Tech

eSIM hotspot not working? Why it happens and what to check

Tethering on an eSIM: which line your dual-SIM phone actually shares, why your laptop can’t see the hotspot, and how not to burn through your plan in one evening.

Published September 11, 2026 · Updated October 22, 2026 · 8 min read · MoreSim editorial team

An eSIM hotspot works just like one on a physical SIM: your phone shares whichever line is selected for mobile data. When it isn’t working, the usual culprits are your home SIM still set as the data line, data roaming switched off on the eSIM, or a hotspot password that’s empty or too short. Whether tethering is allowed on a given plan is spelled out in its terms.

Why isn’t my eSIM hotspot working?

Most often an eSIM hotspot fails because the phone itself has no mobile data or it’s sharing the wrong line. The hotspot is a phone feature, not a plan feature: it takes your current mobile connection and shares it over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or a cable. So check that first: turn off Wi-Fi and open any website. If it won’t load, it’s your connection that needs fixing, not the hotspot.

• The phone has no mobile data — there’s simply nothing to share.
• The wrong line is selected for data, and the hotspot always shares that line.
• The hotspot toggle turns on and immediately switches off — usually because the password is empty or too short.
• The device connects, but pages won’t load.
• Tethering is restricted by the terms of that particular plan.
• The laptop doesn’t support the band the phone is broadcasting on.

There’s one more gotcha: the phone switches off the hotspot on its own if nobody connects for a few minutes. That’s not a fault, it’s battery saving — turn it back on and connect your other device right away.

Which line does the hotspot share on a dual-SIM phone?

Your hotspot shares the line selected for mobile data, not whichever SIM is listed first. An eSIM goes on as a second line: your home number and physical SIM stay in the phone. You can keep calls and texts on your home line, but mobile data has to be switched to the travel eSIM explicitly — it’s a separate setting, usually called “Cellular Data” or “SIM for mobile data.”

That’s where the most common mistake comes from: you share data thinking you’re using your travel plan, while the phone is actually on your home SIM, roaming. Check the active data line before you connect your laptop, not after. Turn off mobile data on your home SIM so you don’t end up online through your home carrier. Keep the line itself on if you’re expecting texts from your bank — that only works if roaming is available on your home plan.

The reverse happens just as often: data is switched to the eSIM, but data roaming on it is still off. The phone registers on the network and shows signal bars, but there’s no internet — and the hotspot comes up with nothing to share. So turn on data roaming for the travel eSIM line: most travel eSIMs connect to a local carrier as a roaming network, and without it you won’t get online. If your plan’s instructions say otherwise, follow them.

Some phones switch lines automatically: if the main line loses signal, the phone jumps to the second one. On a trip it’s best to turn this off, so the phone doesn’t quietly switch to your home SIM. The setting’s name — and whether it exists at all — depends on the model and OS version. How two lines coexist in one phone is covered in detail in another article in the journal.

Can you use a travel eSIM as a hotspot?

Technically, yes: tethering on a travel eSIM often works just like on a regular SIM. But the plan sets the rules: some plans limit hotspot use or allow it with conditions. Check the plan card, not other people’s forum reviews.

If you’re looking at an unlimited plan from any provider, read the description especially carefully: unlimited plans have their own rules on tethering and on speed after a certain amount of data. What “unlimited” really means is covered in a separate article in the journal. As of October 2026, all MoreSim plans are data-only and none are unlimited at full speed: daily plans slow down after the daily allowance, which is usually too slow for tethering a laptop.

MoreSim has plans for a single country as well as regional ones. If you’re not sure whether a particular plan allows tethering, ask support before you buy: support via /support in the bot, a ticket in your account and email can tell you about that specific plan, not just in general.

How to set up a hotspot with an eSIM on iPhone and Android

To share data from an eSIM, select it as your mobile data line, turn on data roaming for it, and open Personal Hotspot on iPhone or Hotspot on Android. Menu names differ across OS versions and manufacturer skins, but the steps are the same everywhere.

1. Make sure data works on the phone itself with Wi-Fi turned off.
2. In your cellular settings, select the eSIM line for mobile data and check that data roaming is on for it.
3. Open Personal Hotspot on iPhone or Hotspot on Android — on Samsung, Xiaomi and Honor it’s under Connections or Network settings.
4. Set a network name using plain letters and a password of at least eight characters — without a password the hotspot often refuses to turn on.
5. Flip the switch and keep the settings screen open until your other device connects.
6. On your laptop, pick the network by name and enter the password.
7. If you’re connected but pages won’t load, turn the hotspot off and on, then restart the phone.

Why can’t my laptop see the hotspot?

Most often it’s the Wi-Fi band. The phone broadcasts on 5 GHz, while an older laptop’s adapter only supports 2.4 GHz — so the network simply doesn’t appear in the list. Hotspot settings usually have a band or compatibility option: switch it.

• The network name has emoji or unusual characters — rename it using plain letters.
• The laptop is in airplane mode or its Wi-Fi adapter is off.
• The hotspot already has the maximum number of connections: disconnect extra devices.
• The network is hidden — add it manually by name.
• The laptop remembers an old password: forget the network and reconnect.

If nothing helps, try tethering over a USB cable or Bluetooth. A cable connection is more stable and doesn’t depend on the Wi-Fi adapter, and it charges your phone at the same time — though your data goes just as fast.

How much data does tethering use, and what about the battery?

The hotspot itself doesn’t use data — the connected devices do. The difference is that a laptop downloads much more than a phone: mobile apps save data and adapt to the network, while desktop websites and background services don’t give it a thought.

Before connecting your laptop, set the connection as metered, postpone system updates, pause cloud folder sync and close any video tabs. Simple steps, but they’re what decide whether your plan lasts to the end of the trip.

Your battery drains much faster while tethering: the phone keeps the mobile connection going and runs a Wi-Fi access point at the same time, and in the sun it heats up too. If you have a long work session ahead, keep the phone plugged in and on an open surface, not in your pocket or under a pile of papers.

Sharing with several devices at once is its own story. Phones usually allow more than one device, but the more you connect, the slower it is for each and the faster both data and battery go. If the whole group needs internet, agree on who hosts the hotspot today and take turns — that way nobody’s phone dies by lunchtime.