Use Your Android Phone As a Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot
Did you know that you have a portable Wi-Fi hotspot in your pocket right now in the form of your Android device?
Yep!
And it means that you’ll never have to worry about being able to find a Wi-Fi hotspot when you need one. You’ll be able to sit down in a cafe, open up your laptop and instantly get online…via your Android device.
You see…
When you use this simple trick you essentially turn your Android device into a router or modem that other devices can then connect to in order to get online. You’ll be able to connect up to 10 (usually) laptops, other mobile devices, and tablets. Pretty neat, huh? Of course, connecting that many devices will slow down the connection speed, but I’m sure you probably already knew that.
Oh, and it’s way more secure than using some cafe’s sketchy hotspot. Every bit as secure as surfing the web using your data.
There’s only one thing you’ll need…
A monthly plan from Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile etc. that includes hotspot use. Check with your mobile provider to see if your plan includes it because if it doesn’t, this isn’t going to work.
Ok, let’s see how it’s done…
Now, the setup is going to vary a bit according to your phone and Android version. I’ve included the directions for setting up a WiFi hotspot using both Marshmallow and Oreo. (Once you have it set up, you can turn it on/off via Shortcuts.)
Marshmallow
Settings > More >Tethering & portable hotspot > Portable Wi-Fi hotspot
Oreo
Settings > Network & Internet > Hotspot & tethering > Set up Wi-Fi hotspot
Is it all set up and ready to go?
If so, open up your laptop (or another device) and look for your network. Do you see it?
Anyone who has your password will be able to connect to it as if it were a regular Wi-Fi router. (The connectivity range is anywhere from 25 to 50 feet.)
That’s it!
You can now go ahead and heap praise on me in the comments section below.
