How to Share Your Smartphone’s Internet Connection With Your Laptop

This process of connecting a computer to a smartphone’s internet connection is called "tethering" or “hotspot.” It can be done using Wi-Fi, a USB, or Bluetooth connection. Not all service providers support tethering; if your service provider does support tethering, keep in mind that tethering counts toward your monthly cellular data limit and may result in additional data charges. This wikiHow teaches you how to use your iPhone's or Android's cellular data to connect to the Internet on a computer with expert tips from computer and tech specialist Luigi Oppido.

How to Share Phone Wi-Fi with a Laptop

Turn on the Mobile Hotspot or Personal Hotspot setting on your phone.
Open the Wi-Fi settings on your laptop.
Select your phone's hotspot name.
Type in your hotspot password.
Click Connect to gain Wi-Fi Internet access.

Method 1

Method 1 of 6:

Using a Personal Hotspot on iPhone or iPad

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It has an icon that resembles two silver gears. Tap the Settings app icon on your Home screen to open the Settings menu.
2
Tap Personal Hotspot. It's near the top of the Settings page, just below the Cellular Data (or Mobile Data) option.
- On some devices, you may need to tap Cellular to get to this option.
- According to Oppido, tethering and hotspot tethering may not be available on all wireless data plans. If you don’t see the Personal Hotspot option, or you are not able to turn it on, you may need to contact your mobile carrier. Some carriers require you to contact them and ask that it be turned on.^{[1]
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  Expert Source
  
  Luigi Oppido
  Computer & Tech Specialist
  
  Expert Interview}
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3
Tap the toggle switch next to “Allow others to join.” It’s the first option in the Personal Hotspot menu. This enables your personal hotspot and allows other devices to connect to your iPhone or iPad’s mobile data.^{[2]
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- Tap Wi-Fi Password to change the password for your iPhone's hotspot.
- Tap the toggle switch next to Maximize Compatibility if your computer is not able to connect to your personal hotspot. This enables a 2.4 GHz band. A 2.4 GHz band makes for a slower internet connection but ensures more devices are compatible with the wireless network.
4
Open your computer’s Wi-Fi settings
. It usually has an icon that resembles a dot with arching lines in the shape of a fan over it. Use one of the following steps to open the Wi-Fi settings on your laptop:
- Windows 11: Click the Wi-Fi/Speaker/Battery icon in the taskbar in the lower-right corner to open the Quick Settings menu. Then, click the arrow pointing right next to the Wi-Fi icon.
- Windows 10: Click the Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. If you don’t see the Wi-Fi icon, click the “^” icon to display more icons.
- Mac: Click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar at the top of the screen in the upper-right corner.
- Chromebook: Click the Time in the lower-right corner. Then, click the Wi-Fi icon to open the Wi-Fi settings
5
Click your iPhone or iPad’s name. You'll see your iPhone's name appear in the Wi-Fi pop-up window.
- On a Windows computer, click Connect in the bottom-right corner of the Wi-Fi pop-up window to continue.
6
Enter your iPhone or iPad’s hotspot password. You'll find this password next to the "Wi-Fi Password" heading in the middle of the Personal Hotspot page on your iPhone or iPad.
- Click next for Windows 10.
As long as the password is correct, doing so will prompt your computer to connect to your iPhone's hotspot.

Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

Using a Mobile Hotspot on Android

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1
Open your Android's Settings. To do so, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the Quick Access menu. Then tap the gear icon in the upper-right corner.
- According to Oppido, hotspot tethering may not be available on all wireless data plans. If you don’t see the Personal Hotspot option, or you are not able to turn it on, you may need to contact your mobile carrier. Some carriers require you to contact them and ask that it be turned on.^{[3]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Luigi Oppido
  Computer & Tech Specialist
  
