Is your Windows 10 or 11 laptop’s Mobile Hotspot Not Working or option greyed out? It might happen for a variety of reasons. This tutorial explains why the mobile hotspot option on your laptop may be grayed out or Mobile Hotspot Not Working properly. Then I walk you through what you need to do to address the problem for each reason I give. Finally, I created a FAQ section to address frequently asked issues regarding Mobile Hotspot Not Working in Windows 11 and 10.
Why Is Your Windows 10 Or Windows 11 Laptop’s Mobile Hotspot Not Working, And How Do You Fix It?
As I indicated in my introduction, there are several reasons why the Mobile Hotspot Not Working on Windows 10 or 11 is greyed out.
Here are some causes and what you may do to resolve them.
Flight Mode can be activated.
If you accidentally activated the Flight Mode function in Windows 10 or 11, Bluetooth and WiFi will be disabled. The excellent news is that it is relatively simple to determine whether or not Flight Mode is enabled. On the taskbar, Windows will display an airplane icon.
Click the airplane symbol to disable (or turn off) Flight Mode. Then, once again, click the Flight Mode badge. When you click the Flight Mode badge, it turns off, and your laptop’s WiFi returns. Once you’ve switched off Flight Mode, your laptop’s Mobile Hotspot Not Working choice will no longer be greyed off. When this does not address the issue, try the next proposed solution.
Your laptop is not linked to any WiFi or Ethernet networks.
The mobile hotspot capability is used to share your laptop’s current internet connection. However, how can you share an internet connection if your computer is not even linked to a network in the first place?
As a result, the mobile hotspot will be deactivated or Mobile Hotspot Not Working if your laptop is not connected to a network, whether over WiFi or an ethernet connection. Unfortunately, Windows 10 does not clarify why the Mobile Hotspot Not Working.
The good news is that the problem has been improved in Windows 11. So if your Windows 11 Mobile Hotspot Not Working, it explains why. The remedy is simple: connect your laptop to a WiFi network with an internet connection!
Your laptop is linked to a WiFi network with an Internet connection.
It is connected to the final reason why the Mobile Hotspot Not Working on your laptop or may be greyed out. In the last section, I said that the issue might be that your computer is not linked to any WiFi. In this part, I assume your laptop is linked to a WiFi network, but the router is not connected to the internet.
The solution to this problem is to reconnect your WiFi router. One method is to restart your WiFi router.
If rebooting the router does not fix the internet issue, resetting it may. Consult your internet provider if you don’t know how to reset your WiFi router. Check that your laptop is linked to your router and has an online connection once the internet connection has been restored. Then, verify that the Mobile Hotspot Not Working longer.
However, if the issue persists, then try the next solution…
Your Ethernet Controller or WiFi Driver may be out of date.
An outdated WiFi driver can cause various issues, including the greying out of your laptop’s Mobile Hotspot Not Working. So if you still can’t switch on the mobile hotspot after doing everything I advised, it’s time to upgrade your laptop’s WiFi driver.
The instructions in the directory may be utilized with Windows 11 as well.
Your WiFi or Ethernet controller may be disabled.
- If you can still not enable the mobile hotspot on your laptop at this point, it is time to get a little technical! First, check whether your laptop’s WiFi or Ethernet driver is turned off.
Open Device Manager and browse to Network Adapters by following this fast step:
- Right-click on the Start button and click Device Manager. After that, expand the network adapters.
- Finally, to see if your WiFi adapter is deactivated, right-click the device with the name “Wireless.” If you see the Disable device option, it signifies that your WiFi adapter is NOT deactivated.
- When the Enable device option is available, it means that the adapter has been disabled and must be re-enabled. Click Enable device to enable WiFi.
- If you connect to the internet using an Ethernet cable, run the above tests and actions on the device named “Ethernet Controller.”
- There may be a Windows update available that can assist.
- Windows Updates makes various updates accessible to your computer.
Is your laptop’s Mobile Hotspot Not Working still? Check Windows Update.
For Windows 11 PCs, however, follow the procedures below:
- First, Right-click the Windows 11 Start button and choose Settings.
- Then, on the bottom of the left page, click Windows Update.
- Finally, wait for updates by clicking the Check for updates button. Then, install any updates of them that are available and restart your computer.
Mobile Hotspot Not Working on Laptop: Frequently Asked Questions
1. How Do I Make My Windows 11 Laptop a Mobile Hotspot Not Working?
- Enter the mobile hotspot into the Windows 11 search box. Then, click Mobile hotspot.
- Finally, turn the Mobile hotspot switch On.
2. How Do I Make My iPhone Hotspot Work With My Windows Laptop?
- First and foremost, enable the mobile hotspot on your iPhone and write down the name and password. Next, on your Windows laptop’s taskbar, click the WiFi icon.
- Finally, identify and click on the name of your iPhone’s hotspot, then enter the password.
3. Why is my work laptop unable to connect to my mobile hotspot?
- First and foremost, ensure that the mobile hotspot is activated on your phone. Then, validate that the name of the mobile hotspot appears in the list of WiFi networks on your laptop.
- Restart both devices if you cannot connect to the mobile hotspot using your work laptop.
- Restart your work laptop in particular. Then, restart your smartphone.
- After restarting both devices, connect your work laptop to your mobile hotspot, and it should work.
4. How Do I Turn Off My Mobile Hotspot When There Are No Devices Connected?
- Turn on the mobile hotspot by opening the mobile hotspot settings. Then, turn on the Power saving button.
- This option is available in both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
5. Is there a hotspot in Windows 10?
Yes, there is a mobile hotspot capability in Windows 10. To access the Windows 10 mobile hotspot settings page, search for and open the mobile hotspot.
My Final Thoughts on the Mobile Hotspot Not Working on a Laptop
The mobile hotspot capability is expected to work flawlessly. Unfortunately, it is occasionally Mobile Hotspot Not Working, and you cannot turn it on.
If this occurs, follow the steps in this tutorial to resolve the issue. I hope the methods in this advice helped you resolve your Mobile Hotspot Not Working issue. If you found this tutorial informative, please vote Yes in the “Was this post Helpful?” poll below. Alternatively, you may use the “Make a Reply” box at the bottom of this page to ask a question, or leave a comment or feedback.
