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Doug Lass

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Original poster
Mar 12, 2015
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So as it is, post iOS13, Hotspot on the iPhone can't be turned off, except by turning off cellular access. Now, I use Hotspot occasionally, and have it turned on, but I use cellular a lot. Is Hotspot eating battery power when I'm not using it, but while I am using cellular and Hotspot is enabled? I'd like to believe it isn't, which is why Apple decided to keep it on.
 

Taz Mangus

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Mar 10, 2011
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Not sure why Apple would show that it is off when it is not.

IMG_1180.png IMG_1177.png
 
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hg.wells

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Apr 1, 2013
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No, you don't understand. As of iOS13, you CAN'T TURN OFF Hotspot. What does allowing others to join have to do with Hotspot power?
It has a lot to do with it, if your turn off "Allow Others to Join" your phone is not broadcasting to others that it is available as a hotspot, which uses power.
 
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Apple_Robert

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Sep 21, 2012
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In the middle of several books.

Doug Lass

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 12, 2015
62
13
No you cannot turn off Hotspot if cellular is turned on, as of iOS13. Read the article. Look at your phone.
Thank you hg.wells, that makes some sense.
 

Apple_Robert

Contributor
Sep 21, 2012
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In the middle of several books.
All you have to do to prevent any of your devices from connecting to your hotspot (phone) is to go to the iPad settings and set auto join mobile hotspot to never. Do that for any of your other devices you don't want automatically connecting to your hotspot when Wifi is not available.

All of my devices set to default and have never experienced any excess battery drain even though I was not using the hotspot feature.

If you are going to ask for help, it is best if you don't readily argue with people attempting to help.
 

Taz Mangus

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Mar 10, 2011
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If you want to prevent other devices from connecting to your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ hotspot, you can do so via the Control Center: Long press the Bluetooth button, and if the Personal Hotspot button is green on the next screen, tap it to make your hotspot Not Discoverable.

Or you can do what I suggested in post #2. If the hotspot is not discoverable it won't be using any power.

 
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Doug Lass

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 12, 2015
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The question was not how to prevent devices from connecting. It was whether having the Hotspot on, and available, used battery power. Even if no devices are connected. The issue is whether coupling the Hotspot directly to cellular, such that when the latter is on, the former is on, as iOS13+ does, is less efficient of battery power than it was when you could use cellular but keep the Hotspot turned off.
 

Apple_Robert

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Sep 21, 2012
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In the middle of several books.
The question was not how to prevent devices from connecting. It was whether having the Hotspot on, and available, used battery power. Even if no devices are connected. The issue is whether coupling the Hotspot directly to cellular, such that when the latter is on, the former is on, as iOS13+ does, is less efficient of battery power than it was when you could use cellular but keep the Hotspot turned off.
If the device is not discoverable, other devices using the same Apple ID are not going to keep trying to connect when there is no Wifi available. That action which we have spoken of, prevents unnecessary battery usage. If your devices all have access to Wifi, there is no hotspot battery drain.

If you are going to keep being rude to those trying to help, forum members are going to stop responding to your threads. We answered your question if you took the time to pause and think about the implication of the answer.
 

Taz Mangus

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Mar 10, 2011
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The question was not how to prevent devices from connecting. It was whether having the Hotspot on, and available, used battery power. Even if no devices are connected. The issue is whether coupling the Hotspot directly to cellular, such that when the latter is on, the former is on, as iOS13+ does, is less efficient of battery power than it was when you could use cellular but keep the Hotspot turned off.
Why would the hotspot use power if it is not discoverable. If you are preventing devices from seeing your hotspot, why would iOS still provide power if it is not going to need to broadcast the hotspot.
 
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Taz Mangus

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Mar 10, 2011
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I have thought about this more and I think that when both Settings->Personal Hotspot->Allow Others to Join and Settings->Personal Hotspot->Family Sharing->Family Sharing have to both be off in order for personal hotspot to be off. You can still have personal hotspot active when Family Sharing is on and Allow Others to Join is off.
 
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rui no onna

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Oct 25, 2013
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So as it is, post iOS13, Hotspot on the iPhone can't be turned off, except by turning off cellular access. Now, I use Hotspot occasionally, and have it turned on, but I use cellular a lot. Is Hotspot eating battery power when I'm not using it, but while I am using cellular and Hotspot is enabled? I'd like to believe it isn't, which is why Apple decided to keep it on.

