The best way to share a digital cellular connection with the most people is to set up your own wireless mobile hotspot on your Android tablet. Carefully heed these steps:
Turn off the tablet’s Wi-Fi radio.
There’s no point in creating a Wi-Fi hotspot where one is already available.
If possible, connect your Android tablet to a power source.
It’s okay if you don’t find a power outlet, but running a mobile hotspot draws a lot of power.
Open the Settings app.
It’s found in the Apps drawer. Some tablets may feature an app named Mobile Hotspot or 4G Hotspot. If so, open it instead.
Touch the More item in the Wireless & Networks section, and then choose Tethering & Portable Hotspot.
The Tethering & Mobile Hotspot item might be found on the main Settings app screen. On some Samsung tablets, touch the Connections tab and then choose the command Tethering and Portable Hotspot.
You may see text describing the process. If so, dismiss the text.
Touch the box to place a check mark by the Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot item or Mobile Hotspot item, or if the Master Control icon is present, slide it to the right to turn on the hotspot.
The Hotspot is on and available, but you probably want to do some additional customization, such as give the hotspot a better name and set up a password.
Choose the item Set Up Wi-Fi Hotspot or Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot.
You can give the hotspot a name, or SSID, and review, change, or assign a password. You may need to touch a Configure button to set up these items.
Touch the Save button or OK button to set your changes.
When the mobile hotspot is active, you see the Hotspot Active notification icon appear. You can then access the hotspot by using any computer or mobile device that has Wi-Fi capabilities.
To turn off the mobile hotspot, repeat these steps but remove the check mark or slide the master control off in Step 5.
You can continue to use the tablet while it’s sharing the mobile data connection, but other devices can now use their Wi-Fi radio to access the shared connection.
If the hotspot doesn’t come on or the Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot item is disabled, your tablet is incapable of creating a Wi-Fi hotspot or is unavailable under your data subscription plan.
The range for the mobile hotspot is about 30 feet. Items such as walls and tornadoes can interfere with the signal, rendering it much shorter.
Data usage fees apply when you use the mobile hotspot, and they’re on top of the fee your cellular provider may charge for the basic service. These fees can add up quickly.
Don’t forget to turn off the mobile hotspot when you’re done using it. Those data rates add up quickly!
