You're sitting in a crowded airport. Or maybe a Starbucks. You need to get some work done, so you toggle that little green switch on your iPhone or tap the tile on your Samsung. Suddenly, "iPhone (82)" or "AndroidAP_4921" pops up on your laptop. It’s generic. It’s boring. Worst of all, if there are five other people with the same default settings, you’re stuck playing a guessing game of "Which 'iPhone' is mine?" while your data connection hangs in the balance.
Honestly, knowing how do you change your hotspot name is one of those small digital hygiene tasks that actually matters. It isn't just about showing off a clever pun like "Pretty Fly for a Wi-Fi" to the strangers around you. It’s about security and clarity. Default names often broadcast exactly what kind of device you have, which is basically a "kick me" sign for low-level hackers looking for specific hardware vulnerabilities.
Changing it is easy, but the steps are weirdly different depending on whether you’re Team Apple or Team Android.
The iOS Quirk: Why Your Hotspot Name Is Tied to Your Identity
Apple makes things difficult for no reason sometimes. If you’re looking for a specific menu labeled "Hotspot Name" in your settings, you’re going to be looking for a long time. It doesn't exist. On an iPhone, your hotspot name is just your phone's name. Period.
To change it, you have to go to Settings, then General, and then About. At the very top, you’ll see "Name." Tap that, hit the little 'x' to clear out "John’s iPhone," and type in whatever you want. Once you save that, your hotspot name updates automatically.
It’s a bit of a privacy trade-off. If you name your phone "Mike Smith," everyone within fifty feet knows Mike Smith is nearby and has a cellular signal. I’ve seen people at tech conferences like CES inadvertently leak their full names just because they forgot their hotspot was active. If you care about anonymity, go with something random. "FBI Surveillance Van" is a classic, though it’s a bit 2012 at this point.
Keep in mind that changing this name also changes how your phone appears in Find My, on your MacBook’s AirDrop list, and when you’re syncing with iTunes or iCloud. It’s a global change for the device. If you’re okay with that, you’re golden.
Android’s Flexibility: Separate Names for Separate Things
Android handles this with much more common sense. You can name your phone "Pixel 8 Pro" for your internal files but name your Wi-Fi broadcast "The Batcave."
Usually, you’ll find this under Settings > Network & Internet > Hotspot & Tethering. From there, you tap on Wi-Fi Hotspot. You'll see an option explicitly labeled Hotspot name. Tap it, change it, and hit save.
The cool thing about most modern Android builds, like Samsung’s One UI or Google’s native Pixel software, is the "Quick Settings" shortcut. You can long-press the Hotspot icon in your pull-down tray to jump straight to these settings. It saves you about six taps.
Interestingly, Android also lets you mess with the AP Band. If you’re in a crowded area, switching from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz (or even 6 GHz if you have a newer Wi-Fi 6E capable phone) can make your connection way more stable. 2.4 GHz travels further, but 5 GHz is faster and less crowded. If you're wondering how do you change your hotspot name to improve performance, the name itself won't help, but the settings right next to that name field definitely will.
The Security Layer You Shouldn't Skip
While you're in there renaming things, look at your security settings. Most phones default to WPA2. If your phone offers WPA3, use it. It’s the current standard as of 2026 for keeping people from brute-forcing their way into your data.
Also, please, for the love of all things holy, change your password. Default hotspot passwords are often just eight random lowercase letters or numbers. They aren't great. If you change your name to something recognizable, you’ve made it easier for people to identify the "target." A strong password is your second line of defense.
Windows and MacOS: Yes, They Have Hotspots Too
People often forget that laptops can be hotspots. If you have an Ethernet cable plugged into your laptop at a hotel that charges per device, you can broadcast your own Wi-Fi.
- On Windows 11: Go to Settings > Network & internet > Mobile hotspot. Click "Edit" to change the network name and password.
- On macOS: Go to System Settings > General > Sharing. Click the "i" next to Internet Sharing. You can configure the network name there.
It’s basically the same logic as the phone. You want something unique so you aren't accidentally trying to connect your tablet to the hotel's weak Wi-Fi instead of your laptop’s strong one.
Why Does Google Care About Your Hotspot Name?
You might think your hotspot is a private bubble. It isn't. Google, Apple, and various "wigle" databases actually map Wi-Fi SSIDs (service set identifiers) to help with location accuracy. This is called "crowdsourced Wi-Fi positioning."
When your phone sees a specific Wi-Fi name and a specific MAC address, it checks a global database to help pin down your GPS location faster. If you use a very common name, you aren't helping much. If you use a unique name, you’re effectively creating a tiny digital landmark.
There is a way to opt-out of this if you’re a privacy enthusiast. If you append _nomap to the end of your hotspot name—for example, MyPrivateNetwork_nomap—Google’s location services are supposed to ignore your signal when building their maps. It’s a niche trick, but it works.
Troubleshooting the "Invisible" Hotspot
Sometimes you change the name, but your other devices can’t see it. This happens a lot.
First, check if you’re using "Maximize Compatibility." On iPhones, this is a toggle in the Hotspot menu. It switches the frequency from 5 GHz back to 2.4 GHz. Older laptops or cheap smart devices can’t see 5 GHz networks. If your renamed hotspot isn't showing up, this is usually the culprit.
Second, make sure you didn't accidentally hide the SSID. Some Android phones have a "Hidden Network" toggle. If that's on, you have to manually type the name into your computer to find it. It's an extra layer of security, but mostly it's just a headache.
Practical Steps to Take Right Now
If you’ve been putting this off, just do it now. It takes thirty seconds.
- Pick a unique name that doesn't include your last name or your home address.
- On iPhone, go to General > About to rename.
- On Android, go to Hotspot settings to change the SSID directly.
- Update your password to something that isn't "password123."
- Check your band settings (2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz) based on what you’re trying to connect.
Once you’ve updated the name, you’ll have to reconnect all your secondary devices. Your Kindle, your laptop, and your iPad will all be looking for the old "iPhone (2)" name. They won't find it. You’ll need to go into their Wi-Fi settings, find your new clever name, and put in that new, stronger password you just created.
📖 Related: Unified Endpoint Management News: Why 2026 is the Year of the Autonomous Workspace
Changing your hotspot name is a small move, but it makes your digital life just a little bit smoother. No more scrolling through a list of ten identical device names at the airport. You’ll see your custom name at the top of the list, click connect, and get on with your day.