Android’s Instant Hotspot Feature Is Finally Getting Wider Adoption
Companies like Apple have their own ecosystems that make it easier to interact with other devices from the same company. For example, it’s trivially easy to transfer photos from one iPhone to another or share a Wi-Fi password between iPhones with just one tap . The same goes for the access point. You can start using your iPhone’s Internet connection on your iPad or Mac without even picking up your iPhone. Android, unfortunately, lacks this level of integration between devices for the most part.
Samsung and Pixel devices have some exceptions, but usually only for other Samsung or Google devices respectively. However, Samsung devices starting with the Galaxy S25 series will now come with a previously exclusive Pixel tethering feature called Instant Hotspot.
How Instant Hotspot Works
Instant Hotspot works with any compatible Android device and Chromebook , and they don’t have to be from the same manufacturer. For example, you can use this feature to enable Internet connectivity on a Chromebook or Pixel tablet, or on a secondary Android phone without connecting a SIM card. And all this can happen with one click.
When this feature is enabled, you will see a notification on your offline device asking if you want to connect to your online gadget and create a hotspot. The catch is that this only works for devices registered to your Google account, but it should make sharing data much easier.
How to enable and use Instant Hotspot on Samsung Galaxy S25
Instant Hotspot builds on the Android Cross-Device Services feature released last year . It was first available on Pixel phones, but other manufacturers have finally started integrating it. Samsung Galaxy S25 series devices are confirmed to be among the first to get access to this feature thanks to the One UI 7.0 update . According to user reports obtained by Android Authority, older devices with the One UI 7 update are also starting to see this feature .
To turn on Cross-Device Services, go to Settings > Google > Cross-Device Services . Click Next to configure this feature. Then click OK to join the group of your devices connected to the same Google account.
You’ll now see settings for two new features: Call Broadcasting and Internet Sharing. Make sure both are turned on.
Once that’s done, you’re off to the races. When your Galaxy S25 is near another Android phone, tablet, or Chromebook that is offline and in your Google Account group, your device will receive a gentle notification asking if you want to share your Galaxy S25’s internet connection with it. Simply click the Connect button to create a temporary hotspot on your phone.
If you don’t see the notification, you can also manually view available Wi-Fi networks. You’ll find the Galaxy S25 listed at the top.