Do you want to get free internet on iPad without WiFi? An internet connection on your iPad can help you stay connected with your friends and family and complete work-related tasks. But having reliable and affordable internet can be complex.
Without reliable internet, you would need Wi-Fi. What if you have no Wi-Fi access or want to avoid the risks associated with public Wi-Fi? Would you still be able to connect your iPad to the internet for free?
Traditionally, you must subscribe to ISP internet bundles to access free internet on your iPad. However, with the right tools, you can bypass your ISP and access the internet free of charge. This article discusses the different ways to connect to the internet on iPad for free without WiFi.
Key Takeaways
- You can get free internet on iPad without WiFi via a smartphone or mobile hotspot, ethernet tethering, cellular data, or VPN.
- Several network carriers are offer affordable iPad data plans free of charge for the first few months.
- If your iPad has cellular functionality, you can enroll in a dedicated cellular data plan and connect to the internet.
How to Get Free Internet on iPad Using Smartphone Data Connection
Using a smartphone data connection, you should be able to get free internet on your iPad. It is a solid strategy, given its ready availability. Besides, you already pay monthly for the data plan. Therefore, using it to connect your iPad to the internet is the best way to use it.
Smartphones have a feature that enables you to activate your hotspot and share the internet with other devices. The hotspot activation procedure depends on the kind of phone you have. For an iPhone, you must go to Settings and select Personal Hotspot. Here, you will view your Wi-Fi password and use it to connect your iPad to the internet.
Turn on your Wi-Fi on the iPhone. On your iPad, go to Settings, and select Wi-Fi. Your iPhone’s name will appear as one of the available Wi-Fi networks. Please select it and enter the password you noted down earlier.
Where necessary, change the password to something more straightforward that you can remember. It would be much easier for you to connect your iPad to free internet without Wi-Fi. Try not to exceed the monthly data limit when using your mobile phone to provide internet to your iPad.
Besides mobile hotspots, you can tether your iPad to the internet using Bluetooth. Turn on Bluetooth on the iPhone and iPad and pair the two devices. Then select the option for tethering the iPad via your mobile hotspot.
How to Get Free Internet on iPad Using Ethernet Connection Adapters
One of the best ways to get free internet on iPad without Wi-Fi is to use an ethernet connection (you may need two Apple adapters for that). In that case, you would get internet through a wired connection, not Wi-Fi.
The iPad and iPhone have no ethernet ports. Therefore, you must buy a USB-to-lightning camera adapter. Alternatively, you may purchase a USB-to-30-pin adapter for third-generation iPads or older. You will also need a USB ethernet adapter, a powered USB hub, and an ethernet cable.
Once you have everything, you must set it up to get the internet working. The following is a simple procedure you may use for that:
- Step 1: Disable LTE and Wi-Fi on your iPad. LTE is only available on cellular iPad models, so check if that’s the case.
- Step 2: Plug the powered USB hub into a reliable power terminal.
- Step 3: Plug the ethernet cable into the router on one end and the USB ethernet adapter on the other.
- Step 4: Plug the ethernet adapter’s USB side into the USB hub. As the hub powers the ethernet cable to help it run on the iPad, it provides ethernet connectivity.
- Step 5: Connect the USB cable to the hub on one side and the USB-to-lightening USB adapter on the other.
- Step 6: Connect the iPad’s lightning port with the adapter.
- Step 7: Check that the connection is okay and start using it to browse the web using free internet on an iPad without Wi-Fi.
How to Get Free Internet on iPad with a Carrier’s Hotspot
Even though a smartphone may provide a hotspot for your iPad, it quickly drains your iPhone battery. Therefore, you need a separate hotspot device from your network carrier. Besides, you can also avoid using your mobile data to connect your iPad to the internet.
You can get a mobile hotspot carrier from virtually any carrier. While many are inexpensive, some are free for those entering a two-year contract with the carrier. If you make the mobile hotspot part of your current data plan, you’ll have to pay monthly for the data. Otherwise, you must make other arrangements with the carrier on how you’ll pay.
Mobile hotspots provide reliable internet connectivity and can save you some bucks. It can only be costly if your iPad and other devices are extremely data-hungry. The following are some of the best mobile hotspot plans on the market today:
- T-Mobile 2GB: The T-Mobile 2GB data plan is one of the cheapest for mobile hotspots. It provides 2GB of data for $10 per month. You can order more data on this plan using a T-Mobile data pass.