As far as I'm aware, Instant Hotspot relies on Bluetooth for the initial handshake to enable the actual wifi hotspot. Having an active wifi hotspot (with connected devies) would have greater battery drain. However, the "instant" feature itself shouldn't use much power particularly on devices with Bluetooth LE.
 

Significant1

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Dec 20, 2014
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As far as I'm aware, Instant Hotspot relies on Bluetooth for the initial handshake to enable the actual wifi hotspot. Having an active wifi hotspot (with connected devies) would have greater battery drain. However, the "instant" feature itself shouldn't use much power particularly on devices with Bluetooth LE.
Correct and in my experience it doesn't connect automatically, but just show up as an option in the Wifi menu. So it will hardly use any power until you actively choose to connect through it.
 

MarkX

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Sep 10, 2015
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Correct and in my experience it doesn't connect automatically, but just show up as an option in the Wifi menu. So it will hardly use any power until you actively choose to connect through it.

That's actually incorrect, Bluetooth isn't needed. If you have auto connect setting on your devices then all of your devices logged in with your apple id will connect to your wifi hotspot.
 

Significant1

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That's actually incorrect, Bluetooth isn't needed. If you have auto connect setting on your devices then all of your devices logged in with your apple id will connect to your wifi hotspot.
Sure it is, how else will it know your devices are close. Just disable bluetooth on your phone and/or computer and see. Note that you cannot trust control center on your phone, you must go to settings an disable bluetooth.

I also don't know how you enable autoconnect on instant hotspot, I simply cannot make it stick, at least on Mac. It is not default. I had to manually add it in advanced (instant hotspots er not automatically listed) and enable it. If that is the case for you, simply delete the entry in advanced, it is not needed for instant hotspot. In short, autoconnect is not impossible, but you has to be setup deliberately.
 

MarkX

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Sure it is, how else will it know your devices are close. Just disable bluetooth on your phone and/or computer and see. Note that you cannot trust control center on your phone, you must go to settings an disable bluetooth.

I also don't know how you enable autoconnect on instant hotspot, I simply cannot make it stick, at least on Mac. It is not default. I had to manually add it in advanced (instant hotspots er not automatically listed) and enable it. If that is the case for you, simply delete the entry in advanced, it is not needed for instant hotspot. In short, autoconnect is not impossible, but you has to be setup deliberately.

Hotspot is connected thorough wifi on ios devices so bluetooth isn't needed. Of course the auto connect feature has to be changed from ask to join but once it has been setup that's it.
 

Significant1

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Hotspot is connected thorough wifi on ios devices so bluetooth isn't needed. Of course the auto connect feature has to be changed from ask to join but once it has been setup that's it.
it is, if we are talking about instant hotspot. Just check, by disableing bluetooth (in settings) on one of the devices. Allowing others to join and joining the the hotspot as a normal wifi connection may be another matter. That is how it is on my iPad.
 

Significant1

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I am typing this message on my non cellular ipad using my iPhone as a hotspot. Bluetooth is off on both devices.
But then it is not instant hotspot or you disabled bluetooth after connection was established or you disabled in crontrol center, which is psuedo disable that doesn't really disable bt.

Set up Instant Hotspot
Use Instant Hotspot with any Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch that meets the Continuity system requirements. It works when your devices are near each other and set up as follows:

  • Your iPhone or iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular) has an activated carrier plan that provides Personal Hotspot service.
  • Each device is signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID.
  • Each device has Bluetooth turned on.
  • Each device has Wi-Fi turned on.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209459

Instant Hotspot requirements
Instant Hotspot broadcasts availability using Bluetooth Low Energy (BT LE), authenticates by Apple ID (iCloud account), and transfers data using Wi-Fi. In order for Instant Hotspot to work, your iPhone(s) and iPad(s) need to be:

  • Your iPhone or iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular) has an activated carrier plan providing Personal Hotspot service.
  • Each device is signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID.
  • Each device has Bluetooth turned on.
  • Each device has Wi-Fi turned on.

 
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