Which phones have tethering

Three types of tethering are common to most phones:. 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. Turn on Mobile Hotspot. Choose a network name and password. Tap Save. Connect your second device to the network you just created, just as you would to any other Wi-Fi network. Alternatively, to share your connection via Bluetooth, pair the devices and toggle Bluetooth to On in Mobile Hotspot and Tethering.

If your carrier blocks tethering, try a third-party app. 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. 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. 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. Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

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Uswitch Mobiles All articles. What is tethering? Joe Minihane - Last updated: 12 April Tethering is a term that gets used a lot by mobile networks and technology websites. So, what is tethering? Why would I do it? How do I turn on tethering if I have an iPhone? How do I turn on tethering if I have an Android phone? How does it affect battery life? How much does it cost? How do the costs break down? We take a look at all the major networks' policy and pricing for tethering. You can also make calls whilst you're tethering.

See the best Vodafone deals O2 O2 suggests its customers should avoid using their phones for tethering, saying it can be a big drain on data and that smartphones are not designed to be used as personal hotspots.

Check out our 02 deals Sky Mobile Sky Mobile also allows its customers to use tethering as part of their mobile plans, so while it won't cost any extra money it will use up data. Join millions of savers. Was this article helpful? Read next How to unlock a mobile phone?

A guide to unlocking any phone or network Set your phone free now. How to clean your smartphone: kill germs, bacteria and viruses Make sure your phone is squeaky clean with our step-by-step guide. How can I get a free streaming service with my mobile phone contract? A phone hotspot uses a cellular network to connect to the internet, and typically shares that connection via Wi-Fi.

Using a phone hotspot can increase your security profile by letting you avoid the use of insecure public hotspots in coffee shops and hotels. For those able to tap into one of the emerging 5G networks, the protection is increased with bit encryption; the ability to block fake mobile network transmission sites, known as stingrays ; and encryption of your identity and location to thwart identity thieves. This is only the case if the network implements these defenses, though.

With any mobile network, a VPN can build a stronger wall around your communications with AES bit encryption, but it often comes at the cost of performance. Some newer phones from LG, Asus and Samsung can use the stronger WPA3 scheme that better protects the authentication phase of connecting. The good news is that just about every Android or iOS phone on the market can be turned into a Wi-Fi hotspot. All it takes is a small configuration change that takes a minute at most. Otherwise it will drop down to a 4G or 3G network as needed.

There are a couple dozen first-generation 5G phones available, which will likely balloon in the coming years as the networks get built out and the required handset chips get cheaper and less power-hungry. Expect to see 5G iPhone and Pixel handsets in the fall. Because it is treated like other data, all the mobile networks support the use of a phone hotspot.

Most of the business plans and many of the consumer plans from the Big Four soon to be Big Three national networks include hotspot use in one way or another, although the landscape might change over time with the merger of T-Mobile and Sprint.

The bad news is that while your talk-time and texting might be theoretically unlimited, the networks typically limit hotspot access to a set amount of data per month at full speed anywhere from 3GB to GB, depending on your plan ; after that it drops to a much slower speed. These days hotspot use is generally included in most business and consumer plans.

Unless otherwise noted, prices shown below are for accounts with a single phone line. The monthly cost per line goes down as you add more lines to the account. Business customers have the choice of several plans, starting with the Business Unlimited Performance and Elite subscriptions that include 4G and 5G hotspot data. As part of the merger with T-Mobile, Sprint continues to operate independently but is repurposing its 2.

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