Where to find the hotspot name setting on your iPhone

Your iPhone's hotspot name appears when other devices search for Wi-Fi networks to join. To change it, open Settings on your iPhone, then tap General. Scroll down and tap About. At the top of the About screen, you'll see a field labeled Name — this is your device name, and it's also the name that appears as your hotspot.

When you change the name here, it updates everywhere at once: your hotspot name, the name other people see when they look for your Wi-Fi, and the name that appears in Bluetooth settings. There's no separate hotspot-only name field on iPhones, so this single setting controls all three.

Key Takeaways

  • Your iPhone's hotspot name is the same as your device name, found in Settings > General > About > Name.
  • Changing the name in the About screen updates your hotspot name when ready without restarting your phone.
  • Hotspot names can be up to 63 characters long, but shorter names are easier for other people to spot and type.
  • You can use letters, numbers, spaces, and most punctuation marks, though some special characters may not display correctly on older devices.

Step-by-step: changing your device name

Tap the Name field at the top of the About screen. The current name will highlight in blue, ready to edit. Delete the old name by tapping the X button on the right side of the field, or select all the text and type over it.

Type your new name. You can use letters, numbers, spaces, and punctuation. Keep it under 63 characters — most devices support the full length, but very old phones or tablets may cut it off. When you're done typing, tap Back in the top left corner. Your new name saves automatically; you don't need to confirm or restart.

The change takes effect right away. If someone is already connected to your hotspot, they'll stay connected, but the network name they see in their settings will update within a few seconds.

What name to choose for your hotspot

Pick something you'll recognize and that other people can easily find. A good hotspot name is short enough to type without mistakes — something like "Sarah's iPhone" or "Home Wi-Fi" works better than a 50-character string. Avoid names with only numbers or names that look like router defaults (like "iPhone" with no owner name), because they're harder to spot in a crowded list of networks.

You can include spaces and punctuation, but keep special characters minimal. Emojis don't work in hotspot names on iPhones. If you plan to share your hotspot with older devices or less common phones, stick to letters, numbers, spaces, and basic punctuation like hyphens or underscores.

Why your hotspot name and device name are the same

iPhones don't have a separate setting for hotspot name. The Name field in Settings > General > About controls your device name across all features — it's what appears in Bluetooth pairing screens, in iCloud, in Find My, and as your hotspot network name. This design keeps things straightforward: you have one identity for your phone, not multiple names to manage.

If you want your hotspot to have a different name than your device name, you'll need to use a different device, like an iPad or Android phone, which do offer separate hotspot naming options. On an iPhone, changing one means changing the other.

Troubleshooting: name won't change or won't save

If the name field won't let you type, make sure you've tapped directly on the text itself, not just the row. The field should show a cursor and highlight when it's ready to edit. If it's still locked, restart your iPhone: hold the power button until you see the power-off slider, swipe to turn off, wait 10 seconds, then hold power again until the Apple logo appears.

If the name changes in Settings but doesn't show up on other devices' networks, wait 30 seconds — the change takes a moment to broadcast. Then ask the other device to forget the network and search again. On most phones and tablets, this means going to Wi-Fi settings, tapping the network name, and choosing "Forget" or "Remove," then searching for networks again.

If you see your old name still appearing after several minutes, toggle your hotspot off and back on. Go to Settings > General > Personal Hotspot, turn it off, wait 5 seconds, then turn it back on. This forces your iPhone to broadcast the new name.

Changing your hotspot password at the same time

While you're in Settings > General > Personal Hotspot, you can also change your hotspot password. Tap Wi-Fi Password to edit it. Your password should be at least 8 characters long — iPhones require this minimum, and longer passwords are harder to guess. Use a mix of letters and numbers if you can, but any 8-character combination will work.

Like the name change, the password update takes effect when ready. Anyone currently connected will stay connected, but new connections will need the new password. There's no need to restart your phone or toggle the hotspot off and on for password changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use emojis in my hotspot name?

No. iPhones don't support emojis in the device name field. If you try to paste an emoji, it will be ignored or replaced with a question mark. Stick to letters, numbers, spaces, and standard punctuation marks like hyphens, underscores, or periods.

Will changing my device name affect my iCloud account or backups?

No. Your iCloud account is tied to your Apple ID, not your device name. Changing the name in Settings won't affect your backups, photos, or any iCloud services. It only changes how your phone appears to other devices and networks.

What happens to people already connected to my hotspot when I change the name?

They stay connected without interruption. The network name they see in their settings will update within a few seconds, but their connection won't drop. If they disconnect and try to reconnect, they'll need to search for the new name.

Can I have a different name for my hotspot than my device name?

Not on an iPhone. The hotspot name and device name are the same setting. If you need a separate hotspot name, you'd need to use a different device like an iPad or Android phone, which offer independent hotspot naming options.

How long can my hotspot name be?

Up to 63 characters. However, very old devices may display only the first 32 characters. For the best experience across all devices, keep your name under 32 characters — that's short enough to fit on any screen and straightforward for people to type.