A mobile hotspot is a small device or feature on your smartphone that allows you to share your internet connection with other devices like laptops, tablets or other phones. It works by taking the cellular data signal from your mobile network (like 4G or 5G) and turning it into a WiFi signal that other devices can connect to – just like they would with a regular WiFi network at home or at a café. 

Mobile hotspots are especially handy when you're in a place with no public WiFi or if the available WiFi is slow or unsafe. So, if you're traveling and need to use your laptop to catchup on work or watch a video, but there’s no WiFi available, you can turn on your mobile hotspot to get connected at any time.

The speed and reliability of the internet connection depend on the strength of your network signal. If you're in an area with weak mobile network coverage, your hotspot connection might be slower or less stable. If it’s patchy, try moving to a different area to boost your connectivity.

The number of devices connected to your hotspot can impact the internet speed. If more devices are using the hotspot at the same time, it’s more likely to slow down your connection, especially if they're doing data-heavy activities like streaming videos or downloading files. When your signal is weaker, it’s best to only connect the devices you need to make sure your connection isn’t under too much strain.

Creating a mobile hotspot is quick and easy. The steps are slightly different depending on whether you're using an iPhone, an Android phone or an external hotspot device. 

iPhone

1. Start by opening the Settings app

2. Tap ‘Personal Hotspot’ or ‘Cellular’ > ‘Personal Hotspot’ 

3. Toggle the switch to turn on ‘Allow Others to Join’ 

4. If it's your first time setting up a hotspot, create a strong password to keep your connection secure 

5. On your other device, go to WiFi settings > find your iPhone's hotspot name and enter the password 

Hotspots usually work better on newer iPhone models. Need an upgrade? Check out the latest and greatest iPhone deals at O2. 

Android 

1. Go to the Settings app 

2. Tap ‘Network & Internet’ > ‘Hotspot & Tethering’ 

3. Tap ‘WiFi Hotspot’ and toggle it on 

4. You can customise the hotspot name and set a secure password in the settings 

5. On the other device, go to WiFi settings > search for your hotspot name in the WiFi list and enter the password 

Using a Portable WiFi hotspot device 

1. Turn on the power button > find the WiFi name and password – you can usually find these on the screen or sticker on the device 

2. On your other device, go to Wi-Fi settings > find the hotspot name and enter the password 

3. Monitor data use – external hotspot devices often have an app or display to check how much data you're using 

Via USB tethering 

If you don't want to use WiFi, you can connect your phone to a laptop or computer using a USB cable.

• On an iPhone, enable ‘Personal Hotspot’ and select USB Only if prompted 

• On an Android, go to ‘Hotspot & Tethering’ settings and enable USB Tethering 

Your computer should automatically detect the internet connection through the USB. 

It’s usually related to your mobile plan or phone settings. Here are some common issues and steps to fix them: 

Weak network signal 

The most common reason your mobile hotspot might not be working is a weak network signal. If you’re in an area with poor mobile network coverage, the hotspot won’t be able to connect properly to the internet. Try moving to a location where you have a stronger signal, like near a window or outside and check if that improves the connection. 

Mobile data is off or not working 

A mobile hotspot needs your mobile data to be turned on. Make sure you have an active data connection on your phone or hotspot device. You can check this by trying to browse the web on your phone using regular internet.  

If it’s not working, you might need to restart your phone, check your mobile plan to make sure you have enough data left, or contact your carrier if there’s a network issue. 

Hotspot is disabled 

Sometimes, the hotspot feature may not be turned on properly. Double-check your phone’s settings to make sure that the mobile hotspot is enabled. 

• On iPhone, go to Settings > Personal Hotspot and make sure it’s turned on

• On Android, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Hotspot & Tethering and turn on the hotspot

Double-check that the hotspot password you’ve set is entered correctly when trying to connect another device. 

Too many devices connected 

If too many devices are connected to your hotspot, it can slow down or stop working. Try disconnecting a few and see if that helps. Some phones and hotspot devices have a limit on how many can connect at once and exceeding that limit can cause issues. 

Data limits or plan restrictions 

If you’ve reached your data limit or your mobile data plan doesn’t allow hotspot use, the mobile hotspot might stop working. Check with your provider to make sure your plan supports hotspot usage and that you haven’t exceeded your data limit. Some carriers also limit hotspot speeds after a certain amount of data has been used, which might cause the connection to feel slow or patchy. 

No, you can’t use regular WiFi to create a mobile hotspot. A mobile hotspot relies on a cellular data connection, like 4G or 5G, to share internet access with other devices. When you turn on a mobile hotspot, it uses your device’s network data to create a WiFi network that other devices can connect to.

If you're already connected to WiFi and need to share that connection with other devices, you can use a feature called WiFi tethering on some devices. But this is different from a traditional mobile hotspot because the internet is coming from a WiFi connection, not from a cellular network. In this case, your device is acting like a mini WiFi router for the connected devices.

While mobile hotspots are handy for staying connected when WiFi isn't available, it’s important to check your battery and data allowance as you go. 

Watching videos, downloading large files or gaming can be the most power-hungry activities. If you have an unlimited data plan, you’re covered. If not, be sure to check your mobile network app to see how much data you’ve used. Many mobile hotspot plans have data limits, so it’s important to monitor your usage. 

Mobile hotspots can also drain your phone’s battery quicker than usual. When you use your phone as a hotspot, it's working harder to send out a WiFi signal and maintain a strong connection, which can cause the battery to run down faster. If you’re using the hotspot for a long time, we recommend keeping your phone plugged into a charger.

Not usually. While a mobile hotspot can be fast, its speed and stability are heavily affected by network signal strength and number of connected devices. 

Wired fibre or cable connections easily deliver speeds from 100Mbps to over 1,000Mbps, compared to mobile hotspots which typically deliver 10Mbps to 50Mbps on standard 4G or 5G cellular networks. Speed and reliability also depend heavily on your distance to the nearest cell tower and local network congestion.

Looking for a portable hotspot to take on the road? Check out our mobile broadband devices.