Anybody tether on a standalone iPad data plan?

Before I entangle myself with AT&T support, I thought I’d see if anybody here has any insight on this.

SHORT VERSION: I bought a cellular iPad Air, with an eye toward using it as a hotspot on a coming vacation. I signed up for a $35 prepaid AT&T data plan, but there is no option to turn on the hotspot, like on my Verizon iPad, despite AT&T including that plan among the plans that support tethering.

LONG VERSION: I’m going on vacation to a spot with no wired Internet, and no Verizon coverage (which is the carrier for my other devices), but there is AT&T coverage there. So, I traded in my WiFi-only iPad for a cellular version, and signed up for the $35 PrePaid plan (25 GB). Here is what the Cellular Data options look like:


When I click on "Set Up Personal Hotspot," it it brings up the popup window from the screenshot. When I choose "Go to Website," it takes me to a generic AT&T website which asks users to make sure their plans include the hotspot option. It does list the various prepaid plans, including the $35 plan, as plans that support tethering. Any links go to a standard AT&T user account login page, which don't work with iPad accounts. So I'm running into a dead end.

Thanks for any insights!

I’m in the UK on Sky Mobile on my iPad Pro 12.9” and I have the option.

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You could try calling their customer support. They’re about as good as Comcrap’s customer support, but you might get lucky.

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I’m trying to do that as I type this. Their phone system apparently wants an AT&T phone number to even access the options, and doesn’t recognize the number associated with the iPad. Argh.

To close the loop on this, I learned that the various sites I was looking at (reporting the ability to tether with a standalone iPad data plan on AT&T) predated a change in policy last year. I found a news report that discussed how AT&T quietly removed teetering from the 25 GB for $35 plan, and started offering it only on the $55 for 7 GB plan. Remarkable, I got bounced around support for 90 minutes, getting sent back and forth between departments, and not a single support rep knew this or was even able to find it. At one point, they even transferred me to the “Car connect team,” who had no idea why they should be talking to me.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you :man_shrugging: but I hope you get it worked out.

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