Creating a Wifi hotspot on Android is very easy. In this article, we are going to give you the complete step-by-step guide to create a Wifi hotspot using your Android device.
Firstly, you should make sure that your device supports the Wifi hotspot feature. Most of the modern day devices will have this built-in feature. So, if your device is a comparatively new one bought in the last 4 or 5 years, you probably don’t have to worry about this. But in case your device is a little old which was gifted by your grandparents, you may have to check the Wifi hotspot compatibility.
What is a Wifi Hotspot?
A Wifi hotspot is a location where other users can access internet using the Wifi of another device. The host device will share the internet available on it with the help of Wifi technology. Wifi hotspots are usually used in mobile devices where one user shares their internet with someone else. If you have friends, you probably came across the word at least once. Wifi hotspots are also common in restaurants that provide free Wifi.
Pitfalls of Android Wifi hotspots
Before using or providing Wifi hotspots, make sure that you read the following points. These are some of the pitfalls of Android Wifi hotspots.
- Using a weak password – You should never use these Wifi password. There are many passwords that are extremely easy to guess or brute force. At any cost, you should avoid using them. Even worse, not using a password at all will invite trouble. Use one of the best Wifi passwords that you can think of.
- Searching for hotspots in public – It is possible that someone accidentally kept the hotspots on. In search of such hotspots, you might actually find some hotspots that are baits for people like yourself. Once you connect to those networks, it is dead simple to hack you. So, you should never search for available Wifi networks in public in the hope of getting free Wifi.
- Using apps that are not trusted – There are several Wifi applications for Android. Before starting to use them, make sure that they are available on the official Play Store. Never install applications that can be downloaded directly from the internet and not available on Play Store.
Steps to Create a Wifi Hotspot on Android
- Navigate to the settings of your Android device.
- Tap on the More option. In some devices, it will be given as “Additional Settings.”
- Tap on Tethering & portable hotspot.
- Toggle the button next to Portable Wi-Fi hotspot.
- That’s it, you have successfully enabled the portable Wifi hotspot on your Android smartphone or tablet.
Uses of portable Wifi Hotspot
Now you know how to create a portable hotspot on your smartphone or any Android device. But, what is the use of portable Wifi hotspots? If you don’t know the answer, continue reading this section.
- Share internet connection – The primary and the most popular function of the mobile hotspot is sharing the internet connection to some other devices. If you have a very fast internet connection and your friend hasn’t, you can share your internet with your friend over the Wifi hotspot. Just create a hotspot over Wi-fi and let your friend find it. If you prefer setting a security password for your connection, do let them know about that.
- Play multiplayer games – There are plenty of games which allows multiplayer battles over the wireless LAN. They utilize the devices on the same network to setup a playing interface between them. The best example is Mini Militia which is very popular game that allows local multiplayer sessions. You just have to join the same network or connect to the Wifi hotspot from a device. If you don’t want to waste your internet data, make sure that your data connection is turned off.
- File transfer – You can also use the Wifi hotspots for file transfer purposes. Almost similar to the technology used in the Xender, you could use your Wifi hotspot for file transfer. When compared to other technologies like Bluetooth, this method will result in numerous times better transfer speed.
Most asked question about Wifi Hotspot Creation on Android
Here are some of the popular questions related to creating a Wifi hotspot on Android devices. If you have any unsolved questions, this section may help you.
How Can I Connect to a Hotspot?
This is a very relevant question. After setting up the Wifi hotspot on your Android device, how could you connect to it? Is there any additional steps required to be able to complete the procedure? No. If you are aware of the method to connect to a regular Wifi connection, there is nothing else you have to know. If you are not, just navigate to Settings > Wifi > and Turn on the Wifi. You will see the Wifi hotspot there. Most probably, the Wifi name will be an unreadable combination of text starting with the letter ‘A’ (unless you changed it.)
How do I Turn on My Mobile Hotspot?
If you are asking about the Android devices, the steps are explained very nicely in the first section. If you are asking about the iPhone or other iOS devices, we will soon publish a detailed guide on turning on Wifi hotspot on such devices.
How do I Share My Mobile Data with Other Mobile over W-Fi?
If you want to share your internet to another device owned by you or any of your friends, you just have to –
- Follow the instructions to set up a Wifi hotspot on your device.
- Then connect the other device by searching the available Wifi networks.
- Now your devices are connected together over Wifi.
- As soon as you enable the Mobile Data option on your device, the other device will be able to receive the internet connection from yours.
- Both of you can enjoy the internet browsing at the same time without any difficulties.
Can I Connect My Device to a PC Using Wifi Hotspots?
Yes, you can. If your Laptop or Computer has the ability to find and connect to the available Wifi networks, you will be able to connect your Android device to the PC over Wifi. You can even share your mobile data to your PC from the Android smartphone or tablet. However, from our tests, few smartphones and PCs have some compatibility issues with each other. But most of the time, you will be able to connect your smartphone with PC over the Wifi hotspot.
It is not only for the internet sharing, but you can also utilize this for transferring files between the PC and Android device. The transfer speeds are very satisfying when compared to the USB connection method.
Is Wifi Hotspot Feature Available on All Android Devices?
If you own a comparatively new Android device, the answer is Yes. If not, it may be a No. In some old smartphones, and old Android versions, some features are missing. The Wifi hotspot feature is one of them. So, if you are using such as device, you won’t find the Wifi Hotspot option in your settings.
Another thing to be aware of is, there are no brand-specific restrictions for the Hotspot feature. It mostly depends on the Android version that your device is running on. Any of the popular Android smartphone manufacturers such as Sony, Samsung, Motorola, LG, Huawei has this hotspot feature built-in. So, no need to worry about any such incompatibility issues.
Read the Wifi Hotspot related article from Forbes
Is it safe to connect to a public Wifi hotspot?
There are several public Wifi hotspots available. You can even try to find the nearest Wifi hotspots in your area. But it is not always safe to connect to a public Wifi hotspot, for obvious reasons. If the Wifi hotspots are provided by someone who have the intention to steal your data or compromise your privacy, they absolutely can achieve that. So, do not connect to any available Wifi networks unless you trust it.
It was very easy to create a Wifi hotspot connection, isn’t it? If not, do let us know the problems you faced during the hotspot setup process. We will help you ASAP.