Imagine that you are on vacation in a beautiful, quiet countryside. The only problem is that there is no wifi! You can use your Android phone as a mobile hotspot to share your internet connection with other devices. With just a few taps, you can turn your smartphone into an internet source for computers, tablets and other phones.
So let’s get started. This post will teach you how to enable hotspot on Android.
Things to Consider Before Turning on the Access Point
Mobile hotspots are very convenient, however there are a few things to consider when using them on your device:
- To use a hotspot, your service provider must have a mobile hotspot plan.
- Mobile hotspots use a data service and consume battery power.
- Your device’s apps will use the mobile hotspot’s data network while it’s active.
- If you are roaming using your phone or tablet as a hotspot, additional data charges may apply.
- When you activate mobile hotspot, Wi-Fi is turned off.
- Only LTE Android tablets, not regular tablets, can set hotspots.
How to Enable Mobile Hotspot on Android
We discuss enabling hotspot for Android devices in three main areas:
- Built-in wireless modem
- Via USB modem
- By installing third-party applications for hotspots.
Built-in method
The hotspot button is most likely visible in your device’s quick settings panel. While this is the fastest and easiest way to turn mobile hotspot on and off, it needs to be set up first.
On Android, follow these steps to set up a hotspot connection:
- Launch the Settings app.
- Go to the Network and Internet section.
- Select an access point and modem.
- Select a Wi-Fi hotspot.
- On this screen, you can turn the hotspot function on or off. You can also change the network name, security type, password, and other settings.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to personalize the hotspot feature.
- When you’re ready, turn on the Wi-Fi hotspot.
The hard part is over. It remains only to enable the access point option. There is a convenient way in the WiFi settings, or you can use the quick settings in the notification tray.
Setting up a USB tethering on Android
Another way to connect a mobile hotspot on an Android device is to use a USB tethering. This method is more efficient and takes slightly longer than with a wireless modem.
- Connect your Android phone to your computer using the included USB cable.
- Wait a few seconds for your computer to establish a connection.
- Launch the Settings app on your mobile phone.
- Select the Network and Internet option.
- Select an access point and modem.
- Enable the USB tethering option.
A similar procedure can be used to turn on the Bluetooth tethering. However, this is significantly slower than Wi-Fi or USB. If you still want to do this, connect other devices to your mobile hotspot source via Bluetooth instead of following the first step.
Create a mobile hotspot using a third party app
Any newest Android laptop should have built-in hotspot capabilities, but this isn’t always the case. Those with older phones may not have the tethering/hotspot option, so you’ll have to install a third party app.
Since we will be using an Android mobile phone, you will have to use the Google Play Store or the developer’s website.
Setting up a mobile hotspot
If you do not want others to use your hotspot, you can hide it and change the settings.
- Navigate and open the “Settings”menu.
- Click Connections, then Tethering and Mobile Hotspot.
- Click “Setup”, then “Mobile Hotspot”.
The options listed below will now be available:
- Customize the mobile hotspot settings list
- View and update the network name of your access point.
- Select the security level for the access point.
- Password: View and update the access point password.
- Range: Select the radio frequency for the access point. 2.4GHz is more compatible with devices while 5GHz provides superior performance.
You can also select “Advanced”to change other settings such as power saving mode and Wi-Fi sharing.
Please note that the available options may vary depending on the carrier, device type, and software version.
Timeout option for mobile hotspots
Is your battery draining that fast? This is because you had the hotspot turned on the whole time. However, you can use the timeout options to have the hotspot turn off automatically when no one is using it.
- Tap Connections, then Mobile hotspot & tethering from the Settings menu.
- Click “Setup”, then “Mobile Hotspot”.
- Click “Advanced”, then “Turn off”if the device is not connected.
- Select the amount of time before the hotspot turns off.
Create an automatic hotspot
Auto hotspot allows you to share your phone’s internet connection with devices registered to your Samsung account or Samsung family group.
- Tap Connections, then Mobile hotspot & tethering from the Settings menu.
- Tap “Mobile hotspot”, “Automatic hotspot”and finally the switch to turn it on.
- To allow family members to use your automatic hotspot, turn on the option next to Family Sharing.
- The next step is to set up Wi-Fi sharing. Tap the switch at the top of the screen to turn on the hotspot and share it from the mobile hotspot home screen.
You can connect devices to the hotspot after everything is in place. Swipe down from the top of the screen on the device you want to connect to open the quick settings window. Then hold the Wi-Fi symbol.
The hotspot should already be identified as a Wi-Fi network due to the automatic hotspot; tap it to connect. While your device is connected, do not touch another device that is producing a hotspot signal, as this may cause connection problems.
Conclusion
For now, we have developed a simplified diagram of how you can enable hotspots for your Android device and enjoy your internet connection without interruption when you don’t have Wi-Fi access. Just swipe down on the notification bar, find the mobile hotspot icon and turn it on.