  Expert Interview}
2
Tap Network & Internet or Connections. If you are using a Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet, tap Connections. If you are using a stock Android phone, such as a Google Pixel, tap Network & Internet or More connectivity options.
- Alternatively, you can tap the Mobile Hotspot icon in the Quick Access menu to turn on your mobile hotspot.
On a Samsung device, tap Mobile HotSpot and Tethering instead. This opens the Hotspot and Tethering options.
4
Tap the toggle switch next to “Wi-Fi Hotspot” or “Mobile Hotspot.” Depending on which device you have, this option will either be “Wi-Fi Hotspot” or “Mobile Hotspot.” This turns on your mobile hotspot so that other devices can connect to your device.
- To change your mobile hotspot settings, tap Wi-Fi Hotspot or Mobile Hotspot. Here, you can change the name of your mobile hotspot and set a password. You can also change what band your mobile hotspot broadcasts on. A 5 GHz band will have a faster connection, but some devices may not be compatible with it. A 2.4 GHz band will be slower, but more devices will be compatible.
5
Open your computer’s Wi-Fi settings
. It usually has an icon that resembles a dot with arching lines in the shape of a fan over it. Use one of the following steps to open the Wi-Fi settings on your laptop:
- Windows 11: Click the Wi-Fi/Speaker/Battery icon in the taskbar in the lower-right corner to open the Quick Settings menu. Then, click the arrow pointing right next to the Wi-Fi icon.
- Windows 10: Click the Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen.
- Mac: Click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar at the top of the screen in the upper-right corner.
- Chromebook: Click the Time in the lower-right corner. Then, click the Wi-Fi icon to open the Wi-Fi settings
You'll see your phone’s name or model name appear in the Wi-Fi pop-up window.
You can find your phone’s Wi-Fi password by tapping Wi-Fi Hotspot or Mobile Hotspot in your phone’s settings menu under “Network & Internet” or “Connections.”
As long as the password is correct, doing so will prompt your computer to connect to your iPhone's hotspot.

Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

Using iPhone or iPad USB Tethering

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If you want to use USB tethering to share your iPhone or iPad’s internet connection on a Windows computer, you must have iTunes installed. You can install iTunes for free from the Microsoft Store.
It has an icon that resembles two silver gears. You can find the Settings icon on your Home screen.
3
Tap Personal Hotspot. It's near the top of the Settings page, just below the Cellular Data (or Mobile Data) option.
- On some devices, you may need to tap Cellular to get to this option.
- According to Oppido, hotspot tethering may not be available on all wireless data plans. If you don’t see the Personal Hotspot option or you are not able to turn it on, you may need to contact your mobile carrier. Some carriers require you to contact them and ask that it be turned on.^{[4]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Luigi Oppido
  Computer & Tech Specialist
  
  Expert Interview}
It’s the first option in the Personal Hotspot menu. This enables your personal hotspot and allows other devices to connect to your iPhone or iPad’s mobile data.
Use the USB cable that came with your iPhone or iPad to connect it to your computer. You should be connected to the internet via a wired connection. ^{[5]
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EXPERT TIP

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist

USB tethering is virtually the same as using a mobile hotspot. You just need to enable your Wi-Fi hotspot and connect to your computer via a USB cable instead of Wi-Fi.

Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

Using Android USB Tethering

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Use the USB charging cable that came with your Android phone or tablet to connect to a free USB port on your computer.
2
Open your Android's Settings. To do so, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the Quick Access menu. Then tap the gear icon in the upper-right corner.
- According to Oppido, tethering may not be available on all wireless data plans. If you don’t see the Personal Hotspot option or you are not able to turn it on, you may need to contact your mobile carrier. Some carriers require you to contact them and ask that it be turned on.^{[6]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Luigi Oppido
  Computer & Tech Specialist
  
  Expert Interview}
If you are using a Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet, tap Connections. If you are using a stock Android phone, such as a Google Pixel, tap Network & Internet.
After doing so, your computer should recognize the USB connection as a wired connection.

Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

Using iPhone or iPad Bluetooth Tethering

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This will make your iPhone or iPad discoverable. To turn Bluetooth on, you can either swipe down from the upper-right corner to open the Control Center and tap the Bluetooth icon or open the Settings app and tap Bluetooth. Tap the toggle switch to turn Bluetooth on.
2
Pair your iPhone or iPad with your computer. Use one of the following steps to do so:
- Windows 11: Click the Wi-Fi/Speaker/Battery icon in the taskbar in the bottom right corner. Click the arrow pointing right next to the Bluetooth icon. Scroll down and click Show all devices. Then, click your iPhone or iPad model.
- Windows 10: Click the Windows Start menu followed by the Settings/Gear icon. Click Devices > Bluetooth & other devices > Bluetooth > Add a device. Click your iPhone or iPad model.^{[7]
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  Microsoft Support
  Technical support and product information from Microsoft.
  
