Android hotspot not working? 8 fixes to try

2 min read · 8 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

A hotspot passes your phone's mobile data on to other devices by Wi-Fi. When a laptop cannot find it, cannot join it or joins but has no internet, the cause is usually on the phone: no data, a wrong password or a plan that does not allow tethering.

Menu names below are from Google Pixel phones on a recent Android version. Samsung, Xiaomi and other brands rename some of them. The pictures are simplified diagrams of the screen, not screenshots.

Step by step

1. Check mobile data on the phone

   Switch off Wi-Fi on the phone and open a web page. If it does not load, the hotspot cannot work either. Fix the data connection first.

   Done

2. Switch the hotspot off and on

   Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap Hotspot twice. If the button is missing, tap Edit (the pencil) and drag Hotspot into Quick Settings.

   Done

3. Check the name and password

   Touch and hold the Hotspot button to open its settings. The page shows the hotspot name and the password. Type the password again on the other device, exactly as shown.

   Done

4. Forget the hotspot on the other device

   On the laptop or tablet, remove the saved hotspot from the list of Wi-Fi networks and connect again. This clears an old password.

   Done

5. Check how many devices are connected

   Google gives a limit of up to 10 devices on a Wi-Fi hotspot. Many phones and plans allow fewer. Disconnect devices you do not need.

   Done

6. Ask your network about tethering

   Some mobile networks block tethering or charge extra for it. If devices connect but have no internet, although the phone itself is online, check your plan.

   Done

7. Restart both devices

   Switch the phone and the other device off and on again, then turn the hotspot on first and connect second.

   Done

8. Use USB or Bluetooth tethering instead

   Connect the phone to the computer with a USB cable, touch and hold Hotspot and switch on USB tethering. This also charges the phone. Google notes that Mac computers cannot tether with Android by USB. For those, use Bluetooth tethering in the same menu.

   Done

Good to know

A hotspot uses a lot of battery. Keep the phone plugged in, and switch the hotspot off when you are finished. Many phones can turn it off automatically when no device is connected.

On a Pixel, the hotspot settings are also under Settings, Network & internet, Hotspot & tethering, Wi-Fi hotspot.

Do not set the security to None. Without a password, anyone nearby can use your data.

The set-up is described in how to turn on a Wi-Fi hotspot on Android.

In short: Mobile data working, hotspot off and on, right password, forget and reconnect, device limit, plan allows tethering, restart, USB tethering.