Android hotspot not working? 9 fixes for Samsung and Pixel

A phone hotspot shares your mobile data over Wi-Fi, and it can fail in several different ways. The network may not appear, it may refuse to connect, it may connect with no internet, or it may shut down on its own. The cause is usually your plan or one setting, so start with the quick checks. The steps below suit Samsung and Pixel phones, and the menu names differ a little between the two.

How to fix an Android hotspot that isn’t working

Why is my Android hotspot not working?

Causes come in three groups. The first is the plan. Many US plans from Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and the prepaid brands include only a set amount of hotspot data, and some block it or slow it heavily afterwards. The second is a setting: the band, Data saver, a VPN, battery saver or the idle timeout. The third is the connection itself, such as weak signal, a corrupted network setting or an old system. Check the plan and signal first, because settings do not help if the phone has no data to share.

Check your plan and mobile data first

Turn off Wi-Fi on the phone and open a web page over mobile data. If it does not load, fix that first. Look at the signal bars and the network label, then toggle Airplane Mode for ten seconds. Then open your carrier app or account page and look for the hotspot allowance. Some plans give a fixed amount of high speed hotspot data, then drop to a very slow speed, and others charge extra or have no hotspot at all. If your plan has no hotspot, ask the carrier about an add-on or a better plan. This is also the time to check whether you have run out of regular data.

Hotspot option greyed out or says it is not included

On some phones, the hotspot switch is greyed out or sends you to a carrier page when you tap it. That means the carrier is blocking tethering on your plan, or has not provisioned it after a plan change or a new SIM. Restart the phone and check again. If it still says no, contact the carrier and ask them to turn on hotspot for your line. Avoid apps or tricks that hide tethering from the carrier, since they can break the plan’s terms. A legitimate add-on is the safe route, and it often costs less than people expect.

Samsung and Pixel menu paths

• Samsung: Settings › Connections › Mobile Hotspot and Tethering › Mobile Hotspot. Tap Configure to change the band and the security. Tap the timeout option to stop it turning off by itself.
• Pixel: Settings › Network & internet › Hotspot & tethering › Wi-Fi hotspot. Open Speed & compatibility to choose 2.4 GHz, and turn off Turn off hotspot automatically.
• Other brands: look for Hotspot or Tethering in Settings, or use the search bar at the top.

Hotspot shows up but won’t connect

Open the hotspot screen and keep it open while the other device searches. Switch the band to 2.4 GHz, since older laptops, game consoles and cars cannot see 5 GHz. Set the security to WPA2, which almost every device supports. On the other device, forget the network, wait a few seconds, and then join and enter the password again. Check that the password is a simple one, because a long string with unusual characters is easy to mistype. Also check that the device limit in the hotspot settings is not too low, and that no blocked list holds the device.

Connected, but no internet

When the laptop joins but nothing loads, the cause is often data, not Wi-Fi. Check that mobile data works on the phone. Turn off Data saver in Settings › Network & internet, since it can limit tethering. Turn off any VPN on the phone and the other device. If your plan slows hotspot data after the high speed amount, pages may load very slowly and look broken. Test with a small page. Also check the date and time on the other device, and try a different DNS if only certain sites fail. A laptop with a proxy or a corporate VPN may block the hotspot.

Why does my hotspot turn off by itself?

Android turns the hotspot off after a few minutes with no device connected, to save battery. In the hotspot settings, find the timeout or Turn off hotspot automatically option and turn it off or lengthen it. Battery saver can also cut it, so turn that off while you share, and keep the phone charging. A hot phone may shut sharing down to protect itself. Take off the case, avoid sunlight and shut other apps. Some phones also stop the hotspot when you lock the screen, so check the battery settings for an optimization that applies to the system.

USB, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi tethering compared

• USB tethering: the most stable and it charges the phone. It works on Windows, Mac and Linux, and may need a driver on older PCs.
• Wi-Fi hotspot: the most flexible, since many devices can join, but it uses the most battery.
• Bluetooth tethering: the slowest, with the least battery use. Pair the devices first, then turn it on in the tethering menu.

Hotspot on a laptop, tablet or car

Different devices fail in different ways. Windows laptops sometimes need Wi-Fi turned off and on before the phone appears. Many cars and smart TVs see only 2.4 GHz, so choose that band for them. Game consoles may need a few tries before they pick the network up, and some tablets will not join a hotspot with a hidden name, so leave the network visible.

Reset network settings and update the phone

If settings and plan look fine, update Android and reset network settings. On Samsung go to Settings › General management › Reset › Reset network settings. On Pixel go to Settings › System › Reset options and choose Reset Wi-Fi, mobile and Bluetooth. It clears saved Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth pairings, but not your photos or apps. If the hotspot still fails after that, restart the phone in Safe mode to see whether an app is blocking it. If Wi-Fi at home also drops, read about Android Wi-Fi dropping.

When to call your carrier or repair the phone

If mobile data works but the hotspot never does, call your carrier and ask about hotspot on your line. If mobile data is slow everywhere, ask them to check coverage and your plan’s speed limits. If the phone gets very hot, or the battery drains very fast while sharing, it may need service. Compare the repair quote with a new phone, and ask your carrier about a trade-in or an upgrade deal, which may include a larger hotspot allowance. For another phone type, see hotspot problems on iPhone, and for drops on any phone, read about Wi-Fi drops on any phone.