How to use your smartphone as a mobile hotspot

Gone are the days of relying on public Wi-Fi for your laptop or tablet. Today, most smartphones from Verizon include a built-in mobile hotspot function that allows you to work and browse the Internet while you’re on the go.

With a mobile hotspot, you can connect multiple devices on a 5G¹ capable or 4G LTE capable smartphone. After a few quick steps, the phone creates its own secure Wi-Fi network for your devices to join. There’s no need for a USB cable, and multiple users can share your phone’s mobile data plan at once.

There are just a few things you’ll want to keep in mind. If you aren’t subscribed to one of Verizon’s Unlimited Plans, then any data used by a connected device will be deducted from your plan’s total data allowance. Also, be sure to keep your mobile hotspot password protected - if disabled, anyone can connect without your permission and potentially access transmitted data.

How to use a mobile hotspot on Verizon.

Many of our monthly phone plans and certain prepaid plans let you use Mobile Hotspot on capable devices for no additional monthly charge.

When a device is connected to your phone’s Mobile Hotspot feature or app, data usage is applied to your data plan's monthly allowance.

After exceeding your plan's monthly high-speed allowance, depending on the plan, you have a few options available. You can move to a plan with a higher monthly hotspot data allowance, purchase Data Boost for $35 for an additional 5GB, or continue to use your mobile hotspot at a lower speed. 

To learn more about the Mobile Hotspot data offerings that come with our Unlimited plans, check out the available perks with myPlan.

Once you’ve determined if your plan has mobile hotspot capabilities, you can then focus on turning on your smartphone’s mobile hotspot functionality. Many smartphones and tablets have a built-in Mobile Hotspot feature that you can access in your device's Settings or the App menu. The feature may have a different name on your device (e.g., Personal Hotspot [iOS], Internet Sharing [Windows®] or Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot [Google™ Nexus devices]), but they do the same thing. Turn your mobile hotspot on using these features in settings, and viola! Your device should be able to find your mobile hotspot network and be able to connect from there.

What’s more, you can also purchase an individual mobile hotspot device and power it with Verizon. Learn more about mobile hotspot options available to shop now.

Bring the Internet with you.

Turn your laptop into a virtual office, stream live videos over your camera or rock out to your favorite online playlists right from your smart speaker. Mobile hotspots make it easy to connect to the web via your smartphone. And you can make the most of your connection by pairing popular devices like the Apple iPhone 14, Samsung Galaxy S22, and Google Pixel 6 with Verizon, the network America relies on.

_{1. 5G Ultra Wideband available in select areas. 5G Nationwide available in 2700+ cities.}