Turning your smartphone into a Wi-Fi hotspot comes in handy when you want to access the internet from your laptop or a tablet at a place where no internet connection is available. In such a situation you can simply turn your Android phone into Wi-Fi hotspot and access internet on any other device using your phone’s data plan.
We will be discussing two methods, one of which will allow you to turn your Android phone into Wi-Fi hotspot for free and the other one will require the services of a paid monthly service provider.
What is a Wi-Fi Hotspot?
Before turning your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot, you may want to be be clear about what a Wi-Fi hotspot really is.
A Wi-Fi hotspot in simple terms is a physical location that offers Internet access to your devices such as a laptop or a tablet over a wireless local area network. In this case we are turning your Android phone into a Wi-Fi Hotspot using your phone’s data plan.
As mentioned above, such an arrangement will be very useful when you are on the go and cannot find a Wi-Fi connection anywhere and you absolutely need to access the internet from a laptop or a tablet.
Android Phone into Wi-Fi Hotspot: Paid Method
First we will explore the paid method to turn your Android phone in to a Wi-Fi Hotspot.
1. Ask your Service Provider: Find out from your service provider whether your plan allows you to create a Wi-Fi hotspot. Most plans do not allow this feature and require you to pay an extra monthly fee.
2. Go into Settings: Locate the settings icon on your phone, this icon is usually located in the Apps list. You can also use the shortcut on your home screen, in case you have created a shortcut to access your phone’s settings option.
3. Turn on Tethering and Portable hotspot: On the settings page, locate the wireless networks section which is usually located on top of the settings page. Next, click on more settings and then click on Tethering and Portable hotspot. Now turn on the feature by sliding your finger or ticking the box.
4. Setup the Network: After turning on the Tethering and Portable hotspot you need to setup your network. The steps below will show you how to set up a Network.
- Create a secure SSID: You will be asked to create an SSID, make sure this is not something obvious (like your devices name or your name)
- Set Up WPA 2: Make sure your network security level is set to at least WPA 2 PSK. This is the strongest security and makes it hard for other people to access your network.
- Create a secure password: Create a secure password that is not something obvious. Your password is the key into your network. Make sure that you are making it harder for anyone to guess your password and break into your Network.
That is it! – your Android phone is all set up and ready to be used as a Wi-Fi hotspot. You can now easily work on your laptop or a tablet using the internet connection via your Android phone.
Android Phone into Wi-Fi Hotspot: Free Method
You can also turn your Android phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot by using free apps that are available for this task. However, you need to be careful about using this option. The use of some of these apps might be considered as violation of the terms of agreement by your service provider.
PdaNet + FoxFi
PdaNet+ app contains the FoxFi app which allows you to easily turn your Android phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot, without rooting and without a tether plan.
- Download the PdaNet+ app and open it
- Click on Activate Wi-Fi Hotspot.
- Once activated, you can change the network name and set up a secure password for the hotspot.
The free version of PdaNet+ has limitations, it makes sense to buy the paid version of this app. You will be paying a one time fee of $14.94 or less in case of a sale. This app is also available for iPhone and Blackberry.
1-Click Wi-Fi Tether No Root
This app is available both in free and paid version ($10). The free version allows you to turn your Android phone into Wi-Fi hotspot using an unsecured network, while the paid version allows you to create a secured network.
All you need to do is download the app and the app will automatically create a Wi-Fi hotspot. Go to your other device (laptop or a tablet) and see if you can spot a new network.
Connect to this new Wi-Fi network and see if it works. You can download the paid version if you are happy with your network connection. The paid version works via a secured network and prevents others from riding free on your phone’s data plan.
Hope you have enjoyed this article and are itching to turn your Android phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot.