Share your internet connection

When you need an internet connection for another device, share your phone's:

  • For wireless sharing with another Wi-Fi capable device, turn on your Wi-Fi hotspot, which is great for range and speed. This uses more power, so it's best when you can plug in.
  • For wireless sharing with a device in close proximity (like a phone next to a computer), you can use Bluetooth tethering, offering you less interference in crowded Wi-Fi environments, more privacy, and less power consumption than your Wi-Fi hotspot.
  • To share over a physical connection, connect your phone to a device with a USB cable, providing a more stable, speedy, and safe connection in some situations than sharing over wireless connections.

Your cellular plan must support data sharing. If you don’t know, contact your carrier.

Use your hotspot

Step 1: Set it up

  1. Check that:

  2. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering.

  3. Tap Wi-Fi hotspot and do any:

    • Make it easier to find and connect to your hotspot. Tap Hotspot name and change it.
    • Prevent others from seeing your phone's network name. Check Hide my device.
    • See your current password or change it. Tap Hotspot password.
    • Improve hotspot signal. For less interference, change the broadcast channel/band to 5GHz. For a stronger signal, change it to 2GHz. (This feature is not available in all countries.)

Step 2: Connect devices

  1. Check that cellular data is on. If cellular data is off, your phone doesn't have an internet connection to share.
  2. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering.
  3. Tap Wi-Fi hotspot.

  4. Turn Use Wi‑Fi hotspot on , then plug in your phone to charge. Using the hotspot really drains the battery!

    When your hotspot is active, you'll see in the status bar.

  5. Set up the connection.

    To connectDo this
    A phone
    1. On your phone, next to the hotspot's name, tap and unlock if prompted.
    2. Use the other phone's camera to scan the QR code that provides the password.
    Other device
    1. Open the device’s Wi-Fi settings.
    2. Select your phone’s hotspot.
    3. Enter the hotspot password. Learn how to find the hotspot's password.

View or change password

  1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering.
  2. Tap Wi-Fi hotspot.
  3. Tap Hotspot password to see the current password.
  4. To change the password, type over the current password.
NoteAlthough you can turn off passwords for your hotspot, keeping a password prevents unauthorized usage of your cellular data.

Manage hotspot connections

View number of connections

To see the number of devices connected to your hotspot:

  • In quick settings, look below .
  • Or, go to Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering and look under Wi-Fi hotspot.

Limit number of allowed connections

  1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering.
  2. Tap Wi-Fi hotspot > Max Connections.
  3. Select a number.

Control connections with a list

You can limit who can connect to your hotspot with its password or QR code:

  • Normal Mode: Allow any device to connect.
  • White List Mode: Only allow devices to connect if they're on your list.

To switch modes:

  1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering.
  2. Tap Wi-Fi hotspot and turn White List Mode on or off.

To add a device to your whitelist:

  1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering.
  2. Tap Wi-Fi hotspot.

  3. Add devices:

    • If the device is already connected, tap it and tap ADD WHITELIST.
    • Otherwise, tap + Manually Add WhiteList Device, type a name and the device's MAC address, then tap ADD WHITELIST.

    The added device will appear in your list.

To remove a device from the list, tap it, then tap Remove.

Block a connected device

  1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering.
  2. Tap Wi-Fi hotspot.

  3. Tap the connected device, then tap BLOCK.

    The device is disconnected from the hotspot and will not be able to reconnect.

Disconnect everyone

To disconnect all devices and prevent them from reconnecting:

  1. Turn the hotspot off.
  2. Change the password.
  3. Turn the hotspot back on to continue using it.

USB tethering

To connect a device to the internet using your phone's cellular data and a USB cable:

  1. Check that cellular data is on. If cellular data is off, your phone doesn't have an internet connection to share.

  2. Connect your phone to your computer with a USB cable.

  3. On your phone, go to Settings.
  4. Tap Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering.

  5. Turn on USB tethering to start the connection.

    You'll see in your notifications.

To stop the connection, tap the notification and turn off USB tethering, then disconnect your phone and computer.

Bluetooth tethering

To connect a device to the internet using your phone's cellular data and a Bluetooth connection:

  1. Check that cellular data is on. If cellular data is off, your phone doesn't have an internet connection to share.
  2. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and pair with the other device.
  3. Set up the other device to get its network connection via Bluetooth.
  4. On your phone, go to Settings.
  5. Tap Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering.

  6. Turn on Bluetooth tethering to start the connection.

To stop the connection, turn off Bluetooth or touch & hold in quick settings and disconnect the device.

Fix an issue

If you're having issues, try these troubleshooting steps: