How to Tether an Apple iPad to a Laptop (15 Steps)
By Andrew Tennyson
Tethering your iPad to a laptop enables the two devices to share a single Internet connection. You can either tether you iPad to a laptop to share the laptop’s Internet connection, or you can set up a Personal Hotspot on your iPad so that your laptop can share the iPad’s cellular data connection. Consult your cellular service provider before attempting to enable the Personal Hotspot feature on your iPad; some service providers charge an additional monthly fee to enable this feature.
Tether to a Laptop
Step 1
Tap the “Settings” icon on your iPad.
Step 2
Tap “Wi-Fi” to open the Wi-Fi settings screen.
Step 3
Tap the “Wi-Fi” button to change its status to “On.”
Step 4
Tap the name of the Wi-Fi network being broadcast by the laptop to which you want to connect. Networks are listed under the Choose A Network heading on the Wi-Fi settings screen.
Step 5
Enter the laptop’s network access password, if prompted. Your iPad will connect automatically if the laptop is broadcasting a public signal.
Let a Laptop Tether to Your iPad
Step 1
Tap the “Settings” icon on your iPad.
Step 2
Tap “General” and tap “Network” to open the Network settings screen. Verify that the Cellular Data switch is set to “On.”
Step 3
Tap “Personal Hotspot.”
Step 4
Tap the “Personal Hotspot” switch to toggle its status from “Off” to “On.”
Step 5
Copy the password displayed in the Wi-Fi Password field.
Step 6
Click the “Network” icon in your laptop’s Notifications area. The Network icon is identifiable by its series of vertical bars.
Step 7
Click your iPad's Personal Hotspot on the list of available networks and click “Connect.”
Step 8
Enter an identifying name for your tethering connection in the provided field. Enter your iPad’s Personal Hotspot password when prompted.
Step 9
Select your desired Autoconnect method. Click “Always connect automatically” if you want to connect your iPad and laptop automatically whenever they are within range. Click “Never connect automatically” if you would rather enter your Personal Hotspot password each time you want to connect these two devices.
Step 10
Click “Continue" to finalize your connection.
References
Tips
- To change your Personal Hotspot password, tap “Settings” and tap “Personal Hotspot” on your iPad once your initial hotspot setup is complete. Tap your existing password, enter a new one and tap the “Done” button to save your changes.
Writer Bio
Andrew Tennyson has been writing about culture, technology, health and a variety of other subjects since 2003. He has been published in The Gazette, DTR and ZCom. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in history and a Master of Fine Arts in writing.