(light music)
(bells dinging)
- Hi, I'm Agent Lee,
and I'm in the lab today
to show you how to tether your phone.
Tethering allows another device, like a laptop,
to use your internet on your phone.
It comes in really handy
if you need to use your computer in an area without Wi-Fi,
or if you don't fully trust that Wi-Fi connection.
Be careful, though.
Tethering uses your cellphones data plan,
and it can add up quickly.
All right, there are a few different ways
to tether your phone,
and today I'll show you three of them.
The first is called Wi-Fi tethering.
Now, there's a chance your carrier
may have to unlock this feature for you,
and there might even be an additional cost.
Also, because every phone is a little different,
these steps might not be exactly the same on yours.
For the purposes of this demo,
I'll be using a Google Pixel 3.
Got it?
Okay.
So, let's say, you're at the airport,
and you need to send something before you leave,
but the Wi-Fi is painfully slow.
Not a problem.
Take out your phone, and on the Pixel,
you'd open the app drawer, then tap settings,
networking and internet, hotspot and tethering.
Tap Wi-Fi hotspot.
If this is the first time you're setting up a hotspot,
go ahead and change the network name
to something that you can remember easily.
Also, make sure security is set to WPA2 personal.
That's setting will allow you
to access your new hotspot, using a password.
Then, pick your password.
Choose something that you'll be able to remember,
but isn't easy for someone else to guess.
When you've got your password,
tap on advanced.
If you tap on AP band, you can even choose
your signal's specific frequency, if you like.
Five gigahertz isn't always available,
but it's typically faster.
2.4 gigahertz is more common,
but usually has more interference.
Now, just tap the slider to turn on your hotspot.
From now on, it'll be ready to go
whenever you need it.
Just remember to turn it back off when you're done.
Now, go back to the device you need to connect,
find the list of wireless signals,
and connect to your new hotspot.
On a Windows 10 device, it's pretty easy.
Just click the wireless icon in the system tray,
find the name of your new hotspot,
and click on connect.
Where it says, "Enter the network security key",
type your hotspot's password in the box.
Go ahead and open a web browser,
just to make sure your computer is connected.
One great thing about setting up this type of hotspot,
is multiple devices can sometimes share your phone signal.
However, I should warn you
that using your phone as a hotspot
can drain it's power faster than normal.
So, if you can, plug your phone in.
If draining the battery is an issue,
you might prefer the second method, Bluetooth tethering.
It doesn't drain as much power from your phone,
but you'll have a slower internet connection,
and you can only connect one device at a time.
For Bluetooth tethering to work,
your phone needs to be paired with your other device,
and Bluetooth should be enabled on both.
Open the app drawer on your phone,
and tap settings,
network and internet,
hotspot and tethering,
and finally, Bluetooth tethering.
Once you turn that setting on,
you'll be ready to use the internet on your other device.
Simple, right?
The last method that I want
to talk about today, is USB tethering.
I'm showing you this method last
because it only works for a Windows computer,
and requires a USB cable.
The good news is that this method
charges your phone at the same time.
To use USB tethering,
plug a USB cable into the phone,
and then into your computer.
A few prompts might come up
if this is your first time connecting.
Then, on your phone, open the app drawer, tap settings,
network and internet,
and hotspot and tethering.
Now, turn on USB tethering, and you should be connected.
And there you have it.
Three simple ways you can use your phone
as your own personal hotspot.
I hope this video is helpful.
If you thought it was, give it a like.
If you have questions, ask us in the comments,
and be sure to subscribe to our channel
for more tech tips from Best Buy.
See ya!
(light music)