Use Your Bluetooth to Share Your Phone’s Internet Connection

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Share your phone's mobile data with another device via Bluetooth

Co-authored by Naseem Speach and Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: January 23, 2025 Fact Checked

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Using Bluetooth Tethering

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Enabling a Hotspot on Android

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Enabling Hotspot on iPhone and iPad

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Enabling Hotspot on Windows PC

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Video

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Expert Interview

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Tips

You can use Bluetooth tethering on your phone to connect with your computer or another phone wirelessly. If you set up a hotspot with your mobile provider, you can even use your phone's internet on your computer! The process is simple once you know where to look. This wikiHow article will teach you how to connect your phone to your computer or another phone with Bluetooth tethering.

Quick Steps

Pair your devices.
Enable Bluetooth on both devices.
Navigate to the "Portable Hotspot and tethering" menu in your phone's Settings.
Select the other device in Bluetooth tethering.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using Bluetooth Tethering

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1
Pair your computer with your phone. Enable Bluetooth on your phone and select your computer. Finally, follow the on-screen prompts on your computer and your phone to complete the connection. Use this method if you want to tether your computer to your phone.
- If you're using Windows 10, go to the Bluetooth tile in the Action Center (in your taskbar).^{[1]
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  Microsoft Support
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- If you're using Windows 11, go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth.
- For Macs, you'll find Bluetooth in System Settings > Bluetooth.^{[2]
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- You can also pair your phone with another phone instead. Although the steps are worded for Windows 10, you can follow the same steps if you're using a different device.
- Not every device has Bluetooth though, so if you don't find it in Device Manager, you don't have it. You can, however, purchase a Bluetooth dongle so you can use Bluetooth on your computer without the necessary hardware.
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Navigate to the Tethering & Portable Hotspot menu on your phone.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Naseem Speach
Tech Video Producer

Expert Interview} You can also long-tap the Hotspot icon in the Quick Settings panel (Android), then tap to turn on "Bluetooth tethering."^{[4]
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- iPhone tethering doesn't work the same way. Tapping the icon in the Control Center will only enable and disable your hotspot.
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Join your phone's network on your computer. To do this, right-click the Bluetooth icon in the system tray and choose "Join a Personal Area Network." A new window will open and you need to select "Access point" from the Connect using drop-down menu.^{[5]
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- Once the connection is successful, you'll see a message pop up on your computer. You can use your phone's data/internet connection to browse the web if you have a hotspot set up. If you don't have a hotspot set up, you can browse your connected phone's files.
- If the connection doesn't work, you may need to update your Bluetooth driver.
- In case tethering via Bluetooth does not sound like something you want to do, you can always tether via USB or Wi-Fi.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Enabling a Hotspot on Android

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1
Tap the Hotspot icon in Quick Settings to turn it on. Swipe down from the top of your screen twice to open the Quick Settings panel. Swipe through the pages to find the icon.
- If it's not there, you can add it by tapping the edit icon, and then tapping Edit under the "Full" thumbnail. Swipe through the list of available icons that you can add, and tap it.
- Alternatively, open Settings and navigate to Connections > Mobile Hotspot and Tethering > Mobile Hotspot.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Enabling Hotspot on iPhone and iPad

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1
Tap the Hotspot icon in Control Center to turn it on. Open Control Center by swiping down from the top right corner of your screen (Face or Touch ID) or by swiping up (iPhones/iPads with Home button).
- If you don't see the Hotspot icon in Control Center, you can add it in Settings > Control Center.
- Alternatively, open Settings and go to Cellular > Personal Hotspot.^{[6]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Enabling Hotspot on Windows PC

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1
Navigate to Mobile Hotspot. Press Win + I to open Settings, then go to Network & internet > Mobile hotspot.
- Use this method if your PC has cellular data that you want to share with another computer, phone, or tablet.
You'll see an option to share a network under "Share my internet connection from."
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Choose Bluetooth. This will allow you to use the network over Bluetooth instead of Wi-Fi.
- Wi-Fi is usually faster than Bluetooth.
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Change the network information if you want to. Click Properties to expand the options and you can change the network name, password, and network band.
- If you make any changes, click Save.
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Click the switch next to "Mobile Hotspot" to turn it on. The switch will be colored and pointing to the right if it's enabled.^{[7]
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- Use the these steps to connect the PC with another device.

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Tips

You can also Bluetooth tether with another phone instead of your computer. Simply follow the same steps: pair your phones, then use the secondary phone to connect to the primary phone.

Thanks
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If you didn't pay for a mobile hotspot, but are using the Internet on your phone from your tethered computer, you may be able to view a few pages before you're charged for the hotspot service. Data from a computer and data on a mobile web browser look different to service providers.

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