Lebara Hotspot Not Working on iPhone? APN and Connection Fixes

One minute, two tests

Find out whether the iPhone or the hotspot is failing

1. Turn off Wi-Fi on the iPhone.This forces the phone itself to use Lebara mobile data.
2. Open a fresh web page.If it does not load, stop here and fix mobile data first. Personal Hotspot cannot share a connection the phone does not have.
3. Open Settings, then Personal Hotspot.Turn on Allow Others to Join and keep this screen open while the other device searches.
4. Join from one nearby device.Select the iPhone's name and type the Wi-Fi password shown on the hotspot screen.

Lebara's iPhone troubleshooting guide treats correct hotspot activation and the connection from the second device as the first fault to rule out.¹ Its setup guide also says the iPhone must already be set up for internet before it can share that connection.²

Fix the ordinary bits first

Reconnect the hotspot cleanly

1. Leave the Personal Hotspot screen open.Apple specifically advises staying on that screen until the second device connects.⁵
2. Check the network name and password.The network name is the iPhone's device name. Read the current password from Settings > Personal Hotspot rather than trusting an old saved one.
3. Forget the saved network on the other device.Join again and enter the current password carefully.
4. Restart both devices.Apple puts a restart near the top of its own hotspot repair order.⁵
5. Install iOS updates.Apple also asks users to check for the latest iOS before taking the more destructive reset route.⁵

On an iPhone 12 or later, Maximise Compatibility can help an older laptop or accessory see and join the hotspot. Apple warns that this can reduce internet performance and Wi-Fi security for connected devices, so use it as a compatibility test rather than a magic speed button.⁵

Do not start by typing

When to check the Personal Hotspot APN

Lebara's manual iPhone instructions use uk.lebara.mobi for the Mobile Data and Personal Hotspot APN, with wap as the username and password.³ The handset-specific iPhone 16 guide shows the same values beneath Personal Hotspot.²

Those values are a repair step only when the editable fields are present and the phone's provider configuration has not supplied them correctly. Apple says APN fields may be hidden by the network provider and warns that an incorrect APN can break mobile data or lead to extra charges.⁶

1. Check for a provider update first.Connect to Wi-Fi, open Settings > General > About and wait briefly for an update prompt.
2. Look for Mobile Data Network.Depending on iOS and provider control, it may sit under Settings > Mobile Service or Mobile Data. If it is absent, do not try to force it into existence.
3. Compare, do not improvise.If Personal Hotspot has editable fields and Lebara support directs you to use the manual values, enter them exactly.
4. Return to the hotspot screen.Switch Allow Others to Join off and on, then reconnect the second device.

Same symptom, different caution

Physical SIM and eSIM need a different first move

Apple says a new eSIM or SIM may need a network provider settings download. The check is Settings > General > About.⁷ Lebara's eSIM help says some older devices may still need APN configuration, but deleting an eSIM stops service on that device and can create a replacement job.⁴

The sensible eSIM order is to check that the Lebara line is on, select it for Mobile Data, install any provider update, and only then inspect an editable APN if Lebara's instructions call for it. That keeps a hotspot problem from turning into a missing-SIM problem, which is a fairly poor trade.

The broad broom

Use Reset Network Settings last

Apple's final general step is Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.⁵ This also removes saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords and resets mobile data, VPN and APN settings. Have your Wi-Fi password ready before doing it.

After the iPhone restarts, reconnect it to Wi-Fi, return to Settings > General > About for any provider update, test mobile data with Wi-Fi off, and then rebuild the hotspot connection. Do not reset the whole iPhone. A hotspot fault does not justify erasing your photos, apps and afternoon.

Joined, but going nowhere

If the other device connects but has no internet

• Retest the iPhone itselfWith Wi-Fi off, make sure a new page loads over Lebara mobile data.
• Check the selected data lineDual-SIM iPhones can have one line for calls and another for mobile data. Confirm Lebara is the intended data line.
• Disconnect other hotspot usersKeep one test device connected while you diagnose the fault.
• Pause VPN or security softwareTemporarily disconnect it on both devices and retest, then restore it after the check.
• Check the plan's data balanceA working signal icon does not create an allowance that has run out.

If mobile data has also failed, use the site's Lebara SIM troubleshooting guide rather than repeating hotspot passwords at it.

Give support a useful handover

What to record before contacting Lebara

Note the iPhone model, iOS version, whether the line is a physical SIM or eSIM, whether mobile data works with Wi-Fi off, whether Personal Hotspot appears, and the exact result on the second device. Say whether you installed a provider update, tried Maximise Compatibility or reset network settings.

Do not send anyone your hotspot password, eSIM QR code, account password or one-time security code. Support needs the fault pattern, not the keys to the house.

If you are comparing Lebara as an eligible new UK customer, open the current referral route and check the offer before paying. Existing customers should repair the line they already have through MyLebara or support.

Short answers

Lebara iPhone hotspot questions