How to Use the HTC One M9 as a WiFi Hotspot

The new HTC One M9 is a powerful smartphone that comes with an array of features, and can even act as a personal or mobile hotspot for internet. A portable internet connection that can be shared to the millions of iPad, Nexus 9 tablets and laptops we use. Letting them connect to the internet anywhere there is a cell phone signal. Here we explain how to use the HTC One M9 as a personal WiFi hotspot.

You can call it a personal hotspot, portable hotspot, mobile hotspot or just tethering — we’re talking about using the M9 to connect other devices to the internet. Our smartphones signal and internet connection for data can be shared and essentially deliver faster speeds than many home networks to your laptop or tablet, no matter where you are.

Read: 39 HTC One M9 Tips & Tricks

It’s a concept and feature many users still don’t understand, but below we’ll explain just how easy it is to use your HTC One M9, or any Android phone, as a personal hotspot and internet connection. This is a useful feature that if your carrier plan allows, you’ll want to take advantage of.

The most common and preferred method is to use WiFi tethering. Essentially sharing your phones data connection over WiFi to any of your devices. Whether this be your laptop, or sharing it with tablets in the car for your kids. It’s similar to how you connect to the Starbucks or hotel WiFi on an iPad or laptop, only it’s using your phones connection. Alternatively there’s also wired USB tethering, so your One M9 can charge while it shares that connection to your Macbook, HTC Nexus 9, or other devices.

Read: How to Make a WiFi Hotspot Widget on Android

The easiest way to do this requires owners to have an account through their carrier with support for the hotspot function, which sadly will usually cost an extra $15-$20 a month unless you’re on some of the recent high limit data plans. Many of the mobile family share plans have hotspot enabled, just make sure you don’t use all your monthly data and go over your limit.

Below we’ll explain where to go in settings to enable the personal hotspot feature, how to change the name and add a password so others can’t use it if you’re in public, then how to actually connect your laptop or tablet to your HTC One M9 internet.

Instructions

To enable a wireless personal hotspot you’ll only need to select a few things in settings and you’re all done. Then sign into it with your device that needs internet. Start by heading into settings by tapping the gear-shaped settings icon in your app tray, or swiping down and hitting settings in the notification pulldown bar.

Once in here you’ll see all the WiFi and Bluetooth options, and in the first section under WiFi and Mobile Data you’ll see “More”. Select this.

Settings > More > Mobile Network Sharing > Enable Mobile Hotspot

Above is an image of the steps you’ll need to take, and that’s almost all there is to it. The M9 will check to make sure your carrier plan offers the hotspot function, then will turn on.

The phone will have you go through a setup of making a name and choosing a password (so others can’t use your internet) then you’re done. Choose something you’ll be able to find easy and is unique, then a strong password. Configure everything so it’s more personal and more secure, and hit save or done.

Your tablet or laptop can now simply search for a WiFi connection just like you always do, find the HTC One M9 hotspot with the name you created, enter the password and you’re set. You’re now using its internet connection on another device. Again, if you don’t have an unlimited data plan be careful, as you can quickly use your entire months limit and get stuck with huge overage charges.

If your carrier plan wants to charge $10 or $20 for the hotspot function, or it doesn’t come free, there are a few other options available to you. In the Google Play Store you can find “Tether without root” apps that once setup, will enable USB tethering to share the internet connection without your carrier’s approval. Our favorite is Klink, since it’s a simple wired connection, but Easy Tether Pro and other options are also available for those interested.

Some third party options require root access (Android’s version of Jailbreak) and some don’t. Unless you’re an advanced user the tether without root options are your best bet. Klink lets you use the included micro-USB cable to tether over USB from your phone to a laptop, but this won’t work on a tablet.

Last but not least, it’s a good idea to add a data usage reminder or alert so you don’t spend all of that 5GB data plan. Head into Settings > More > Data usage and set the slider at an appropriate limit to keep things under control.