  Go to source}
- Mac: Click the Apple icon in the menu bar. Click System Settings (or System Preferences). Click Bluetooth. Click your iPhone or iPad model when it appears.
- Chromebook: Click the Time in the lower-right corner of the desktop. Then, click the Bluetooth icon. Click Pair new device. Click your iPhone or iPad model.^{[8]
  X
  Research source}
It has an icon that resembles two silver gears. Tap the Settings app icon on your Home screen.
4
Tap Personal Hotspot. It's near the top of the Settings page, just below the Cellular Data (or Mobile Data) option.
- On some devices, you may need to tap Cellular to get to this option.
It’s the first option in the Personal Hotspot menu. This enables your personal hotspot and allows other devices to connect to your iPhone or iPad’s mobile data.

Method 6

Method 6 of 6:

Using Android Bluetooth Tethering

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1
Ensure your Android device’s Bluetooth is turned on. To do so, swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the Bluetooth icon to ensure that Bluetooth is turned on. This will ensure your Android device is discoverable via Bluetooth.^{[9]
X
Research source}
2
Pair your Android device with your computer. Use one of the following steps to do so:
- Windows 11: Click the Wi-Fi/Speaker/Battery icon in the taskbar in the bottom right corner. Then, click the arrow pointing right next to the Bluetooth icon. Scroll down and click Show all devices. Then, click your Android model.
- Windows 10: Click the Windows Start followed by the Settings/Gear icon. Click Devices > Bluetooth & other devices > Bluetooth > Add a device. Click your Android device model.^{[10]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  
  Microsoft Support
  Technical support and product information from Microsoft.
  
  Go to source}
- Mac: Click the Apple icon in the menu bar. Click System Settings (or System Preferences). Click Bluetooth. Click your Android device when it appears.
- Chromebook: Click the Time in the lower-right corner of the desktop. Then, click the Bluetooth icon. Click Pair new device. Click your Android device.^{[11]
  X
  Research source}
3
Open your Android's settings. To do so, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the Quick Access menu. Then tap the gear icon in the upper-right corner.
- Mobile hotspots may not be available on all mobile data plans. If you cannot find the mobile hotspot settings in the Settings menu, you may need to contact your mobile carrier and upgrade your plan.
4
Tap Network & Internet or Connections. If you are using a Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet, tap Connections. If you are using a stock Android phone, such as a Google Pixel, tap Network & Internet.
5
Tap the toggle switch next to “Bluetooth Tethering.” This enables your Android phone or tablet to share its internet connection via Bluetooth.^{[12]
X
Research source}

Expert Q&A

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Question

Does your phone need an internet connection for this to work?

Spike Baron
Network Engineer & Desktop Support
Spike Baron is a Network Engineer & Desktop Support Expert based in Los Angeles, California. He is the owner of Spike’s Computer Repair. With over 25 years of working experience in the tech industry, Spike specializes in PC and Mac computer repair, used computer sales, virus removal, data recovery, and hardware and software upgrades. He has worked as an IT Systems expert for numerous companies, including Huntington Health, Blackbox, Honda, and Manufacturers Bank. In his spare time, Spike also builds and restores computers. He has his CompTIA A+ certification for computer service technicians and is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert.

Spike Baron

Network Engineer & Desktop Support

Expert Answer

If your computer doesn't have access to an internet connection and you're using your phone to give it internet access, then yes, the phone needs to have online access.

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How can I share mobile date from my phone to my Laptop?

Community Answer

If you mean data, you can share data by plugging a USB charging cable from your phone to a USB port on your laptop. If you're running Windows on the laptop, click My Computer and then click your phone.

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How can I connect to the internet without Wi-Fi?

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Instead of using a phone, you can use an ethernet cable to connect to your router. You may need to look up specific instructions for your router.

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Tips

If you don't have the option to tether listed in your phone's settings, try talking to your service provider about activating tethering—it may be a feature that must be approved before you can access it.

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When tethering wirelessly, keep your phone within ten feet of your computer.

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