Your iPad Pro is now an excellent replacement for your laptop or even a desktop computer, but in areas without Wi-Fi, it might lose something really important that enables it to shine: the internet connection. Without an internet connection, the iPad Pro becomes quite limited in its functionality.
So, what can you do in this situation? Here are a few tips:
1. Check Your iPad Pro’s Connectivity
There are two different versions of iPad Pros available in the market today: Wi-Fi only and cellular (LTE) models. First, check your iPad’s type: if it’s a Wi-Fi-only iPad Pro, then you can skip onto the next step.
If your iPad has cellular connection enabled, then you are in luck, but you’ll need to further check whether your iPad has a SIM-card tray or has embedded Apple SIM/eSIM. The newest iPad Pro models have integrated eSIM in it, but older models may use Apple SIM or just an empty SIM tray.
If your iPad has a SIM card tray, then you can simply go to the nearest store and purchase a physical SIM card from your chosen network provider. Alternatively, you can purchase an Apple SIM from your nearest Apple Store and follow the steps below for eSIM/Apple SIM.
If your iPad Pro has an eSIM or Apple SIM, then you can set up a plan with various carriers that offer iPad data plans, like Truphone’s iPad plan by going to Settings > Cellular Data > Set Up Cellular Data or Add a New Plan (if this is not your first plan). Choose your preferred carrier, choose a plan, and create an account (or add the iPad to your existing plan).
This process should be fairly simple, and you can choose between short-term data plan or long-term commitment depending on your needs.
2. Share your Smartphone’s Data Connection
If you have your phone with an active data plan, then you can simply share your phone’s data connection with the iPad Pro. If you use an iPhone, then you can use the Personal Hotspot feature to share the internet connection with your iPad. If you use an Android phone, there’s a similar feature called “Mobile Hotspot”.
If you use an iPhone, simply go to Settings then Personal Hotspot. Toggle on the Personal Hotspot and set up the password. Your iPad will then detect this Personal Hotspot as a usual Wi-Fi connection, then you can simply connect to it, enter the password, and voila! Your iPad should be using your iPhone’s internet connection by now. If you want, you can also use Bluetooth to share the Personal Hotspot.
Pay attention to your iPhone’s data plan while sharing your connection to the iPad Pro. Two devices are now using it. So if you are not careful, it can easily get out of hand. Also, remember that if you have a cellular-enabled iPad, the tethering can go the other way around and you can share your iPad’s connection to your phone.
3. Connect The iPad Pro to Your PC
This is for conditions when you have a PC/Laptop that is connected to the internet but doesn’t have Wi-Fi for one reason or another. You can share your computer’s internet connection to your iPad Pro via the USB-to-thunderbolt cable or via Bluetooth.
You can follow the following steps:
For Mac (via Bluetooth) :
1. Go to Apple > System Preferences > Bluetooth > Turn Bluetooth On.
2. On your iPad Pro, go to Settings > Bluetooth and toggle on
3. Your iPad Pro should show up as a new device in the Bluetooth section on your Mac. Click pair, a six-digit pin will appear on your Mac, and the same number should show up on your iPad. Confirm the connection.
For Mac (via USB)
1. Go to Apple > System Preferences > Sharing > Internet Sharing
2. Set Share your connection from WiFi and to the computer using iPad USB
3. Check the Internet Sharing, and click Start
4. Connect your iPad Pro via USB
For Windows (via USB)
1. Disable the adapter for Internet connection in Windows
2. Connect the iPad via a USB cable
3. In your iPad, go to Personal Hotspot in settings, and enable “USB only” internet sharing. You should see a new network adapter appears in your Windows computer
4. Right-click on this new internet adapter in windows, go to properties and check both checkboxes in “Internet Connection Sharing”. Go to Settings and select the required services.
5. Re-enable the network adapter for Internet in Windows
End Words
Even when there’s no Wi-Fi around you, there are ways we can use to connect the iPad Pro to the internet. If you have a cellular+Wi-Fi iPad, then your best bet is to get an iPad data plan, like the one offered by Truphone. Truphone’s iPad data plan has coverage in 100+ countries, so it’s a great investment if you travel regularly.
