iPhone 16 hot-spot and bluetooth issues

Jim Becher · Jul 31, 2025

I am hating these iPhone 16s more each day. We lost out home internet yesterday and started (trying) to use the hot-spots on these phones. Two very, very annoying issues:

1) Range. We had to actually put them on the devices, laptop and TV, before they would connect. 1 foot away and they would not connect. Then we found that if you get a phone call or use the phone in any way that the hot-spot would disconnect. Absolutely horid!

2) The bluetooth seems to suck. I have Coclear Implants and calls go directly to them via BT. The connection, once again is horrid. The left will cut out for 5 seconds, then the right, then both. On and on and on. Never had this issue with the iPhone 11.

Anyone else notice these problems? Did I get a bum iPhone?

Bkdodger · 2025-08-12T06:01:34-0500

I don't use my hotspot often but it seems to me that you're trying to run too much stuff through your hotspot at the same time and it's probably contributing to your disconnects and spotty connections. Also what carrier or service do you have and do you have VOLTE where you can use the data while on a call How's your phone service at home when not connected to WiFi? That can contribute to bad hotspot since you are using your cell service only.

bear7962 · 2025-08-13T11:21:18-0500

I live in WI where we had a lot of flooding after extreme storms. My cable and internet went out in the middle of the night, 2 nights ago so yesterday I needed to use my iPhone hotspot for internet and TV. I accessed the internet on my ipad (wifi only model)while the iphone was playing my cable TV. My iphone was a few feet away but only because I was watching a ball game while working on the iphone. I also used YouTube on the ipad, again with the iphone hotspot and sound was thru a bluetooth speaker while I listened a couple of rooms away. It all worked seamlessly and I did not have the issues you have. I have a 17 Pro with 256 gb. My iphone uses AT&T cellular for the internet. Perhaps it is as Bkdodger suggested, something to do with your phone’s internet provider.