Change your hotspot name through iPhone Settings

Open Settings on your iPhone, then tap General. Scroll down and select About. At the top of the About screen, you will see Name — this is the name that appears when other devices search for your hotspot. Tap the name field, delete the current text, type the new name you want, then tap Done. Your hotspot will now broadcast under the new name the next time you turn it on.

The hotspot name and your iPhone's device name are the same thing. When you change one, you change the other. This means any device that connects to your iPhone — whether through hotspot, AirDrop, or Bluetooth — will see the new name you just set.

Key Takeaways

  • Your hotspot name is set in Settings > General > About, in the Name field at the top of the screen.
  • The hotspot name and your iPhone's device name are identical — changing one changes both.
  • The new name takes effect the next time you turn on Personal Hotspot, not immediately.
  • Hotspot names can be up to 63 characters long and can include letters, numbers, spaces, and most punctuation marks.

What happens when you change the name

Once you save the new name in the About screen, it does not take effect until you toggle Personal Hotspot off and back on. If your hotspot is already active when you make the change, turn it off in Settings > Personal Hotspot, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on. Devices that were already connected will stay connected during this process, but devices searching for your hotspot will see the new name.

If you have multiple devices connected to your hotspot when you toggle it off, they will all disconnect. They can reconnect using the new hotspot name and password once you turn it back on.

Naming rules and what to avoid

iPhone hotspot names can be up to 63 characters long. You can use letters, numbers, spaces, and most punctuation marks, including hyphens, underscores, and periods. Avoid using only numbers or special characters — a name like "12345" or "!!!!" works technically but makes it harder for you to recognize your own hotspot later.

Do not include your full name, address, or other personal information in the hotspot name. Anyone nearby with a phone or laptop can see your hotspot name when they search for networks. Keep the name simple and generic, or use something only you would recognize.

Why you might want to change your hotspot name

The default hotspot name is "[Your Name]'s iPhone" — for example, "Sarah's iPhone." If you share your hotspot with family or coworkers, a custom name makes it clearer what the network is for. You might name it "Guest WiFi" or "Apartment 4B" so people know which hotspot to connect to.

You might also change the name for privacy. If your default name contains your actual name, anyone scanning for networks nearby will know whose phone is broadcasting. A generic name like "Network" or "Hotspot" reveals less about you.

Changing your hotspot password

Your hotspot password is separate from the name. To change it, go to Settings > Personal Hotspot and tap WiFi Password. Delete the current password and type a new one, then tap Done. The password must be at least 8 characters long and can include letters, numbers, and symbols.

Unlike the name, you can change the password without toggling the hotspot off and back on. The new password takes effect immediately, but any devices currently connected will stay connected until they disconnect on their own or you manually disconnect them.

Troubleshooting if the name does not change

If you changed the name in Settings but your hotspot still shows the old name, restart your iPhone. Turn it off completely, wait 10 seconds, then turn it back on. After restart, toggle Personal Hotspot off and back on in Settings > Personal Hotspot. This forces your iPhone to broadcast the new name.

If the name still does not change after restart, check that you actually saved the change in the About screen — tap Settings > General > About and confirm the Name field shows what you typed. If it reverted to the old name, try again and make sure to tap Done before leaving the screen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing the hotspot name affect the password?

No. The name and password are separate. You can change the name without touching the password, or change the password without changing the name. Devices that were connected using the old name and password will need to reconnect using the new name if you changed it, but the password stays the same unless you change it separately.

Can I use special characters or emojis in the hotspot name?

Most special characters work, including hyphens, underscores, periods, and parentheses. Emojis do not work — if you try to paste an emoji into the name field, your iPhone will not accept it. Stick to standard letters, numbers, spaces, and punctuation marks.

Will changing the hotspot name disconnect devices that are already connected?

Not immediately. Devices stay connected until you toggle the hotspot off. If you turn the hotspot off to make the name change take effect, all connected devices will disconnect and will need to reconnect using the new name.

What if I want to change the name back to the default?

Go to Settings > General > About and change the Name field back to "[Your Name]'s iPhone" — for example, "Sarah's iPhone." Use your actual first name or whatever name you want to appear. Tap Done, then toggle Personal Hotspot off and back on for the change to take effect.