Is your Tracfone hotspot not working? Aren’t you able to tether or share mobile data to other devices within the vicinity?
A problem that’s rather common with Tracfone users isn’t about connecting to mobile data, but not being able to establish their devices as a WiFi hotspot.
That’s why in this guide, we’ll go over the things that cause this as well as the fixes and the resolutions that you can have for it.
Tracfone has specific plans that allow mobile hotspot data. If you are not under this plan, then you would not be able to use your Tracfone as a mobile hotspot.
Without much delay, let’s start the troubleshooting guide!
Why Is My Tracfone Mobile Hotspot Not Working?
Not being able to access the mobile hotspot could be one of the more frustrating situations as a Tracfone customer. But what are the common reasons for this?
Tracfone Plan Does Not Allow Mobile Hotspots
It’s quite unclear for most Tracfone users that there are only specific services and devices that are able to use mobile hotspots.
Meaning, even if you get a Tracfone device and it has a mobile hotspot feature on it, the service you have might not be eligible to become a WiFi hotspot.
To solve this, you would have to ensure that:
- Your device is eligible to be a mobile WiFi hotspot
- You are under a plan that has mobile hotspot data
- You’re in an area where 3G, 4G, or LTE is available
Signal Issues and Problems
Apart from that, there are instances where the signals wouldn’t be properly transmitted.
Therefore, you might lose your connection even if you didn’t do anything or if you did not move from one place to another.
If you’re moving, say, you’re driving; this is something that you can expect to happen.
You are on Power-Saving Mode
Android devices have this power-saving mode or feature. It’s a feature that allows you to save your battery by shutting down or closing all background and unused programs and applications.
And one thing that the power-saving mode feature can disable is the ability of a device to be a mobile hotspot.
Note: iPhones don’t usually have this particular setting. Only Android phones are in danger of being under this particular scenario.
These are not all the reasons why your Tracfone hotspot is not working. They are just the most common.
So, what do you do if you find your Tracfone WiFi hotspot not working? Do you immediately call for professional help and assistance? Or are there workarounds that you can do to fix and resolve it?
Fixing Tracfone Hotspot Not Working Problem
Should you be stuck in the dilemma of your WiFi hotspot not working, here’s the complete and comprehensive guide that you can follow.
Step #1: Check Your Tracfone Plan
Many Tracfone users aren’t aware that there are specific plans and devices capable of being used as a mobile hotspot.
Therefore, you need to check on the Tracfone plan that you are under, as well as the device you have.
This is to confirm if you are eligible to use your device as a WiFi hotspot for other devices.
Step #2: Mobile Hotspot Name and Password Check
Are you sure that you are connecting to the right mobile WiFi hotspot? Double-check the name of your mobile hotspot name.
Furthermore, people often tend to forget that if a hotspot is secured by a password, the password needs to be correct.
Before trying again, ensure that you are connecting to the correct mobile hotspot and that you are inputting the correct password to access that WiFi hotspot.
Step #3: Is Your Device on Power-Saving Mode?
Power-saving mode is an optional mode that you can use if you are trying to save power or battery.
Since this is the case, one of the things that it does is disable background applications and programs – and one of the things that it disables is the mobile hotspot.
So, check if your device is currently under power-saving mode. That might be what the problem is all along.
Step #4: Toggle Airplane Mode ON/OFF
If it continues to give you a headache, the next thing to do is to toggle airplane mode.
This feature turns off or deactivates the network as if you are in an airplane. Usually, this setting is activated if there are problems with the network.
It’s like a quick and easy reset of the settings of the network without having to turn or power off your phone.
To toggle it, access the quick access menu and hit on the airplane icon. Wait for about 10 to 15 seconds, then click on it again to deactivate it.
Alternatively, you can toggle it by going into Settings > Airplane Mode. For Android devices, you’ll usually have to select Connections first, and then Airplane Mode.
Step #5: Power Cycle Device
After step 5, the next best and most sensible thing to do is to power cycle your device.
Note: You would have to power cycle the device you intend to use as a mobile hotspot.
Power cycling isn’t just pressing Restart. Instead, you’d have to turn the phone off completely. Then, wait for about one to two minutes before turning it back on again.
Doing this will kill and terminate all of the applications, programs, and settings that have been running in the background.
Step #6: Reset Network Settings
Last, but most definitely not least is by resetting the network settings.
This is similar to the airplane mode, but, instead, it provides a complete and comprehensive take of resetting everything about the network.
By resetting the network settings, you’ll also reset:
- Saved WiFi passwords
- Paired Bluetooth devices
- Mobile Hotspot Name and Password
- Location Settings
To reset your network settings on an iPhone, go into Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. For Android devices, on the other hand, you can go to Settings > General Management > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
Note: When it confirms, your system shall reboot. If it does not, proceed to restart it yourself or manually.
And that’s just about how you can fix the dilemma of your Tracfone hotspot not working! It can’t be easier than this!
Read Next: How to Change Tracfone Number?
Tracfone Hotspot Still Not Working, What Should I Do?
Several reports have claimed that the hotspot still did not work after they did the process. If this happens to you, what you must do is to contact Tracfone.
Tell them that you are under a plan that allows mobile hotspot, that you have tried the steps we mentioned, and that you are at a location where there is a strong signal or reception.
It could be an outage, system maintenance, or any other problem that’s out of your control. But, they’ll still perform the necessary troubleshooting steps to help you solve it remotely.
Conclusion
If you ever find that your Tracfone hotspot is not working, you can follow this guide religiously.
Our guide was able to resolve and fix a lot of people’s problems when it comes to using their devices as WiFi hotspots.
You don’t need to be a professional or an expert to do it! The entire process is easy to follow and is conveniently understandable whether or not you are a tech-savvy individual!
Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites. Check out more about him here.