How to Use Your Phone as a WiFi Hotspot

Internet connectivity is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity. Whether it is a bustling metropolitan or an outlying hamlet, it is almost inexplicable to think of a place where you can stay deprived of the internet. But if you end up in a situation where WiFi connectivity is nowhere to be found and you are fretting to send the email you spent your precious time compiling, do not worry at all. If you have your cellular data active on your smartphone, you do not need to resort to an unsecured public hotspot. We do not want to sound a tad bit cheesy but in such a scenario a phone hotspot is your knight in shining armor. You can connect your laptop or any other device using mobile tethering or better known as a WiFi hotspot and you can stay connected on the go.

How do you set up one though? Will it consume a lot of your time? Will there be any roadblocks? Do I need to contact my data service provider? You do not need to cloud your mind with these unneeded questions. You can set up your phone hotspot in seconds. Keep reading to find out how!

How Does It Work?

In simpler words, your cellular network and data can transform your phone into a WiFi network. The feature comes built-in most smartphones. Once it is set up, you can connect your devices like PC, smartphones, laptops, tablets to the hotspot connection. Do you think setting up one is a challenging feat? Certainly not. Here is how you can create a phone hotspot for an Android and iPhone/iPad.

Setting up WiFi Hotspot for Android

• ? Go to the Settings app
• ? Tap Connections/Network & Internet/Tethering (varies for every Android smartphone)
• ? Tap Mobile Hotspot/Hotspot & Tethering or toggle the switch to enable WiFi hotspot
• ? You will be shown the option to update the password/name of your hotspot network

Setting up WiFi Hotspot for iPhone or iPad

• ? Go to the settings app
• ? Tap Personal Hotspot
• ? Toggle the Personal Hotspot to enable it
• ? You can either keep the default WiFi password or update it

How to Connect Devices to Your Phone Hotspot?

To connect your laptop, tablet, PC, or smartphone to the phone hotspot simply scan for new internet connections. Once you locate your phone hotspot’s name, connect to the network using the hotspot network password. Since your hotspot network is secure and private, only those you have shared the password with can connect to it.

Is A Phone Hotspot Secure?

When setting up a phone hotspot, you require a password to connect any other device to the hotspot network by default. So yes, a private cellular hotspot is undoubtedly secure. Even if you are short on mobile data, refrain from connecting your devices to public WiFi spots as found in coffee shops, cafes, and even public libraries. A phone hotspot network ensures the utmost security with WPA2 encryption which is something public hotspots do not have. In turn, you end up with an authentic and secure connection without putting your privacy at stake.

Some Dos and Do not to Know

1. ? Using your smartphone as a portable hotspot does not confer you with unlimited data. Refrain from downloading bandwidth-heavy files, limit streaming, and pause any application downloads in the background.
2. ? When setting up your phone hotspot, make sure you have enabled secure connectivity. If enabled, anyone who tries to connect to the hotspot will require a password. If left unsecured, your private data and information can be exposed to all sorts of security thefts.
3. ? Mobile tethering = heavy battery consumption. If you intend to use your phone hotspot for more than an hour or so, make sure you have either charged your device to 100% or simply leave it charging while you use the hotspot.
4. ? High-speed is the need for the hour. However, a phone hotspot cannot be as fast as your local wired connection (cable, fiber, DSL). Make sure you do not end up downloading multiple files or applications while connected to the hotspot.

To Conclude

Faced a power outage? Exceeded your internet provider’s data limit? Out and about but all available WiFi connections are not secure? You can use a phone hotspot in all these situations and more. The best part is that setting up one is not rocket science either. You have to follow each step, which we have mentioned already, with utmost accuracy and you will be done setting up your phone hotspot in a jiffy!

FAQs

1. How many devices can I connect to my phone hotspot?

While there is no definite number for connecting devices, most Android phones allow you to connect up to 10 devices at once. As for Apple devices, the max number of connections you can set up is five.

2. Do I select a Private or Public connection type for my phone hotspot?

By default, your smartphone sets the mobile hotspot feature as private. Every user that wants to connect to the mobile network requires a password. If you change the settings to public, your hotspot connection becomes insecure and is exposed to online threats.

3. Does mobile tethering give me unlimited data?

It certainly does not. Your mobile data package is used as the WiFi network therefore, refrain from downloading large files while using your phone hotspot.