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

Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Smart Home Hub to Feature iMac G4-Style Design

Wednesday September 30, 2026 4:36 am PDT by
Apple's long-rumored smart home hub will have an iMac G4-style design and a host of unique features, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. The smart home hub is said to feature a square 6-inch display, with variants that can be placed on a countertop or mounted on a wall. It features a single FaceTime camera on the front, with microphones and speakers in its connected base. Gurman described the...
HomePod minis on gradient feature 1 1

Three New Apple Smart Home Products Coming on October 13

Wednesday September 30, 2026 4:04 am PDT by
Apple plans to introduce a series of new smart home products on Tuesday, October 13, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple reportedly plans to debut its long-awaited smart home hub device, a new HomePod mini, and a new Apple TV on the date. The new HomePod mini and Apple TV are set to retain their existing designs, but tout faster chips to support Siri AI. The new HomePod mini will...
iPhone Duo Open

iPhone Duo Reportedly Facing Production Problems Ahead of Launch

Tuesday September 29, 2026 6:16 am PDT by
The iPhone Duo is reportedly facing production difficulties ahead of its October launch, with early output expected to be limited. A person said to be close to Foxconn's supply chain told China's Jiemian News that final assembly yields for Apple's first foldable iPhone were only slightly above 60% as of September 17. The source said that, under Apple's current quality standards, it could...

Top Rated Comments

Robert.Walter Avatar
14 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)
14 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
14 months ago
Crazy that the iPad did this before the Mac. Glad to see this feature.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
14 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
14 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)
14 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
AT&T Acknowledges iPhone 18 Pro Max Issues: 'Update Immediately'
AT&T Acknowledges iPhone 18 Pro Max Issues: 'Update Immediately'
2 hours ago
New 'AirFly Drive' Accessory Turns Wired CarPlay Into Wireless CarPlay
New 'AirFly Drive' Accessory Turns Wired CarPlay Into Wireless CarPlay
8 hours ago
Apple Shares Photos Shot on iPhone Duo
Apple Shares Photos Shot on iPhone Duo
9 hours ago
Apple Says iPhone Duo Has Replaceable 'Cover Layer'
Apple Says iPhone Duo Has Replaceable 'Cover Layer'
10 hours ago
Apple's Smart Home Camera Will Apparently Have 'No Video Recording'
Apple's Smart Home Camera Will Apparently Have 'No Video Recording'
12 hours ago
Apple TV Just Updated Its Selection of 'Bonus' Movies
Apple TV Just Updated Its Selection of 'Bonus' Movies
14 hours ago
iPhone 18 Pro Colors Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Choose?
iPhone 18 Pro Colors Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Choose?
14 hours ago
Early Prime Big Deal Days: Best Discounts on Accessories, TVs, and More at Amazon
Early Prime Big Deal Days: Best Discounts on Accessories, TVs, and More at Amazon
14 hours ago
MacBook Pro With OLED Touch Screen Rumored to Launch in October or November
MacBook Pro With OLED Touch Screen Rumored to Launch in October or November
15 hours ago
Apple's All-New Home Hub Rumored to Launch in These Four Colors
Apple's All-New Home Hub Rumored to Launch in These Four Colors
16 hours ago
iPhone 18 Pro Aperture Control Goes Fully Manual in Halide 3.2
iPhone 18 Pro Aperture Control Goes Fully Manual in Halide 3.2
17 hours ago
Apple Stores Receive 'Do Not Open' Boxes Ahead of Smart Home Products Launch
Apple Stores Receive 'Do Not Open' Boxes Ahead of Smart Home Products Launch
18 hours ago
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Jump in China Ahead of iPhone Duo Launch
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Jump in China Ahead of iPhone Duo Launch
18 hours ago
Apple TV Still Down for Some Users Following Apple Services Outage
Apple TV Still Down for Some Users Following Apple Services Outage
19 hours ago
PSA: Apple Mail on Mac May Stop Syncing Microsoft 365 Accounts Today
PSA: Apple Mail on Mac May Stop Syncing Microsoft 365 Accounts Today
19 hours ago
Apple's Smart Home Hub: Everything We Know So Far
Apple's Smart Home Hub: Everything We Know So Far
1 day ago
Apple's Home Hub Borrows From the iPhone Duo's StandBy Mode
Apple's Home Hub Borrows From the iPhone Duo's StandBy Mode
1 day ago
Apple Invites App Updated With Three New Features
Apple Invites App Updated With Three New Features
1 day ago
Apple Event on October 13?
Apple Event on October 13?
2 days ago
Apple Watch SE 3 vs. Series 12 Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Buy?
Apple Watch SE 3 vs. Series 12 Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Buy?
2 days ago
iPad Mini 8 to Offer These 10 New Features
iPad Mini 8 to Offer These 10 New Features
2 days ago
DoorDash Unveils AI Food Ordering Through Apple's Messages App
DoorDash Unveils AI Food Ordering Through Apple's Messages App
2 days ago
Amazon Takes Up to $150 Off Select M5 MacBook Air Models
Amazon Takes Up to $150 Off Select M5 MacBook Air Models
2 days ago
Apple Still Plans to Release a New Full-Sized HomePod
Apple Still Plans to Release a New Full-Sized HomePod
2 days ago
Apple Working to Expand HomeKit
Apple Working to Expand HomeKit
2 days ago
Apple Smart Home Hub to Feature iMac G4-Style Design
Apple Smart Home Hub to Feature iMac G4-Style Design
2 days ago
Three New Apple Smart Home Products Coming on October 13
Three New Apple Smart Home Products Coming on October 13
2 days ago
Apple Pay Now Available in India With Axis Bank Cards
Apple Pay Now Available in India With Axis Bank Cards
2 days ago
OpenAI Launches Always-On 'Dots' Agents to Rival Meta's Muse
OpenAI Launches Always-On 'Dots' Agents to Rival Meta's Muse
2 days ago
AirPods 5 Teardown: Batteries Removable, Case Still Tough
AirPods 5 Teardown: Batteries Removable, Case Still Tough
2 days ago

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors