Share your PC’s internet with your phone, tablet, or other devices
This wikiHow teaches you how to broadcast your Windows computer's Wi-Fi connection to your smartphone. You can do this on any computer or laptop that has a Wi-Fi card. Keep in mind that this process is different than using your smartphone's data as a Wi-Fi network on your computer . If your computer's Wi-Fi adapter doesn't allow you to create a hotspot, you can use Connectify to broadcast your Wi-Fi.
Steps
-
Open Network & internet in Settings. Press Win + I to quickly open Settings, then click Network & internet .
- The location of this menu setting will vary between Windows 10 and Windows 11, but the steps will be the same.
-
Click Mobile hotspot . You'll see this as a tab on the left side of the window if you're using Windows 10 or on the right side of the window if you're using Windows 11.Advertisement
-
Click the grey "Mobile hotspot" switch. It's at the top of the page. Clicking the switch turns it on, indicating that your computer is now broadcasting your Internet connection.
-
Review the network name and password. In the middle of the page under "Properties", look at the "Network name" and "Network password" headings to determine the name and password for your mobile hotspot. [1] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
- The network name should be your computer's name, and the password should be your network's usual password.
-
Connect your smartphone to your Wi-Fi network. Now that your Wi-Fi hotspot is set up on your computer, you can connect to it via your smartphone's Wi-Fi menu:
- iPhone — Open your iPhone's Settings , tap Wi-Fi , tap your hosted hotspot's name, enter the password, and tap Join . [2] X Research source
- Android — Swipe down from the top of the screen, long-press the Wi-Fi icon, tap your hosted hotspot's name, enter the password, and tap JOIN or CONNECT . [3] X Research source
Advertisement
-
Make sure that you have a wireless adapter installed. You can check to see if your computer has a built-in Wi-Fi adapter by doing the following:
- Open Start.
- Type in command prompt , then click Command Prompt .
- Type in netsh wlan show drivers and press ↵ Enter .
- Wait for your adapter's information to appear. If you instead see "The Wireless AutoConfig Service is not running" appear, you don't have a wireless adapter installed.
-
Download and install Connectify. Connectify is an app that you can use to broadcast your computer's Wi-Fi over short distances:
- Go to https://connectify.me/hotspot/ in your computer's web browser.
- Click the purple Download button.
- Click Continue to Download . You may need to avoid the "Buy now" links and continue clicking the download option to use the free version.
- Click the download file to begin the installation wizard.
- Your computer needs to restart to finish installing the software. Once it restarts, Connectify will automatically open.
-
Click Try it Out . It's a purple button at the bottom of the Connectify app window.
-
Click Get Started with Lite . If you purchased the additional features, you won't see this splash screen and can skip this step.
-
Change and view your connection details. You'll see your Hotspot name and password as well as more network information, such as which network is being shared.
-
Wait for your computer's hotspot to start. Once Connectify alerts you that the hotspot is enabled, you can connect your phone to it.
- Now that your Wi-Fi hotspot is set up on your computer, you can connect to it via your smartphone's Wi-Fi menu: [5] X Research source
- iPhone — Open your iPhone's Settings , tap Wi-Fi , tap your hosted hotspot's name, enter the password, and tap Join . [6] X Research source
- Android — Swipe down from the top of the screen, long-press the Wi-Fi icon, tap your hosted hotspot's name, enter the password, and tap JOIN or CONNECT . [7] X Research source
Advertisement
Expert Q&A
Search
-
QuestionCan I share my phone's internet with my computer?Spike Baron is a Network Engineer & Desktop Support Expert based in Los Angeles, California. He is the owner of Spike’s Computer Repair. With over 25 years of working experience in the tech industry, Spike specializes in PC and Mac computer repair, used computer sales, virus removal, data recovery, and hardware and software upgrades. He has worked as an IT Systems expert for numerous companies, including Huntington Health, Blackbox, Honda, and Manufacturers Bank. In his spare time, Spike also builds and restores computers. He has his CompTIA A+ certification for computer service technicians and is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert.Yes, this is called tethering. You can do it either wirelessly with Bluetooth or with a USB connection, depending on the types of phone and computer you have.
-
QuestionHow can mobile WiFi connect to PC WiFi?Community AnswerOpen the WiFi hotspot setting on your phone and connect through there.
-
QuestionI followed the instructions, but this didn't work for my Lumia 730. Is there anything else I can try?Community AnswerMake sure you are not being hacked, make sure you don't have a virus, and make absolutely sure you have the WiFi password correct.
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement
Tips
- The Connectify method will work for any Windows 10, 8.1, or 7 computer that has a network hosting-enabled Wi-Fi adapter card installed.Thanks
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Name
Please provide your name and last initial
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
Advertisement
Warnings
- Not all USB Wi-Fi adapters come equipped with network hosting abilities. If you decide to use a Wi-Fi adapter, make sure that yours supports network hosting.Thanks
Advertisement
References
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/use-your-windows-pc-as-a-mobile-hotspot-c89b0fad-72d5-41e8-f7ea-406ad9036b85
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202639
- ↑ https://support.google.com/android/answer/9075847?hl=en
- ↑ https://support.connectify.me/article/123-wifi-to-wifi
- ↑ https://connectify.me/blog/how-to/share-internet-from-laptop-to-phone-wifi/
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202639
- ↑ https://support.google.com/android/answer/9075847?hl=en
About This Article
Article Summary
X
1. Open Windows 10 Settings
.
2. Click Network & Internet
.
3. Click the Mobile hotspot
tab.
4. Click the "Off" switch at the top of the page to turn it on.
5. Connect to the network on your smartphone.
Did this summary help you?
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 923,428 times.
Reader Success Stories
- "The procedures for Windows 10 perfectly helped, even though I'm using Windows 8."
Advertisement