How to Use Your Android as a Wi-Fi Hotspot

Hotspots are a pretty incredible technology, allowing you to essentially relay your phone’s data into Wi-Fi for nearby devices. It can be helpful in a serious pinch, such as when you need to get a document out or an email ASAP but you’re unable to find Wi-Fi. While public Wi-Fi is a good option when you’re in a pinch, make sure your public Wi-Fi connection is fast and secure by using the wi-fi check feature:

Data Vs. Hotspot Usage
Before getting into the specifics of how to turn your phone into a hotspot, a word of warning: data and hotspot usage are not the same thing. A hotspot works through something called tethering, and it is likely possible that your cell phone plan offers a different amount of mobile data and tethering data.

So while you may have unlimited data, you may not have unlimited tethering. Be sure to check your plan before turning your phone into a hotspot so you have all the information you need. Turning your phone into a hotspot will also eat your battery life quickly. These points aren’t to suggest that hotspots aren’t useful — they’re a major part of what your phone can do!

How to Set Up a Hotspot
On your phone, click on your settings app and find the “wireless & networks” menu. Under that, you’ll need to find the “tethering and mobile hotspot” menu (you may need to press “more” within “wireless & networks” before finding your tethering menu). Your mobile hotspot will be “off” and you’ll want to, naturally, flip it to “on.” Make sure you create a secure password so that you don’t have hogs in the nearby area using up your tethering data.

From there, your work with your phone is done. On your laptop or other devices, connect to Wi-Fi and your phone should show up as an option. Enter your password and then you’ll be connected to Wi-Fi. When you’re finished with whatever you need to do, turn off your hotspot and you’re good to go.

As always, you’ll want to keep an eye on how much data you’re using. Under “wireless & networks” you’ll also be able to see a “data usage” menu, which should list both your mobile data and your tethering data.

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