- Verizon Pro: With the Verizon Pro plan, users get 100GB of hotspot data on the 4G LTE or 5G networks. The plan costs $60 per month with an existing unlimited phone plan or $90 per month without a phone plan. Once you reach the 100GB data cap, you’ll start experiencing diminished internet speeds.
- T-Mobile Magenta Max: The T-Mobile Magenta Max plan is available for $85 per month and is great for smartphone hotspots. It provides up to 40GB of data, after which you’ll get unlimited 3G speeds.
- AT&T Prepaid 50GB: The AT&T Prepaid 50GB plan is best for AT&T subscribers. It offers 50GB of data for $55 per month with autopay. The only downside is that it’s costlier than similar hotspot plans.
- Visible Phone Plan: This phone plan provides unlimited data for $30 per month. For hotspot data, you must pay an additional fee. The hotspot data is available at a maximum speed of 5Mbps.
- FreedomPop 500MB Plan: With the FreedomPop hotspot plan, you’ll get up to 500MB of data. That should give you free internet for iPad without Wi-Fi. The plan has a 500MB data cap. You may opt for a carrier contract that includes paying for the mobile hotspot device.
How to Get Free Internet on iPad Using Cellular Data
If your iPad is labeled Wi-Fi + Cellular, you can connect it to the internet using its cellular data. Unlike your smartphone, you are unlikely to have a permanent data plan for your iPad. In that case, you may occasionally enroll for a one-off single-month data plan.
Most of the available iPad data plans are paid for, even though some will likely be free for a while. The iPad mainly works with networks that utilize GSM technology. Before 2019, Apple used SIM cards on all iPads. However, the latest versions of the iPad use eSIM instead.
eSIM technology allows you to select multiple network carriers instead of being locked onto one. However, that works for only the network carriers than have opted in. After installing an eSIM, you can buy data on your iPad instead of connecting it to Wi-Fi.
The following are some of the best network carriers with iPad plans:
- Verizon: Verizon has three postpaid and four prepaid tablet data options. If you opt for a prepaid data account, you’ll pay at least $10 per month. On the other hand, prepaid data plans start to cost between $30 and $65.
- AT&T: AT&T is the second-largest network carrier in the United States. It offers prepaid tablet internet plans that cost between $25 and $75. Some plans provide unlimited data, which is desirable for heavy internet users.
- T-Mobile: T-Mobile offers both prepaid and postpaid data plans. If you opt for a prepaid plan, you should be ready to part with anything between $10 to $50 per month. For postpaid plans, you’ll pay at least $60 monthly.
- Tello: The Tello iPad data plan might not be free, but it is among the cheapest. For only $6 per month, you get 1GB of data. Since it’s an iPad-specific plan, it doesn’t include texts or minutes. The Tello unlimited plan starts at $29 per month.
- US Mobile: US Mobile has a 4GB plan that starts at $15 per month. This plan allows you to enjoy coverage using T-Mobile and Verizon 4G LTE and 5G networks. It does not include any texts and minutes. This plan offers free internet on iPad on a 10-day trial basis.
- Mint Mobile: Mint Mobile has a data-only 10GB plan that costs $20 per month. The mobile virtual network operator offers its services using the T-Mobile network. With this plan, you’ll get three months of free internet on an iPad without a Wi-Fi connection by paying $60 for six months.
How to Get Free Internet on iPad Using a Virtual Private Network
One way to get free internet on iPad without Wi-Fi is to connect via a virtual private network (VPN). Psiphon Pro is a good example of a VPN tunneling app that provides free internet. It works with or without a bug host. Besides the iPad, you need a SIM card and the Psiphon App.
Here is the procedure you must take to hook your iPad to free internet without Wi-Fi:
- Step 1: Download Psiphon and install it on your iPad.
- Step 2: Open the application and switch on the internet connection.
- Step 3: Go to the application’s main menu and click Connect. Please wait for a while as it connects.
- Step 4: Select Fastest Country as your location.
- Step 5: Use the available on your iPad unhindered (check that you have zero data in your phone)
The Bottom Line
There are several ways to get free internet on iPad without Wi-Fi. You may connect your iPad using your smartphone or a separate mobile hotspot. Alternatively, you can connect the iPad to the internet using an ethernet cable. If your iPad has cellular data capability, you may use it to connect to the internet.
With any network carrier offering iPad data, you can get free internet for the first few weeks or months. You should have saved substantial money by the time you start paying for data.