You are away from home or in a place with no Wi-Fi — a holiday cottage, a café with a dodgy connection, or a relative’s house. But you need your laptop to connect to the internet. If your phone has mobile data, you can share that connection with your laptop or tablet. This is called a mobile hotspot or personal hotspot.
What Is a Hotspot?
When you turn on your phone’s hotspot, your phone becomes a miniature Wi-Fi router. It takes the mobile data signal (the same one your phone uses to browse the web) and broadcasts it as a Wi-Fi network. Other devices can then connect to that network just as they would connect to any other Wi-Fi.
How to Turn On the Hotspot on an iPhone
- Open Settings and tap Personal Hotspot.
- Tap the toggle next to Allow Others to Join to turn it on.
- Note the password shown on screen — you will need it when connecting your laptop.
- On your laptop, open the Wi-Fi menu, find your phone’s name in the list, and connect using that password. Once connected, your laptop should be able to get online using your phone’s mobile data.
How to Turn On the Hotspot on Android
- Open Settings and look for Hotspot & Tethering or Mobile Hotspot (the exact name varies by phone).
- Tap Mobile Hotspot and turn it on.
- Tap on the hotspot name or settings to see or change the password.
- Connect your laptop to the Wi-Fi network with your phone’s name using that password. Once connected, your laptop should be able to get online through your phone’s mobile data.
Connecting Via USB (If Wi-Fi Does Not Work)
If Wi-Fi hotspot is not working or is too slow, you can share your phone’s internet with a laptop by USB instead. This section covers Android phones. Plug your phone into your laptop with a USB cable that can carry data (some cables only charge). Then, in the hotspot settings on your phone, choose USB tethering (sharing your phone’s internet through the cable). The name of this option varies by phone. Once the cable is connected, your laptop may need a moment to set up the connection. If it does not go online, check the network settings on your laptop.
This guide does not cover USB sharing for iPhones.
Things to Know Before You Use It
- It uses your mobile data allowance. Everything your laptop does while connected counts toward your monthly data limit. Streaming video will use data very quickly. Browsing websites and emails uses far less.
- It drains your phone battery. Running a hotspot uses extra battery power. Plug your phone in if you can, or keep an eye on the charge level.
- Your mobile contract must allow it. Most modern plans include hotspot use, but some cheaper plans restrict it. If it does not work, check with your network provider.
- The speed depends on your signal. If your phone only has a faint mobile signal, the connection will be slow. Strong 4G or 5G signal gives you a much better experience.
- Turn it off when you are done. A hotspot left on drains your battery and keeps using mobile data while any connected device is still active in the background.
A Quick Tip for Security
Make sure your hotspot has a password (it usually does by default). Without one, anyone nearby could connect to it and use your data. If the default password looks simple or easy to guess, change it to something longer before you share it. Other devices should then need the new password to join.
Check how many devices are connected. Your phone’s hotspot settings may show this. If more devices are connected than you expect, change your password to a longer one.
If the hotspot option does not appear on your phone at all, contact your network provider. They can check whether your plan includes hotspot use.
A mobile hotspot is an incredibly useful backup for when you need internet access but there is no Wi-Fi around. Once you know how to set it up, it takes about thirty seconds.
Last updated: October 9, 2026