searching. Android did not and does not have it, but some 3rd party apps do it. Big difference IMO, or at least some differrence...

 

[T134]

Ah, I did some searching. Android did not and does not have it, but some 3rd party apps do it. Big difference IMO, or at least some differrence...

Absolutely incorrect. It has been in every Android build since at least 2.2. I know this because I still have Android 2.2 phone around here somewhere with it. Some *carriers* have it hidden in their builds because they want to charge for data tether. In the case of 2.2 I installed a free App with a button to turn it on instead of having to go into dev options. One button press and a secure WiFi hotspot is created.

Android Jelly Bean and up has it right in the settings under wireless & networks > More > tethering & portable hotspot. Options are WiFi hotspot, USB tether or Bluetooth tether.

 

[king3pj]

Absolutely incorrect. It has been in every Android build since at least 2.2. I know this because I still have Android 2.2 phone around here somewhere with it. Some *carriers* have it hidden in their builds because they want to charge for data tether. In the case of 2.2 I installed a free App with a button to turn it on instead of having to go into dev options. One button press and a secure WiFi hotspot is created.

Android Jelly Bean and up has it right in the settings under wireless & networks > More > tethering & portable hotspot. Options are WiFi hotspot, USB tether or Bluetooth tether.

Mobile hotspot has been available on iOS for a long time too. I've been using it for years. He is talking about a specific feature that works when you are using two Apple devices. Say you are trying to tether an iPad to use your iPhone's data connection. With this new feature you can turn the tethering on from the iPad directly to connect instead of pulling your phone out and turning it on there first.

 

[lparsons21]

I thought I said that!

 

[king3pj]

I thought I said that!

I knew what you were talking about. Either he misunderstood or Android has a similar feature. I don't use any Android devices so I have no idea what their features are.

 

[thomasjk]

KitKat 4.4.4 has a mobile hot spot app included. I did not see it in 4.4.2.

 

[lparsons21]

The discussion isn't about mobile hotspot it is about getting it automatically by selecting in the client and not having to do anything with the phone itself! That has not been built into Android at all though there are apps that supposedly do it!

 

[T134]

Mobile hotspot has been available on iOS for a long time too. I've been using it for years. He is talking about a specific feature that works when you are using two Apple devices. Say you are trying to tether an iPad to use your iPhone's data connection. With this new feature you can turn the tethering on from the iPad directly to connect instead of pulling your phone out and turning it on there first.

Ahhhh now I get it. Device A tells Device B to turn on its hotspot remotely so you don't have to push the button on B. I never even thought about something like that. When I use my phone as hotspot for tablets or computer it is always within arm's reach. I just had a look at CN4.44, regular Android 4.42 and 4.22 and I don't see anything like that in the O/S. Just hotspot and tether, no remote way to turn them on that I can find.

I recall all the excitement about jailbreaking the things just to get a hotspot or tether to work on Apple. I had thought you Apple guys still couldn't run WiFi hotspots and tethering and that is what the OP was excited about. My bad. Stupid Android user!

 

[mike123abc]

It of course only works if they are on the same itunes account. Otherwise you have to use the wifi hotspot method.

Essentially it is automatic connection sharing among devices on the same iTunes account without having a wifi hotspot set up.

Another variation of this is that you can use your ipad to answer a call on your iphone if they are on the same wifi network.

 

[lparsons21]

Almost right, Mike. It is by AppleID which may or may not be the iTunes ID.

And the standard tethering has been part of the iPhone since at least the iPhone 5 as I had it on that phone too. Just not automagic. The instant hotspot feature is nice though not earth shattering. A for instance. If I left my phone by my bed (not an uncommon occurrence) and my home internet was down I could just go on the iPad or Mac tell them to grab the phone and the internet is ready to go. Basically if I'm within a direct wifi range to the phone it works seamlessly.

I also tried the making and receiving of calls from the iPad, works as advertised. And Handoff where you can be in a file with certain Apple apps, you can go to another device and pick up right where you left off. Not too handy for me as I don't use Apple's office suite.

 

[lparsons21]

A little additional info. If you have gotten on that instant hotspot with an Apple device, then any wifi capable device can use it also but it would need the password of the hotspot 'server'. And if you don't use other Apple gear the hotspot is still useable, but you have to turn it on and off as needed.

You use Facetime to make calls from an Apple device through the phone, btw.

It is all pretty slick and simple to use. Another fine example of Apple taking some existing tech and refining and polishing it to make it a more viable solution. They are very good at that.

 

[Stargazer]

If you use your phone as a hotspot then wouldn't the phone company want to charge you for that?

 

[satgirl51]

If you use your phone as a hotspot then wouldn't the phone company want to charge you for that?

Most plans include it, and the plans that don't people jailbreak so they do.

 

[lparsons21]

Even the single line plans from the major carriers do, or at least both VZW and ATT have it that way. I will say that in August VZW had a 'promo' single line plan that supposedly allowed for mobile hotspot, then the web page disappeared and mobile hotspot didn't work ever with it.

But the providers like Straight Talk and others often do not allow for a mobile hotspot in their plans.

 

[Claude Greiner]

If they are charging you for your data then the hotspot is free. If you got unlimited data then they want to charge to turn on the feature

 

[satgirl51]

If they are charging you for your data then the hotspot is free. If you got unlimited data then they want to charge to turn on the feature

Correct, I have my iphone 6 jailbroke just for the hotspot feature, I am grandfathered unlimited data customer which normally blocks that feature, they had blocked facetime as well but at&t lifted that and now unlimited users can facetime as much as they want now.

 

[TheForce]

Has anyone here compared a hotspot using iphone to ipad or other device like a surface Pro to the ipad using it's own internal wireless connection? Interested in performance problems.

I have been paying for three lines, iphone, samsung phone, and ipad 3. It just occurred to me that I could have dropped the line on my ipad now since I'm over 2 years on my contract. I have free hotspot use on both iphone 5 and the samsung, so is there a reason I should not drop the phone number on the old ipad? I believe it may save me $40 plus taxes. Have to check my Verizon bill.

OK after checking my bill the tablet line access is only $10 so it's worth just keeping it on the account. Smart phones are $40.