Tip Sheet:
Using Your Smartphone to Create a Hotspot
Click or Tap on a Question to see the Answer
How do I know if I have an Android or Apple Smartphone?
If you have an iPhone, there will be an image of an apple at the back. The apple will look like this
If there is no image of an apple, you most likely have an Android phone.
I'm still confused about what a hotspot is.
A hotspot could be a public place, like a mall, where public Wi-Fi is available for you to connect your smartphone, tablet, or laptop to. Once connected to Wi-Fi, you can use the internet.
A hotspot could ALSO be a device, like a smartphone, that ‘shares’ its cellular data connection with a secondary device like a laptop, tablet, or another smartphone so that you can use the internet on the secondary device(s) as well.
I sometimes hear the word ‘tethering’ when people are talking about hotspots. What does ‘tethering’ mean?
The term ‘tethering’ means using your phone to create a hotspot.
Can everyone use their smartphone as a hotspot?
No. You can only use your smartphone as a hotspot if you have a cellular data plan.
Will using a hotspot impact my cellular data plan?
Yes, using your smartphone as a hotspot can impact your cellular data plan. This will depend on the activities you are doing online and the cellular data plan you have.
I’m trying to turn on my hotspot, but it is not working. What should I do?
On some devices, like the iPhone, you may notice that the setting for hotspot may be grayed out and that tapping on it does nothing. This happens if your cellular data is off.
To fix this, you must turn your cellular data on first, then tap on the setting for hotspot. To learn more, click here: How to use Personal Hotspot on your iPhone | Apple Support - YouTube
I’m trying to connect a device to my smartphone’s hotspot. I’ve clicked on the network settings on my device, but I don’t see my smartphone listed. What should I do?
● Be sure that your smartphone is not too far away from your secondary device.
● For Android users, double check the name of the hotspot network.
● For iPhone users, double check the name of your smartphone, as it may not simply say ‘iPhone’.
● To learn how to double check the name of your device, click here:
I’m worried that anyone can connect to my hotspot.
● Your smartphone will provide you with a password to prevent other users from joining your hotspot. Only people you have given the password should be able to join your smartphone’s hotspot network.
● Some smartphones will allow you to change the hotspot password. If you fear someone might have your hotspot password, change it.
Is a cellular data plan needed to turn my smartphone into a hotspot?
Yes, a cellular data plan is needed to use your smartphone as a hotspot.
What is cellular data on my smartphone?
Cellular data is one way you can connect to the internet on your device. You might use cellular data when wi-fi is not available.
Cellular data provides internet connection to your smartphone through a network broadcasted by cell towers.
You usually need to pay for cellular data through your smartphone’s carrier, like Rogers, Koodo, Telus, Bell, Fido etc.
How much does a cellular data plan cost?
Every plan is different. Some plans give you unlimited data for a certain amount of money. Some plans may specify a certain amount of Gigabytes (GB) or Megabytes (MB) of data for a certain amount of money.
What does the word ‘data’ mean?
In this case, data refers to electronic information that is sent from or to your smartphone whenever you are doing something online, like watching YouTube videos, making a video call, or searching on Google etc.
What are Gigabytes (GB) and Megabytes (MB)?
Gigabytes and megabytes refer to units of measurement. In this case, they refer to how much data can be sent and received by your smartphone under your cellular data plan.
A plan with megabytes of data will allow you to do less online than a plan with gigabytes of data. A gigabyte is bigger than a megabyte.
A cellular data plan with 8 GB of data will allow you to do more online than a cellular data plan with 6 GB of data.
To learn more about how much data online activities may use, click here to access a mobile data calculator: Mobile Data Calculator | Calculate your Data Usage | Fido
How do I know if I have a data plan for my smartphone?
The best way to know if you have a data plan on your smartphone is to check your cell phone bill, as it will usually be listed there. If it is not listed there, you can call your smartphone carrier.
How can I check my data usage on my smartphone?
For Android users, click here to learn how: How to check your data use on your Android phone or tablet (androidpolice.com)
For iPhones with no home button, click here: Check data usage - Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max - Optus and follow the instructions on this interactive guide.
For iPhones with a home button (Circular button on face of phone), click here: Check data usage - Apple iPhone 8 - Optus and follow the instructions on this interactive guide.
Tips for Coping when Feeling Nervous or Frustrated
I feel nervous about even trying this new skill. What can I do?
● Don’t let the fear of making mistakes stop you from trying. Smartphones are generally designed
to withstand mistakes you might make, and will not break if you do make a mistake.
● If your screen does freeze while you’re trying to use your smartphone, you can restart your
device. To learn how to restart your iPhone, click here: Restart your iPhone - Apple Support (CA).
To learn how to restart an Android phone, click here: How to Force Restart an Android Phone
When It’s Not Responding (howtogeek.com) and scroll to the section “Perform a Hard
Reset/Reboot.”
● Remember, practicing is the best way to help your brain remember these new skills!
This process is frustrating. How can I handle frustration?
Frustration will make it harder to problem solve. To reduce frustration and increase problem solving,
follow the steps below.
• Step 1: Pause.
• Step 2: Name what you’re feeling without judgement. Be sure to use the phrase “I am
feeling______.”
• Step 3: Take a 5-minute break, or a little longer if needed. You have the option to do something
to help you feel calm, such as doing some gentle stretches, listening to music, or breathing
deeply until you feel calm.
• You can also check out: The Guide to Mindfulness for Better Learning and/or the guide on
Changing Unhelpful Thoughts for Success while Learning. You can access them here: MTML -