The new LG G3 is a powerful smartphone that can do many things, one of which is acting as a personal hotspot. A portable internet connection that can be shared with iPads, Nexus 7s or laptops that we all use, allowing them to connect to the internet wherever there is a cell phone signal.
Whether you call it a personal hotspot, portable hotspot, mobile hotspot or just tethering – we’re talking about using the LG G3 to connect other devices to the internet. The signal of our smartphones and the internet connection for data can be shared, giving your laptop or tablet faster speeds than many home WiFi networks wherever you are.
It’s a concept and feature that many users still don’t understand, but basically you can share your phone connection with other devices and have them have internet access while you’re out and about. Below we’ll explain how easy it is to use your LG G3 (or any Android phone) as a personal hotspot and internet connection.
The most common method is to use WiFi tethering. All this is to share your phone connection with any of your devices over WiFi. Share with tablets, whether it’s your laptop or for your kids in the car. This process is similar to how you connect to Starbucks WiFi on an iPad, only using your phone connection instead of Starbucks overuse and slow internet access. Alternatively, there’s also a wired USB connection so your LG G3 can charge while sharing this connection with your Macbook or laptop of choice.
The easiest method is to pay for access point features from your wireless provider such as AT&T, Verizon or T-Mobile. Unfortunately, this usually costs $10-15 a month unless you’re on some of the higher-limit data plans lately. Most of the mobile sharing plans we’ve seen for the last 6-8 months have enabled hotspot for free. Just make sure you don’t connect too much and exceed your data limit, otherwise you will have to pay extra fees at the end of the month.
If your plan offers tethering and hotspot features, or you’ve paid to use them, here are a few simple steps you can take to turn it on, rename your connection so you can easily find it, and secure it. Don’t let others use the password.
With the LG G3, there’s actually a mobile hotspot quick setting in the pop-up bar, but you’ll want to go to settings and configure everything properly, especially if it’s your first time using it. Start by pulling down the notification bar and hitting the gear-shaped settings button in the top right, then go to “tethering & networks” or some carriers may have listed it as “Mobile Hotspot”.
Before you open it go to the settings shown and detailed above (and below) so you can set everything up. Here you will be able to choose a WiFi name for your device, leave the security type at WPA2 PSK, and then choose a password that you can remember but not easy to guess. Do not use 123456789. From here, hit save at the bottom and turn on Mobile Hotspot with the switch at the top.
From here, you can set the name and password of your hotspot. Make sure you use a password or someone will probably use all your data.
As you can see above, everything is quite simple. After going through the initial setup, which only takes a few minutes or less, you’re done.
Now all you have to do is turn on WiFi on your other smartphones, tablets, laptops or any other wireless device and search for your new LG G3 hotspot. I named mine “My G3 Hot” so it’s easy to recognize. Once you find your newly created hotspot, sign in with your newly created password and now you are using your LG G3 as a personal hotspot and sharing the internet connection with your other devices.
USB or Bluetooth
For a personal hotspot, WiFi tethering is the easiest and doesn’t require any cables. However, users can use a USB cable to do what’s called wired tether. Sharing your LG G3 connection with a laptop via USB also charges your smartphone. In the same settings menu above, there’s USB Tethering you can turn on, or Bluetooth tethering for those who still want to use that route.
If you’re like me and don’t want to spend the extra $15 a month on tethering features, there are a few options available to you. our favorite clink, since it’s a simple wired connection, but Easy Tether Pro and other options are also available. You can also root your new LG G3 (jailbreak it for Android) and use a number of tether apps in the Play Store, or pay for something like Tether without root if you really need a hotspot but can’t afford the $15 per month price. asked by the carriers.
Finally, it’s a good idea to add a data usage reminder or alert so you don’t spend your entire data plan tethering to a tablet and watching Netflix. We know Dexter or Breaking Bad are addictive, but you don’t want to go over your data limit. Go to Settings > Data Manager > and set the slider to an appropriate limit to keep yourself safe.
This much. Enjoy the internet on any of your devices whenever you want as long as you follow the steps outlined above.
