“We Can’t Set Up Mobile Hotspot” on Windows 10: What It Means

Windows 10 shows “We can’t set up mobile hotspot” when its mobile hotspot can’t start. The cause is almost always the Wi-Fi adapter or its driver. A related problem is a hotspot that starts but your phone or other device can’t connect to it. The fixes below cover both.

You can also share your internet with Connectify Hotspot, free: download Connectify Hotspot and follow the 5 steps further down.

4 Fixes for the Windows 10 Mobile Hotspot

1. Turn Wi-Fi on. The hotspot needs the Wi-Fi adapter switched on, even when you share an Ethernet connection.
2. Update the Wi-Fi driver from your PC maker’s or Wi-Fi adapter maker’s support site. Driver updates fix most cases.
3. Reset the network. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network reset. This reinstalls your network adapters, so you will need to enter your Wi-Fi passwords again.
4. If devices can’t connect, open Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile hotspot > Edit and set the band to 2.4 GHz, if your adapter offers that option. Older phones, e-readers and smart devices often don’t support 5 GHz.

For more fixes, see our guides to the Windows 10 and Windows 11 mobile hotspot.

Share Your Internet with Connectify Hotspot Instead

Connectify Hotspot is an easy-to-use virtual router app that shares your PC’s internet with your phone, media player, game console, e-reader, laptops and tablets. It uses Wi-Fi Direct by default, the same method as the Windows hotspot, so a broken Wi-Fi driver can stop both: update the driver first. On adapters that still support the older hosted network feature, Connectify Hotspot can use that instead.

1. Download and install Connectify Hotspot on your 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 PC.
2. Open it and choose Wi-Fi hotspot.
3. Under Internet to share, pick the connection you want to share: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, a VPN or a phone plugged in with USB.
4. Set a password. Turn on Block ads if you want lighter pages on every device.
5. Click Start hotspot. Devices join by scanning the QR code on the Hotspot screen, or with the network name and password, like any other Wi-Fi network.

Connectify Hotspot 27 runs on 64-bit Windows 10 (version 1703 or later) and Windows 11. On a Windows 7 or 8 PC, use Connectify Hotspot 2021 instead: see our Windows 7 and Windows 8 guides.

Below is a short video on creating a hotspot with Connectify Hotspot:

What Else Connectify Hotspot Does

Like most hotspot apps, Connectify Hotspot by default gets your devices online without putting them on your real network, so consoles can report NAT problems and a Chromecast or Apple TV on the main network may not show up. Gaming mode handles the NAT side for free, and bridged mode in MAX puts devices on your real network. You also get:

• See every device on your hotspot with the data it uses, switch internet access off for any one of them, and turn on gaming mode for a console. Free in every edition.
• Block ads for every device with the built-in universal ad blocker, including ads inside apps.
• Get your devices online while traveling: sign in to hotel or in-flight Wi-Fi once on the PC and your other devices get online through the hotspot.
• Share almost any connection: Wi-Fi networks, LAN, DSL, tethered smartphones and VPN connections, plus 4G and 5G modems with PRO.
• Extend your Wi-Fi range with Wi-Fi repeater mode, and put consoles and smart TVs on your home network with bridged mode. Both are part of MAX.

Download Connectify Hotspot free and share your internet with every device.