How to turn Phone Link Instant Hotspot on or off in Windows 11

Setting Up Instant Hotspot: Step-by-Step

Now that you’ve confirmed you have everything you need, let’s get your devices connected! Setting this up involves a few steps on both your computer and your phone, but it’s designed to be straightforward.

Step 1Start Setup on Your Computer

Start setting up Instant Hotspot on Windows 11 by opening the Phone Link app on your computer. Once the app is open, navigate to Settings. ⚙️ The Settings menu is usually found by clicking the gear icon.

1. Open the Phone Link app on your computer. If you don’t see it on 🖥️ your taskbar, search for it in the Windows 🔍 search bar.
2. Once the Phone Link app is open, ⚙️ go to Settings. You can usually find this by clicking the gear icon.
3. In ⚙️ the Settings menu, look for the Features tab.
4. Under Features, find and click on Instant Hotspot.
5. Click Setup Instant Hotspot.

Step 2Follow the Instructions on the Screen

After clicking “Setup Instant Hotspot” on your Windows 11 computer, a window will appear with further instructions. This window guides the connection between your computer and your phone. You will likely need to choose ‘Send Notification’ to receive a message on your phone, so keep your computer screen open.

• The pop-up window will guide you. You will likely need to choose an option to Send Notification. This sends a message to your phone.
• Keep your computer screen open because your phone needs to get this message to continue.

Step 3Approve on Your Android Device

Next, pick up your Android phone to approve the Instant Hotspot connection from your Windows 11 computer. A notification will appear on your phone; tap it and then select ‘Allow’ to confirm the connection. This notification might show up at the top of your screen or within your notification list.

• You should get a notification on your Android phone. It might show up at the top of your screen or in your notification list.
• Tap on this notification to open it.
• You will be asked to Allow the connection. Tap “Allow” to confirm. This connects your phone and computer for Instant Hotspot.

Step 4Turn On Instant Hotspot on Your Phone

Now that the connection is initiated, turn on the Instant Hotspot feature in your phone’s Link to Windows app.

1. Open the Link to Windows app on your Android phone.
2. Find the Instant Hotspot setting in the app.
3. Slide the switch to ON to enable the feature.

Step 5Connect Using Your Computer’s 📶 Wi-Fi Menu

To finish using Instant Hotspot, connect your Windows 11 computer to your phone’s 📶 Wi-Fi network. Click the Wi-Fi icon in 🖥️ your taskbar, typically near the clock. You should now see your phone’s hotspot listed among the available Wi-Fi networks ready to join.

1. On your computer, click the 📶 Wi-Fi icon in 🖥️ the taskbar (usually near the clock).
2. You should now see your phone’s hotspot listed among the available 📶 Wi-Fi networks. It might have your phone’s name or a general hotspot name.
3. Click on your phone’s hotspot name and choose Connect.

Reference:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/instant-hotspot-9c448dff-509c-4bc5-9c18-a8595511deea

Summary

Instant Hotspot in Windows 11 lets you share your Android phone’s internet with your computer using the Phone Link app. By following the setup steps, you can turn your phone into a 📶 Wi-Fi hotspot, which is useful for getting online when you don’t have access to regular Wi-Fi.