Share Internet from Laptop to Android Phone or iPhone
If for any reason you cannot connect your Android phone or iPhone to the Internet via Wi-Fi or cellular data, don’t give up. You can share Internet from a Windows laptop to the mobile devices via Wi-Fi. This way, any wired Ethernet, restricted Wi-Fi or cellular dongle connection can be shared with your iPhone or your Android smartphone.
Connectify Hotspot is an easy-to-use virtual router program for Windows that lets you share Internet from laptop to phone, media player, game console, e-reader, other laptops and tablets, and even your nearby friends. Whether you’re traveling, at home, or just working from a coffee shop, Connectify Hotspot keeps you connected anytime and anywhere. Follow along below as we explain how to turn your laptop into a Wi-Fi hotspot.
One plan, every device
Connectify Hotspot turns one mobile connection into Wi-Fi for everything
A tethered phone or a 4G or 5G dongle gives one machine a connection. Connectify Hotspot takes that connection and rebroadcasts a Wi-Fi network the rest of your devices can join.
Mobile data in Wi-Fi out
Phone hotspots cap how many devices can join, and running a hotspot drains the phone battery. Passing the connection through a PC instead lifts that cap, and the phone can sit on a charger while the PC does the work of handing out addresses.
Every device joins the same network, so a laptop, a tablet and a console all sit behind one data plan without any of those devices being tethered directly.
PRO Sharing a tethered phone or a mobile dongle is a PRO feature, and the free version stops each session after 60 minutes.
Some carriers restrict re-sharing a tethered connection, and some plans meter tethered data separately from phone data. Check the terms of your plan before putting a household on one line.
How to Tether Your Laptop’s Internet to Your Phone (Reverse Tethering)
All you have to do is use Connectify Hotspot and turn your laptop into a Wi-Fi hotspot. Then, you can connect your phone to the internet using that hotspot. See video and instructions below.
Share Internet from Laptop to Phone: Setting Up a Wi-Fi Hotspot on Your Laptop
- Download and install the latest version of Connectify Hotspot on your PC or laptop.
- Give your Hotspot a Name (SSID) and Password. You can even add Emojis and Special Characters to your Hotspot Name!
- Press the ‘Start Hotspot’ button to share your Internet connection. Make sure you have the ad blocker option selected,
to save bandwidth, money and battery life. - Connect your phone to the Wi-Fi hotspot you created on your laptop.
Share Internet from Laptop to Phone and Much More with Connectify Hotspot!
While other virtual router software only “help” you share Internet from laptop to phone (inherent issues included – NAT levels, peering, Chromecast apps won’t find your Chromecast, your Apple TV won’t show up for your Mac to stream to…), Connectify Hotspot offers you more:
- Boost your WiFi range with WiFi Repeater Mode in your dorm room or office and getting full coverage in your dorm room.
- Save up to 60% of Internet bandwidth by using the built-in universal ad blocker. It even blocks in-app ads!
- Easily bridge other devices onto your home network with WiFi Bridging Mode: eliminate all game consoles (Nintendo, Playstation, Xbox) and smart TV issues with your home WiFi network!
- Share any type of Internet connection with all your devices: share Internet from existing WiFi networks, LAN, DSL, 3G/4G, even tethered smartphones! You can also share a VPN connection over WiFi easily!
Free, PRO or MAX
Which version of Connectify Hotspot you need
This setup needs Connectify Hotspot PRO. Sharing a tethered phone or a mobile dongle is a PRO feature, and a connection you depend on should not drop every 60 minutes.