How To Use Hotspot on Android

Whether you’re looking to work remotely, stream your favorite shows on the go, or simply access the web during an internet outage, using your mobile hotspot feature will make sure you stay connected. A mobile hotspot can turn your Android into a WiFi router, using your carrier’s cellular towers to keep you connected to the internet.

You can use a mobile hotspot on any modern Android mobile device, so long as your plan has hotspotting enabled. If you want to take advantage of your Android hotspot, it’s crucial that you select a cell phone plan that not only offers the ability to use it, but that provides enough data to use it to its full potential. In this guide, we’ll break down how to turn on your mobile hotspot on Android, how to fix your hotspot when it’s not working, and how to pick the best hotspot phone plan. 

How To Turn On Hotspot on Android

Turning on your Android hotspot is easy, though the specifics might slightly differ across devices. Generally, though, these are the steps you’ll need to follow to configure your hotspot on Android:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap Network & internet or Connections.
3. Tap Hotspot & tethering, Personal hotspot, or Mobile Hotspot.
4. Switch Wi-Fi hotspot to the on position.

If you want to get to your hotspot more quickly you can also swipe down on the top of the screen and tap Hotspot. 

Once you’ve turned on your Android hotspot, you can connect your laptop or other device like you would normally connect to WiFi. Find your phone’s hotspot name in the list of nearby networks, enter the password listed on the Hotspot & tethering page. If you’d like to change that password, you can do that by clicking on it and entering a new one.

How To Change Hotspot Name on Android

Your default Android hotspot network name will be the same as the name of your Android device. If you want to change it to something else, you can do so in a few basic steps. Here’s how:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap Network & internet or Connections.
3. Tap Hotspot & tethering, Personal hotspot, or Mobile Hotspot.
4. Tap on the hotspot name.
5. Rename the hotspot and press Done.

You’ll now be able to find your newly named Android hotspot on other nearby devices.

How To Get Hotspot on Android

If you want to get a hotspot for your Android phone, you’ll need to make sure your phone plan has hotspot option enabled. Most plans allow hotspot data, but some prepaid and capped data plans, like the AT&T 4GB Plan, don’t include the ability to hotspot.

Capped plans like that, though, are rare. More and more, cell phone plans include dedicated hotspot data and those that don’t still include enough data to power a mobile hotspot from time to time. 

If you’re looking to regularly use your mobile hotspot, though, we recommend signing up for an unlimited data plan. Unlimited data plans often provide dedicated hotspot data and sometimes even guarantee high-speed hotspot data, which is why unlimited plans tend to top our list of the best mobile hotspot plans, especially the AT&T Unlimited Extra EL and the Verizon Unlimited Plus, which offer generous mobile hotspot allowances at 5G speeds. 

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The Bottom Line

A mobile hotspot turns your Android phone into a WiFi router, allowing you to use your carrier’s cellular towers to keep you connected to the internet. Something important to remember is that your hotspot connection will depend on your wireless connection: if you don’t have a strong cellular connection somewhere, you won’t have a strong hotspot internet connection.

If you’re someone who frequently uses a mobile hotspot, you’ll want to get a plan that will not only offer reliable coverage but also provide dedicated hotspot data. We recommend checking out our roundup of the best mobile hotspot plans, which check both of those boxes.

If you’re looking to explore other options, you can use our dedicated Plan Finder, which compares plans from every major carrier, including many that offer mobile hotspot and unlimited data.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use a free hotspot on Android?

If you want to use a free hotspot—like the kind provided at cafes, malls, libraries, and other public areas—you can connect to it on your Android like you would any other WiFi connection. If you want to use your mobile hotspot on Android, which turns your phone into a WiFi router, then you can do that by going to Settings, tapping Network & internet or Connections, tapping Hotspot & tethering, then toggling Wi-Fi hotspot to the on position.

How can I connect a hotspot to another phone?

You can connect your hotspot to another phone, through a process called tethering, by going to the phone’s WiFi settings and selecting the mobile hotspot from the list of available networks.

How fast is Android hotspot?

The speed of an Android hotspot depends on the strength of your cellular connection (visible to users by the amount of bars in the upper right hand corner of your phone screen) and the maximum speed for your mobile data. Some cell phone carriers, including AT&T and Verizon, offer dedicated mobile hotspot data at 5G and 4G LTE speeds, though other carriers limit hotspot speeds to 3G.