How to use your phone as a mobile hotspot

A useful feature of a modern smartphone is the ability to turn it into a mobile hotspot, allowing you to share your phone’s Internet connection with other devices, such as laptops, tablets or even other phones.

Whether you have one of the best Android phones or the best iPhone, this guide will walk you through the steps to set up and use your phone as a mobile hotspot.

What is a mobile hotspot?

A mobile hotspot turns your smartphone into a wireless access point, allowing other devices to connect to the Internet using your phone’s data connection. This feature is especially useful when you are traveling, working remotely, or when Wi-Fi is not available.

How to set up a mobile hotspot on Android

Setting up a mobile hotspot on an Android phone is easy. Here’s how to do it:

1. Start by opening the Settings app on your Android device.
2. Tap ‘Network & Internet’ (the name may vary slightly depending on your device; sometimes it’s referred to as ‘Connections’ or ‘Wireless & Networks’).
3. Search for ‘Hotspot & tethering’ and tap it. Here you will find several options, including ‘Wi-Fi hotspot’, ‘USB tethering’ and ‘Bluetooth tethering’.
4. Toggle the switch next to Wi-Fi hotspot to enable it. You may also need to configure your hotspot by setting a name (SSID) and password for the connection.
5. Tap ‘Wi-Fi Hotspot’ to adjust your hotspot settings. You can change the network name, set a secure password (which makes your hotspot protected with a strong password to prevent unauthorized access) and choose the security type you want (WPA3 is recommended for the best security).
6. On the device you want to connect to, find your hotspot network in the Wi-Fi settings, select it and enter the password.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

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It’s important to monitor your data usage when using a mobile hotspot because tethering can quickly consume a significant amount of data.

How to set up a mobile hotspot on iPhone

For iPhone users, the process of setting up a mobile hotspot is just as simple. Follow these steps:

1. Go to the ‘Settings’ app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down, tap Cellular Service, then turn on Cellular Data. Then go back and tap ‘Personal Hotspot’.
3. Toggle the switch next to “Allow others to join” to enable the mobile hotspot.
4. By default, the network name is the name of your iPhone and a password is automatically generated. You can tap ‘Wi-Fi Password’ to change the password to something more memorable.
5. On the device you want to connect to, search for your iPhone’s network name in the Wi-Fi settings, select it and enter the password.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Using your iPhone as a hotspot can drain the battery quickly, so it’s a good idea to keep your phone plugged in. Also take your data usage into account.

If you want to make sure you never run out of data, check out our list of the best mobile phone networks in the UK and the best Pay As You Go phone networks in the UK right now.