Apple devices are really flexible and try to make it easy for the user to work.
They even have a facility to automatically share internet connections with “friends” or other trusted devices.
It means that if you have connected to a Wi-Fi on your Apple and a friend comes into range with a device you have already trusted then it will automatically connect to the Wi-Fi without needing a password.
It’s a cool system however it has a handful of issues (even Apple warn about side effects though.):
- You are sharing Wi-Fi passwords without realising it.
- If you have been using your phones data and a friend comes into range then they will start using your data at your cost.
- If you have your mobile hotspot enabled (even if you don’t have mobile signal) then devices will jump between “Wi-Fi” and “pairing” depending on Wi-Fi signal strength. This causes regular disconnects.
You can check if this is turned on by:
Thanks to Apple for their tech note showing how to turn this on. You can use the same instructions to turn this off.
Share the Internet connection on Mac with other network users – Apple Support (UK)
