How to Tether Your Android Phone for Free

Turn your Android into a personal Wi-Fi hotspot

by
Molly McLaughlin
Molly McLaughlin
Senior Content Strategist
Molly K. McLaughlin has been a technology writer since 2004. Her work has appeared on many tech sites across the web including PCMag, Dealnews, Wirecutter and many others.
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Molly McLaughlin
Updated on August 25, 2021
reviewed by
Christine Baker
Lifewire Technology Review Board Member
Christine Baker is a marketing consultant with experience working for a variety of clients. Her expertise includes social media, web development, and graphic design.
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Article reviewed on Jul 12, 2020
Christine Baker

This article explains how to tether your Android phone so that you can share its internet connection with your laptop, tablet, or another mobile device for free when you're away from your home or office. The directions below generally apply regardless of the device manufacturer.

Before setting up tethering, check your carrier's terms. Some carriers have no restrictions regarding tethering, whereas others offer it at low speeds, require a supplemental plan, or block it altogether.

Types of Tethering

Three types of tethering are common to most phones:

  • Wi-Fi sharing is easy and quick, supports sharing with multiple devices, and tends to drain the phone's battery.
  • Bluetooth is the slowest and allows sharing with one device at a time.
  • A USB connection is faster, and the laptop simultaneously charges the smartphone.

How to Tether Your Phone

Connecting to a Wi-Fi hotspot is the easiest, most convenient, and most commonly used option of the three types. Essentially, the phone creates a Wi-Fi network to which you connect your laptop in the usual way. Here's how to set it up.

  1. On your phone, go to Settings > Connections > Mobile Hotspot and Tethering.

    Depending on the Android version and manufacturer, you might see something like Tethering, Mobile Hotspot, or Tethering & portable hotspot instead.

  2. Turn on Mobile Hotspot.

    Android Mobile Hotspot and Tethering

  3. Choose a network name and password.

  4. Tap Save.

    Choosing a hotspot network name and password

  5. Connect your second device to the network you just created, just as you would to any other Wi-Fi network.

  6. Alternatively, to share your connection via Bluetooth, pair the devices and toggle Bluetooth to On in Mobile Hotspot and Tethering.

  7. Likewise, to use USB, toggle on USB tethering and connect your phone to your other device with a USB cable.

Using an App

If your carrier blocks tethering, try a third-party app. For example, PdaNet+ is a free mobile app with a companion desktop app that shares a smartphone connection over your choice of Bluetooth, USB, or Wi-Fi.

Depending on your carrier, you might not be able to download the app directly, but the app maker offers a way around that. See the app's Google Play listing for other possible restrictions.

Rooting Your Smartphone

Another method involves rooting your smartphone; free, unrestricted tethering is one of its many benefits. Rooting a phone could void the warranty or, if done incorrectly, render the phone unusable. In most cases, though, the good outweighs the bad. Once your smartphone is rooted, you'll have no restrictions on apps (such as the Wi-Fi Tethering app from OpenGarden) that you can download.

Extra: Tethering Tips

Tethering is best in scenarios where an alternative secure connection is not available. When you're finished tethering, be sure to turn it off in Settings. Turn off any connection you're not actively using, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which will save battery life. Also, tethering uses data, so it's best used for short periods if your plan doesn't include unlimited data.

If you need to tether your phone to your laptop's data connection, check out our article on setting up a reverse tether.

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