Your Mac Can Auto-Join an iPhone Hotspot in macOS Tahoe - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Your Mac Can Auto-Join an iPhone Hotspot in macOS Tahoe

macOS Tahoe 26 includes support for automatically joining your iPhone's Personal Hotspot when no Wi-Fi network is available, so you no longer need to manually connect.

macOS Tahoe 26 Thumb 2
To set up automatic joining in ‌macOS Tahoe‌, you can click on the Wi-Fi button in the menu bar or Control Center to open up Wi-Fi Settings. From there, scroll down to the bottom where it says "Ask to join hotspots" and click to select the Automatic option.

With Auto-Join Hotspot turned on, when your Mac doesn't have Wi-Fi available and is near an iPhone or iPad providing a Personal Hotspot, it will automatically attempt to join it.

automatic hotspot macos tahoe
Auto-Join works with Family Sharing, so you can set up your Mac to automatically connect to a family member's Personal Hotspot, or allow their Mac to automatically connect to yours.

Popular Stories

iOS 28 AI

Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28

Sunday November 8, 2026 7:42 am PST by
Apple has made a change to its development process for iOS 28, macOS 28, and corresponding software updates, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, he said Apple separates development of each year's new operating systems into three major stages. Typically, he said each stage consists of four weeks of coding followed by a four-week "convergence" period where...
duo aquarium

More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try

Friday November 6, 2026 3:27 pm PST by
When the iPhone Duo launched, we shared a list of some of the fun apps developers created for the new form factor. Two weeks out, developers are continuing to come up with fresh ideas, so we thought we'd share some of our favorites. Games Marbles Unhinged ($2.99) - Marbles Unhinged is a marble maze designed for the Duo. When you fold it, the floor turns into a ramp. If you stand the top...
apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Five New Products Today

Thursday November 5, 2026 12:59 am PST by
Apple is launching five new products on Friday, November 6, following pre-orders that opened last week, including its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models. The following new products will be available from today: iPad mini with OLED display and A20 Pro chip iMac with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen 16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED...

Top Rated Comments

Robert.Walter Avatar
15 months ago
Since my cell carrier has a strong signal, blazing fast speeds, and cheap prices, I no longer have a WiFi at home and exclusively use my hotspot.

It has been quite annoying to have to turn it on on the phone so frequently, so this is a much asked feature from me (via feedback app) (and no doubt many in my situation).

One question that I haven’t tested yet is that frequently I see my neighbor’s iPhone hotspot.

Does auto join any hotspot or only those it has been authenticated to like during manual join?

I think it must be the latter but ask out of an abundance of caution as I’m not keen (spoof hotspot for MIM attack?) on just attaching to any hotspot in the neighborhood, train or plane.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
15 months ago

my macbook air m1 is running crazy hot on tahoe . I regret updating
Relax and check back in a day or two.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProbablyDylan Avatar
15 months ago
Crazy that the iPad did this before the Mac. Glad to see this feature.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
15 months ago

Since my cell carrier has a strong signal, blazing fast speeds, and cheap prices, I no longer have a WiFi at home and exclusively use my hotspot.

It has been quite annoying to have to turn it on on the phone so frequently, so this is a much asked feature from me (via feedback app) (and no doubt many in my situation).

One question that I haven’t tested yet is that frequently I see my neighbor’s iPhone hotspot.

Does auto join any hotspot or only those it has been authenticated to like during manual join?

I think it must be the latter but ask out of an abundance of caution as I’m not keen (spoof hotspot for MIM attack?) on just attaching to any hotspot in the neighborhood, train or plane.
I did the same and haven’t had a Wi-Fi router for a few years so this is welcome as I feel your pain in manually connecting.

You can forget networks so can set your neighbours phone to ignore. Also your Mac would need to know their hotspot password anyway which I assume you don’t have?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GtrDude Avatar
15 months ago
All kinds of useless stuff and you still can't resize the finder window and let it stay like that after a reboot.
Simple, useful, and something that should be "allowed". But no, Apple knows best.
Still can't do a basic click-through. Have to go and activate the window then you can start clicking.
Still the "End" button on the keyboard won't take a blinking cursor to the end of a line. It scrolls down a full page as if that's even related when you're in the middle of typing anyway.
Apple loves adding useless features to their os systems.
Beyond crazy.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
15 months ago
I look forward to this working magically. Except when it doesn’t, and there’s no way to find out why.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Some HomePod Mini 2 Buyers Returning Units Over Mac Speaker Issues
Some HomePod Mini 2 Buyers Returning Units Over Mac Speaker Issues
10 minutes ago
MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display: Details You Might Have Missed
MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display: Details You Might Have Missed
21 minutes ago
Satechi Offers MacRumors Readers 30% Off Select Accessories in Early Black Friday Sale
Satechi Offers MacRumors Readers 30% Off Select Accessories in Early Black Friday Sale
43 minutes ago
Leaker Envisions a Shorter iPhone With a New iOS Layout
Leaker Envisions a Shorter iPhone With a New iOS Layout
1 hour ago
Apple to Give You More Control Over When Your Mac Passwords Lock
Apple to Give You More Control Over When Your Mac Passwords Lock
2 hours ago
Siri Is Getting a Better Memory
Siri Is Getting a Better Memory
2 hours ago
iPhone 18e Could Feature Bigger Display and Battery
iPhone 18e Could Feature Bigger Display and Battery
3 hours ago
Apple's Siri Boss May Leave - Here's Who Could Take Over
Apple's Siri Boss May Leave - Here's Who Could Take Over
3 hours ago
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
3 hours ago
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
12 hours ago
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
22 hours ago
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
1 day ago
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
2 days ago
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
2 days ago
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
2 days ago
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
3 days ago
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
3 days ago
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
3 days ago
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
3 days ago
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
3 days ago
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
3 days ago
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
3 days ago
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
3 days ago
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
3 days ago
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
3 days ago
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
3 days ago
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
3 days ago
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
3 days ago
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
3 days ago
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
3 days ago