Wi-Fi hotspots give you internet access when you’re traveling or working outside the office. Most cell phones have built-in hotspot and tethering functions, but you can also buy a mobile hotspot device to carry around in your suitcase or bag.
What is a hotspot?
A hotspot is a wireless access point that lets you connect phones, tablets, computers, and other devices to the internet when you’re on the go. They’re built into most smartphones, but you can also get dedicated mobile hotspot devices that deliver faster speeds, connect more devices, and have a longer battery life than your phone.
Cell phone hotspots
A phone’s hotspot is the easiest, most affordable hotspot you can use. It comes built into your smartphone’s hardware, so you can switch it on with the tap of a button and use data straight from your phone plan (as long as your plan allows it).
You won’t always get a whole lot of data, and there’s usually a limit to how many devices you can connect—usually around 10 to 15. So this is the best way to go if you use a hotspot every once in a while.
How to turn on a phone hotspot on an iPhone or iPad
Switching on your phone’s hotspot is quick and easy with an Apple iOS device.
Note: If you don’t already have a cellular plan that allows for hotspots, you’ll need to contact your provider to set it up.
Step 1: Go to Settings > Personal Hotspot. Or (depending on the type of iPhone you have) go to Settings > Cellular > Personal Hotspot.
Step 2: Hit the toggle button to turn on the Personal Hotspot. If you don’t have a cellular plan with hotspot data, you may have to tap a button that says Set Up Personal Hotspot, which will prompt you to call your provider.
Step 3: Toggle on the function that says Allow Others to Join.
Step 4: Write down the password. You can change the password by tapping on the text, tapping X to erase it, and typing in a new password of your choice.
Once you’ve turned on your iPhone’s hotspot, you can connect another Wi-Fi enabled device to it by looking up the name of your hotspot on your device’s Wi-Fi menu and typing in the password.
Pro tip: Test your internet speed
Hotspot internet speeds can vary depending on the cell service available in your area. Take a speed test to figure out how fast your connection is.
How to turn on a phone hotspot on Android phones
Setting up a hotspot on an Android phone depends slightly on what kind of phone you have. But the instructions are more or less the same regardless of the phone.
Usually you can find the hotspot by searching in your phone for “hotspot” or “tethering.” After you’ve turned on the hotspot, connect to it on another device that needs internet by selecting the name of your hotspot in the device’s Wi-Fi menu and putting in the password.
Pro tip:
As you set up the hotspot, make sure you’ve switched on your cellular data, which the hotspot uses to provide a Wi-Fi connection.
Samsung phones
Step 1: Go to Settings > Connections > Mobile Hotspot and Tethering > Mobile Hotspot. Tap to switch it on. You can turn it off the same way.
Step 2: Make sure the Wi-Fi sharing option is switched on—otherwise you can’t connect other devices.
Step 3: To change the hotspot name, password, and other settings, tap on the Mobile Hotspot menu.
Motorola phones
Step 1: Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Hotspot & Tethering.
Step 2: Tap Wi-Fi Hotspot to turn it on.
Step 3: Tap Wi-Fi Hotspot to edit the name of your hotspot.
To change your password, go to Advanced > Hotspot Password. If you want, tap Hide My Device to keep others from seeing your hotspot listed publicly. In the Advanced menu, you can also switch the AP Band to 5 GHz to improve your network connection.
Google Pixel phones
Step 1: Make your way to Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering.
Step 2: Toggle next to Off (to enable) or On (to disable).