How to Share Your Phone's Internet as a Hotspot
A hotspot turns your phone into a Wi-Fi network for a laptop, tablet, or another phone. It is handy when there is no Wi-Fi around, but it uses your mobile data, so set it up properly before you connect anything.
Follow these steps
- Check that your plan allows hotspots. Most mobile plans include hotspot use, but some limit it or charge extra. Check your plan details or your carrier's app before you rely on a hotspot for work, so the bill holds no surprises.
- Turn the hotspot on. On iPhone, go to Settings, then Personal Hotspot, and switch on Allow Others to Join. On Android, go to Settings, then Network and internet, then Hotspot and tethering, and switch on Wi-Fi hotspot. Your phone now broadcasts a Wi-Fi network.
- Set a strong password. In the same hotspot screen, set a Wi-Fi password that is long and not easy to guess. Do not leave the hotspot open: anyone nearby could connect and use your data, or worse, see traffic on the shared network.
- Connect your other device. On the laptop, tablet, or other phone, open Wi-Fi settings and choose your phone's network name, then enter the password. If the network does not appear, toggle the hotspot off and on again, and make sure the device is within a few metres of the phone.
- Keep an eye on your data while you use it. A laptop can use far more data than a phone, because it may download updates and sync files in the background. Check your data usage in your phone's settings during the session, and pause large downloads until you are on Wi-Fi again.
- Turn the hotspot off when you are done. Switch the hotspot off in the same settings screen when you finish. Leaving it on drains your battery and your data, and leaves the network open for anyone nearby to find.
What NOT to do
- Do not leave a hotspot open without a password. Anyone nearby could use your data.
- Do not use a hotspot for large downloads or video streaming on a limited data plan. A laptop can burn through a plan quickly.
- Do not forget to turn the hotspot off. It keeps using battery and data in the background.
- Do not share your hotspot password publicly. Give it only to the people who need to connect.
If a device cannot see the hotspot, the usual fixes are toggling the hotspot off and on, moving the device closer, and checking the password. If it connects but has no internet, check your phone's own mobile data connection first, since the hotspot can only share a connection the phone itself has.