When you’re connected to a hotspot yet can’t access the internet, there might not be any visible errors to identify the problem; the internet connection might just stop working. Fortunately, troubleshooting and fixing the issue isn’t difficult.

How to Fix a Mobile Hotspot With No Internet Connection

Are you connected to the hotspot but can’t access websites? Maybe your hotspot connection drops unexpectedly and won’t reconnect. Regardless, these troubleshooting tips should get you back online in no time:

1. Restart the device. A simple restart often resolves most issues. This will sever the connection your devices have with the hotspot and force them to establish a new one.

   Depending on your device, restart your computer (Reboot Windows), your Android (Reboot Android), or your iOS device (Reboot iPhone). If you’re using a dedicated hotspot (i.e., not your phone or computer), reboot that as well.

2. Toggle the hotspot off and back on. This is an easy step that shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds to see if it fixes the hotspot’s internet.

3. Turn off Airplane Mode if it’s on. This feature prevents your device from accessing the internet, so it must be switched off to make the hotspot work correctly.

   This is easy to do on all devices through the Settings app. If you’re on Android, here are the steps to disable Airplane Mode.

   Even if Airplane Mode is off, try turning it on for 10 seconds and then disable it again. This will prompt your device to reestablish its connection with the hotspot.

4. Turn on your phone’s mobile data. If your phone is acting as the hotspot for other devices, ensure mobile data is toggled on so that it can pull data from cell towers to deliver internet to your connected devices.

   If you’d rather not use your phone’s data, make sure Wi-Fi is turned on.

5. Verify with your carrier that you have hotspot access, as not all mobile carriers support this feature, and some may require an additional fee.

6. Improve your mobile signal strength. In some cases, simply moving your hotspot to a location where you have more bars will boost the signal strength enough to resolve internet connection issues.

   If you’re using your phone as a hotspot, you can purchase a cell phone signal booster if moving the device doesn’t help. Keep in mind that most signal boosters aren’t super mobile.

7. Optimize your device’s placement. You want to make sure you’re placing your laptop or computer as close to the hotspot as possible.

   Distance from a Wi-Fi network source is one of the easiest ways to boost a Wi-Fi signal. Being too far from the source is one of the most common causes for a dropped Wi-Fi signal and the inability to access the internet.

8. Remove the hotspot password. If your mobile hotspot is secured with a password, remove it in the settings to ensure you aren’t just entering the wrong password to connect.

9. Change the frequency band in your hotspot’s settings to 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz (whichever one it isn’t currently configured as). The device that’s trying to connect to the hotspot might require a specific frequency.

10. Turn off the device’s VPN. Virtual private networks (VPNs) are deeply integrated with a device’s network settings, so disabling the VPN, if you’re using one, is a good idea when fixing internet-related issues like this one.

11. Troubleshoot your mobile device’s internet connection. The hotspot might be working properly. To check, turn off the hotspot and try visiting a website. If you can’t access it, the problem may lie with that particular device rather than the hotspot.

12. Troubleshoot your computer’s internet connection. If you can connect to the hotspot but still can’t get online, you may need to reset your network settings or temporarily disable the firewall or antivirus software.

Why Is My Hotspot Not Working? 

When connected to the internet via a hotspot, numerous potential failure points can cause connection issues. For example, the hotspot’s network might stop working if your phone runs out of power or its Wi-Fi is disabled.

The best way to troubleshoot these problems is to start with your mobile device since it’s the source of your internet connection. Once you’ve confirmed the mobile device isn’t having any issues, then move on to your computer.