Apple’s adamant that you should use their FaceTime video chat software over WiFi, and even have some software checks to make sure you’re not trying to pump your pixellated mug out over 3G. It appears, though, that the iPhone 4 isn’t particularly mindful if you’re connect to 3G somewhere down the pipe: if you want to use FaceTime on an iPhone 4 over 3G, it’s just a Personal Hotspot away.
Basically, if you have iOS 4.3 installed on an iPhone 4 and use another iPhone 4 to connect to it, you can can use FaceTime over 3G. It’s a pretty simple trick: since Personal Hotspot broadcasts itself as a typical WiFi hotspot, FaceTime just doesn’t recognize that it’s nit tethered to a landline internet connection.
I doubt that this is a practical application of Personal Hotspot for most people, but it implies that users will be able to get around quite a few apps worth WiFi-only limitations with Personal Hotspot.
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
19 responses to “FaceTime Can Be Used Over 3G With Personal Hotspot”
What? So if you have two iPhone 4s you can “get around” wi-fi only apps? What a dumb article.
Good idea for users of iPad 2 who want to facetime…..
So, can the device connect to its own hotspot?
That was pretty much obvious. Not worth an article imo. Plus 2 iPhone 4’s and a 45 Dollar Data Plan is a great solution, nice.
Also, didn’t Apple say the carriers prevent it from working and that it should work sometime down the line when they allow it?
LOL, wow!
Wow, what a worthless article. Only an extra phone and an extra data plan to pull it off, pretty useful. Way to shamelessly pull in hits with the catchy article title :P
Well, if you have an iPad 2 this is great. I’ll run the hotspot on my iP4 and facetime from my iPad 2. Not too shabby.
That’s Good news thanks for sharing with us
Just activate PHO on your iPhone 4 and it will grant your facetime calls over your HotSpot!
Some people have friends.