Your Wi-Fi is out, but you’re determined to not let that stop you from streaming the series grand finale of your favorite show. There must be another way to connect your smart TV to the internet!
You’re in luck! If you have a smartphone with mobile data, you can connect your TV to a mobile hotspot.
Don’t worry. You don’t need any fancy gadgets or to be tech-savvy.
We’ll walk you through everything you need, all of the necessary steps, and even include a few troubleshooting tips if you’re experiencing connectivity problems.
How can you connect your smart TV to a hotspot? Why isn’t your smart TV connecting to your phone’s hotspot?
Keep reading to find out!
How To Connect My Smart TV to a Hotspot?
Follow the steps below to connect your smart TV to a hotspot.
Materials needed:
- A smartphone with mobile data
- A smart TV
Step 1: Activate Your Phone’s Hotspot
You must first activate your phone’s hotspot. This process will look a little different depending on if you have an iPhone or an Android phone.
Let’s go over how to turn on both kinds of phones’ hotspot functions!
iPhone
Open your phone’s Settings and go to Personal Hotspot.
Toggle Allow Others to Join on.
Make sure your iPhone’s Wi-Fi is turned on by going to Wi-Fi under the Settings and toggling it on.
Watch the video below demonstrating how to turn on and use your iPhone’s personal hotspot.
Android
To activate your Android phone’s hotspot, open the Settings, and go to Connections.
Click on Mobile Hotspot and Tethering.
Toggle Mobile Hotspot on and you’re all set!
Watch the video below demonstrating how to turn on an Android phone’s mobile hotspot.
Step 2: Open Your Smart TV’s Network Settings
Open your Smart TV’s network settings by clicking the Home button on your remote, then going to Settings.
Depending on your TV model, the Network Settings could also be labeled Wi-Fi, Internet, or other network-related title.
Click on Scan Wireless Network or Connect to Available Wireless Network.
Step 3: Connect to Your Phone’s Hotspot
Now that you’ve opened Connect to Available Wireless Network on your TV, you should see a list of available internet connections.
Find and click on your phone’s name from this list.
Take note of your phone’s mobile hotspot password and enter it on-screen when prompted. Remember that this password is case-sensitive, so be sure to use the correct capitalization.
Click Enter on your TV’s remote or OK on-screen to enter the password.
If you’re a visual learner, see the video below to learn how to connect your smart TV to a mobile hotspot following the steps above.
Troubleshooting Tips
Follow our troubleshooting tips if you’re having difficulty connecting your smart TV to a hotspot.
Mobile hotspot connections can be tricky, but we’re here to help.
If your smart TV isn’t connecting to your mobile hotspot or you’re experiencing a slow internet signal, see our troubleshooting tips below.
Check Your Data Usage
Streaming content uses a lot of mobile data.
If you do not have an unlimited data plan and have found that your hotspot suddenly stopped working, you may have run out of data.
See if your phone provider has sent you a text informing you that your data is finished. Some other phone providers have apps where you can monitor your data and see how much of it is left.
Luckily, you can usually buy extra data, though it’s often more expensive and will probably run out again after streaming for a couple of hours.
Check Your Signal Strength
Your phone’s signal strength may be low depending on your environment or if other devices are connected to your hotspot.
Disconnect all other devices except for your smart TV from the hotspot, then check the signal strength by observing your phone’s signal bars.
To boost signal strength, try restarting your phone or changing location, as you may be in a signal dark spot.
If you’re somewhere experiencing harsh weather conditions, the rain, thunder, ice, etc., could be blocking your phone’s signal as well.
Reboot Your Phone’s Hotspot
Try rebooting your phone’s hotspot by toggling Mobile Hotspot off, then on again.
You may need to keep your phone unlocked in the Mobile Hotspot tab in Settings until your smart TV is connected.
If you’ve tried rebooting your phone’s hotspot several times and are still facing difficulties, consider restarting your phone.
Reset Your TV
Your TV may need a fresh start.
Reset your smart TV by turning it off, then leaving it unplugged for at least five minutes before restarting it.
Note that some TV models may need to be left unplugged for longer to be reset, so consult your device’s user manual.
Tether Your Phone to Your Smart TV via Its USB Port
Connecting your smart TV to your phone wirelessly may stifle the signal, making it difficult to stream online content.
Instead, you can tether your phone to your TV via its USB port, using your phone’s charging cable.
If you have an Android phone, you will need to select the USB Tethering option under Mobile Hotspot and Tethering.
Plug both ends of the charging cable into the appropriate ports and your TV should connect to the hotspot automatically, but if it doesn’t, make sure your TV isn’t connected to another available network.
Contact Customer Support
If you’ve just pulled your new TV out of the box and are finding that it will not connect to any internet signal, the device’s network settings may be faulty.
Contact the manufacturer’s customer support and let them know the ways you’ve tried to connect your TV to the internet and the results.
Make sure to have your TV’s model number and warranty policy handy.
Wrapping Things Up
Our phone’s mobile hotspot allows us to connect any compatible device to the internet and watch our favorite shows, even if our Wi-Fi is acting up.
Connecting your smart TV to your phone’s hotspot should be straightforward, but if it’s not, checking your data usage and signal strength is a good place to start.
Try rebooting your phone’s hotspot and the TV itself, and consider tethering your phone to your TV via a USB cable.
If you have any more questions, get in touch with customer support for additional guidance.
What’s your experience connecting your smart TV to a hotspot? Let us know in the comments below!
Yesenia Achlim is a technical copywriter and editor with a focus on AV equipment. She aims to break down complicated topics and make technology accessible, no matter your technical expertise. When she’s not teaching you how to replace a projector lamp, you can find her reading and baking.