Hasn't this been available for at least a decade? It's always been there.
this post was submitted on 16 Jun 2025
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Bit of a strange post, but hey, OP learned a cool thing today. I use my Android when my home internet shits the bed. Super slow, but it works well enough.
Yep, the feature was introduced in Froyo*, but there were third party apps that enabled the functionality even before that. It's how I got through college.
"Always" is a long time on the internet, until it isn't.
What matters is to celebrate the now. Today's ten thousand. (@jbk@discuss.tchncs.de already linked it for me).
Longer than that. I used to root phones and this was a major feature people wanted once rooted. It was a free option with no limits when rooted but carriers wanted to charge extra and set data limits.
I was doing this around 2010 on the HTC Evo 4G (WiMax).
Ah, the HTC Evo 4G. The GOAT.
That is definitely one of my favorite phones I’ve ever owned. I loaded so many custom ROMs on it and loved the built in kickstand.
Back when HTC was at their peak.
I wanted that 3D successor so bad. My cousin broke her Evo 4G and they gave her the 3D as a replacement so I tried the same but ended up getting another Evo 4G lol
Hell, I remember doing this in like 2005... Before smart phones were really a thing.
I was using it two decades ago.
And furthermore, you can share your internet from your computer, if running Linux, to other devices via Ethernet or WiFi! There may even be a super hacky way to do it through Bluetooth as well, but I'm gonna assume that wouldn't be worthwhile to pursue...
Windows has (had?) the ability to share internet through Ethernet a couple of decades ago. I think it required a crossover cable? Anyone remember what I'm talking about?
EDIT: ChatGPT found it by inputting the above text. Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)! Gods it's been a long time since I did that.
Not seeing how this isn't simply the forever-available stock 'hotspot' ?
Computer/laptops WiFi card is dead. Can't connect to an android hotspot if your WiFi isn't working.
Thus, usb tethering. It's a wire, doesn't need a WiFi card. And the android device can then share ITS WiFi/Data connection through the USB cable
Same settings category as hotspot, available since Android Froyo, 2.2, which was released in 2010.
Yeh, but (to me) a hotspot is WiFi with internet access from a mobile device. Whereas tethering is sharing internet access from a mobile device via a cable (USB).
Kinda like how WiFi doesn't mean internet access, despite so many people conflating the meanings.
You should be able to tether over bluetooth, too. If all of your wireless is dead, yeah, it's USB or ethernet adapter tethering.
While very useful, it's not exactly the same as connecting straight to your WiFi. Iirc your android device will act as an additional nat and firewall, which can make it more difficult connecting to the device behind it from devices connected to the regular network, and vice versa.
There was a nifty feature in one of my older android phones where you could share the wifi as another wifi Hotspot, extremely useful while at a hotel or something so you can connect the chromecast or other devices that can't "sign in"
You can still do that. Idk if it's device specific but I do it all the time on my S24
Last time I tried to find it on my fold I couldn't find it
It's on the Flip3; I'd be really surprised if it weren't on the Fold.
Go to settings and look for "hotspot." If you're looking for tethering, search for "tethering." You can tether over USB, bluetooth, and even over an ethernet adapter.
It has existed on every Pixel I've ever owned under the label "Hotspot." This includes the one I'm using to write this comment.
Ah Samsung hid it in advanced https://us.community.samsung.com/t5/Fold-Flip-Phones/Wi-Fi-Sharing-no-longer-under-Hotspot-settings/td-p/3107614
Yup, I've been using this for more than 10 years for gaming. It's weirdly reliable.
Afaik that feature (or at least one of the implementations) was discontinued in one of the recent versions of Android.
Fuck
Yet another reason to switch to Linux mobile (though I now have a SIM in my Laptop anyway)
It's about the ability 😊
Wait, Wifi Hotspot was discontinued?
No, it wasn't,
It's a different thing. I don't remember what exactly it is though.
Can't find any such news but apparently some phone makers hide it in their menu. Probably in carrier provided models.
I do use my android to play mario kart wii online, on my wii
Some anti-China ISPs won't let some tablets connect. wifi hotspot from phone to rescue.
As you suggested I used to do this when distro hopping on my old HP Elitebook that needed Realtek WiFi drivers to be installed manually most of the time.
I've used this a few times with my gli-net travel router (I assume it would work with any openwrt router)