First test the phone with Wi-Fi off using the travel eSIM. If the phone works but the laptop does not, check hotspot settings and reconnect. More data does not repair a failed Wi-Fi connection.
Before testing, select the travel eSIM for mobile data at a covered destination, leave home-line data roaming off and disable automatic data switching. Opening a small webpage uses some data. Restore Wi-Fi after the test if needed.
The phone itself has no mobile internet
First resolve the phone connection: check the selected country, travel line, purchased allowance and validity, and the exact APN in your installation email if required. Keep the eSIM installed. A Wi-Fi icon or mobile signal bars alone do not prove the travel line works.
Open this destination’s arrival settings →The phone works, but the laptop cannot connect
- Keep the phone nearby. Open its hotspot screen, confirm the hotspot is on and read its network name and current password. Keep the password private.
- On the laptop, select that exact Wi-Fi network instead of airport or hotel Wi-Fi, then enter the hotspot password. If the hotspot password changed, use the laptop’s option to forget only that saved network, then reconnect.
- After connecting, open a small webpage on the laptop. If the phone works but the laptop still fails, check the phone-specific options below. A managed work laptop may need help from IT; do not disable its security controls.
iPhone host · hotspot visibility and compatibility
- Open Settings → Personal Hotspot and enable Allow Others to Join. Stay on that screen while the laptop connects.
- On iPhone 12 or later, try Maximize Compatibility if the laptop cannot connect. Retest after changing it; performance and Wi-Fi security may be reduced. This is not a speed upgrade.
Apple · Personal Hotspot troubleshooting ↗Pixel host · check Data Saver
- If Data Saver is on, turn it off before using a Wi-Fi hotspot: Settings → Network & internet → Data Saver. Background apps may now use more mobile data.
- Open Network & internet → Hotspot & tethering → Wi-Fi hotspot, enable it and confirm the network name and password. Menus vary by Android version.
- Reconnect and retest the laptop. When you stop sharing, turn the hotspot off and restore Data Saver if you want its background-data restrictions.
Google · Pixel hotspot and Data Saver ↗Both work, but data is disappearing quickly
Disconnect the laptop hotspot while checking optional backups, downloads and background activity. Then use the existing Windows or Mac controls below. Hotspot traffic uses the same travel allowance; the phone counter is not a verified remaining balance.
Open Windows / Mac data-saving controls ↓Still failing? Contact support with the relevant order reference, destination, phone model/OS, laptop system and which of these two devices has internet. Do not send hotspot passwords, QR codes or activation codes. Do not delete the eSIM or buy another plan as the first fix.
Contact support about this connection →Hotspot support in the plan details does not guarantee every phone/laptop combination, a particular number of devices, speed or a working company VPN. Other Android brands have different controls. These checks are guidance, not a remote device or network test.
Review current destination plans and hotspot details ↓Sources · reviewed 21 October 2026