When circumstances call for it, you can share internet access from your computer or mobile device with other people.

Finding secure, reliable network connections on the go isn’t always easy. Public Wi-Fi isn’t exactly known for its reliability, and with a hefty user load, your internet connection might suffer. 

Whether you’re travelling alone or finishing a project over the internet with your colleagues, there are times when you need to make do with available networks. If, for whatever reason, one or multiple devices can’t connect, there are things you can do.

How to Share Your WiFi Connection From iOS With Personal Hotspot

Internet sharing is easy if you’re using an iPhone or an iPad because of its built-in Personal Hotspot feature. Here’s how to activate it:

1. Go to Settings and tap on Personal Hotspot. If you can’t find Personal Hotspot, look for Mobile Data and then tap Personal Hotspot. If you still have no luck, contact your carrier and confirm if you can use personal hotspot capabilities with your plan.
2. Tap Allow Others to Join.
3. Tap Wi-Fi Password if you want to change the default password.

From that point on, you can quickly turn on Personal Hotspot from Control Center. Just press hard on the network options, tap Personal Hotspot and you’re good to go!

Connect via Wi-Fi

1. Go to the device’s Wi-Fi settings.
2. Choose iPhone from the list of Wi-Fi networks that appear.
3. Connect by entering the password.

What is tethering and how is it different from mobile hotspot?

When you share your phone’s mobile data to connect another device to the internet, that’s called tethering—and it’s more of a general term. While tethering connections may involve wireless or physical media (like Bluetooth and USB tethering), a mobile hotspot only uses Wi-Fi.

Share your Wi-Fi connection from Android with Mobile Hotspot

Most Android phones and tablets come with a mobile hotspot feature that allows you to share your cellular connection with other devices. The steps may vary slightly from one brand and model to another, but it’s all pretty straightforward. For this example, we’ll use Samsung Galaxy phones (S7 and later models).

1. Go to Connections > Mobile Hotspot and Tethering > Turn on Mobile Hotspot.
2. Tap Wi-Fi Password if you want to change the default password.

Connect via Wi-Fi

1. Go to the device’s Wi-Fi settings.
2. Tap your network name and connect by entering the password.

When travelling, you can share your phone’s internet connection to your other devices.

How to Share Your WiFi Connection From Your Windows PC With Mobile Hotspot

You can share your Windows PC’s wired internet connection or cellular data with other devices over Wi-Fi. Here’s how it works for Windows 10:

1. Go to the Start Menu > Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile hotspot
2. In the Share my internet connection from dropdown, choose which network you want to share.
3. Click Edit to set your Wi-Fi network name and password.
4. Turn on Share my Internet connection with other devices.

To connect, you just need to find the network name and add the password on the device you want to connect, as we did in the previous sections.

How To Share WiFi Connection From Your Mac With Internet Sharing

You can share your Mac’s wired internet connection with other computers in your local network. Here’s how it works for macOS Ventura 13.

1. Go to the Apple Menu > System Settings > Click General > Scroll down and click Sharing.
2. Click Info (next to Internet Sharing).
3. Click Share your connection from and select the connection you want to share.
4. In To computers using, choose the port other computers use to access the connection.
5. If you choose Wi-Fi, click Wi-Fi Options and then set up your internet-sharing network.
6. When you’re done configuring the network, turn on Internet Sharing.

Again, you’ll need the password to connect from the Mac computer. That’s it! If you have any questions, feel free to contact your service provider.