Normally I prefer to publish posts about the latest in tech news, but being that nothing really important is going on now I hope you'll forgive me if I choose to write a How-to today.
The following How-to is perhaps the best trick I know of on Android (and I know quite a few). This trick will allow you turn your Wifi capable Android phone into a Wifi Hotspot for other devices, with zero technical knowledge required. Also, it's a completely free method, aside from if your carrier charges you for tethering to other devices. On Virgin Mobile I don't think they'll ever notice if I use it once in a while so I installed it on my Optimus V. Please check your terms before you do this though because you don't want to get screwed over from your company.
So here's how its done. There's an app in the Android Market called Quick Settings (by Sergej Shafarenka) that's available for free. This is a popular app which supplies useful shortcut buttons for common system settings, such as volume, ringer on/off, Wifi on/off, 3G on/off, etc. On the main screen of the app you'll see five to ten control buttons (that's the unhidden menu). The secret is that if you click your phones menu button two options will appear on the bottom (customize, preferences). Click customize and then drag Wifi Hotspot on/off up to the main screen menu so that you can turn Wifi Hotspot on from the main screen.
So let's do this step by step:
1. Download Quck Settings from the Android Market
2. Install the app and open it
3. Click menu and them press customize
4. Scroll down and find Wifi Hotspot on/off in the hidden settings
5. Drag it up to the unhidden menu so it will be on your main screen
6. Click back to return to the main screen.
You're done! If your phone is Hotspot capable you should see a blue logo appear in the notifications bar when you turn it on. You can enable your phone as a Wifi Hotspot whenever you want just by turning it on in Quick Settings! This works on virtually EVERY Wifi capable Android phone.
Now since there's no possible way somebody's finding this article by doing a Google search I beg you guys to PLEASE send this article to all your friends on Android. Plenty of them would love this information and might need to use it one day.
I hope you enjoyed this article. Please comment if you have any thoughts.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your article.
I am trying since a long time to tether my 4G via wifi and noticed the trick with quick settings.
The problem for me is that it does activate and I can see a new wifi but I don't know the key and I don't have access to a menu that could allow to set the wifi ssid and pass phrase.
Do you know what could be the basic pass phrase?
Right now I am tethering with an app called AndroidTethering but it requires some installation on the computer side and a USB cable.
Hi, Im having a problem.when I activate the hotspot my mobile data disconnects. I know theres a way around that. I dont know what it is though. Can you help?
ReplyDeletelg optimus v, android version 2.2.2
@tech12 make sure your wifi is off and no juice defending apps are running.
ReplyDeleteI found this via a google search........
ReplyDelete