How to Connect a Smart TV to a Mobile Hotspot

Use hotspot Wi-Fi to connect your TV to the internet

By
Ruben Circelli
Ruben Circelli
Ruben Circelli
Editor
  • University of Massachusetts, Boston
Ruben Circelli has been a freelance technology writer and editor since 2014. His work has appeared on dozens of sites, including Komando.com, Twinfinite, and TheGamer.
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Updated on April 22, 2022
Reviewed by
Ryan Perian
Ryan Perian headshot
Reviewed by Ryan Perian
  • Western Governors University
Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

What to Know

  • You can connect a smart TV to a hotspot device or a phone being used as a mobile hotspot.
  • To connect the two, from your TV join the Wi-Fi network attached to your hotspot .
  • Be careful of hotspot data limits. High-resolution streaming can quickly eat up data.

This article explains how to connect a smart TV to a mobile hotspot.

How Do I Connect My Smart TV to a Hotspot?

Before we get too far into this, make sure you have a TV capable of connecting to Wi-Fi and a working mobile hotpot.

Once you're sure the mobile hotspot is working, connecting it to your smart TV only takes a few moments.

  1. First, choose a good location for your mobile hotspot. Test the reception on your phone to make sure your chosen location has decent coverage, and make sure it's not too far from your TV.

  2. Make sure you have your mobile hotspot's Wi-Fi network name and password at the ready, as you'll have to enter this information on your smart TV to connect to the network.

  3. Turn on your TV, and open its Settings menu. Navigate to your TV's Network Settings page, which can be sometimes called Internet Settings, Wi-Fi Settings, or anything along these lines.

  4. Search for Wi-Fi networks you can connect to with your TV, and from the list of available networks, select your hotspot's network. Then, enter the password to connect.

  5. Once connected, try streaming a show on your TV to make sure everything works. Depending on your cellular reception in your particular area, speeds may be fine for streaming video content or they could be extremely slow. Your personal mileage will vary.

Why Won’t My Smart TV Connect to My Mobile Hotspot?

First, you'll have to make sure your hotspot and your TV are compatible. Make sure other devices can connect to your hotspot, and make sure your TV can connect to other networks. This will help you identify where the problem actually is: the hotspot, your TV, or the connection between the two.

Verizon mobile hotspot

Verizon

Second, check your hotspot hasn't run out of data. Depending on your data plan, you may not have unlimited hotspot data, and it's possible may run out of data faster than you expect.

Third, be sure to test out your hotspot's speeds. Try connecting a phone or computer to the hotspot and running a simple internet speed test. If you have a really bad connection in your particular location, you may find it difficult or frustrating to stream movies and TV shows. Consider moving the hotspot to a different location.

FAQ
  • How do I connect a phone to a smart TV?

    You can usually hook a phone up to a smart TV (for screen casting, for example) by running a cord between the two; smart TVs typically have USB ports. You can also use a wireless option like Apple's AirPlay or an app.

  • How do I connect Alexa to a smart TV?

    Some Samsung and LG TVs have Alexa functionality built right into them. For ones that don't, you can use the Alexa app along with your TV's companion app to get the two platforms communicating.

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