Almost any smartphone can share its data connection, turning it into a portable internet gateway for your other gadgets. While most people eagerly search for Wi-Fi hotspots when they need to get connected, you actually have another option. It’s the one that usually goes completely unnoticed: Bluetooth connection sharing. This option achieves the exact same goal of connecting your laptop to the Internet, but it uses the short-range wireless standard instead.
Think of a Wi-Fi hotspot as setting up a temporary miniature router when you’re at a coffee shop or airport. It’s fast and can handle multiple devices, but it requires an immense amount of power from your smartphone (and mobile hotspots may not be as reliable as you think). Bluetooth tethering, on the other hand, is like a simple invisible wire between just two devices. By pairing your smartphone with another device via Bluetooth tethering, the Internet connection is transmitted seamlessly through your phone without the heavy lifting needed to broadcast a full Wi-Fi network.
This setup only requires a few clicks. On an iPhone, go to Settings, select Personal Hotspot and turn on the switch to allow other people to join it, making sure Bluetooth is active. For Android users, open the Settings app, tap Network & Internet, go to Hotspot & Personal Hotspot, and turn on the Bluetooth Personal Sharing switch. Once activated on your phone, simply pair the other device you wish to use as you normally would via Bluetooth. The Internet connection will be instantly established.
The benefits of battery and security
The biggest advantage of using Bluetooth tethering over a garden-variety Wi-Fi hotspot comes down to battery conservation. Broadcasting a Wi-Fi signal requires a smartphone to constantly transmit in the nearby area. This process can cause your phone to heat up and its battery percentage to drop much faster than you would like. Conversely, newer Bluetooth technology is optimized for lower power consumption. It will reduce battery life more slowly, allowing your phone to share its cellular connection for hours without plugging it into a wall outlet.
Security is another area where Bluetooth tethering eclipses alternatives. When a Wi-Fi hotspot is activated, the network name is broadcast to all nearby devices. The problem is that even with strong password protection, broadcasting an active network can lead to potential security vulnerabilities in public places. In contrast, Bluetooth tethering works strictly on a one-to-one paired connection. And because both devices must first authenticate with each other, the connection remains largely hidden and unusable by strangers at the next table.
This discreet connection means that malicious actors cannot as easily detect the network or attempt brute-force password attacks. Your data remains locked between your paired smartphone and the receiving computer. For remote workers who often set up shop in busy train stations or cafes, this added layer of security provides some peace of mind.
When to use it (and when to avoid it)
Despite the solid security benefits and lack of battery drain, Bluetooth tethering isn’t a perfect replacement for a Wi-Fi hotspot. The main tradeoff is raw speed: Wi-Fi can be a hundred times faster than Bluetooth. Additionally, Bluetooth simply doesn’t have the bandwidth capacity to handle large data transfers. So while a Wi-Fi connection can easily stream high-definition movies or download large files at fast speeds, connecting over Bluetooth simply won’t be able to transmit data quickly.
This creates a noticeable bottleneck. As such, Bluetooth tethering should only be used for low-bandwidth tasks requiring a stable, long-lasting connection. Reading news articles, sending emails (without large attachments), writing a Word document, or chatting with a colleague via Slack are the kinds of tasks that a Bluetooth connection can handle well. A laptop can stay attached to a phone in a backpack all afternoon, for example, and your smartphone battery should barely register voltage when you’re done. There are also gadgets that make traveling without Wi-Fi easier, so combining them with Bluetooth tethering can come in handy when you’re on the move and away from a stable Wi-Fi connection.
On the other hand, if you need to do more intensive tasks like making a video call, downloading large email attachments, or playing AAA games with your friends, a Wi-Fi connection is a better choice. There are other downsides to using Bluetooth for anything beyond battery drain and bandwidth issues, like unexpected drops or weird pairing issues. Ultimately, knowing when to use Bluetooth tethering allows you to easily stay connected and get your basic work done safely when you’re away from home.
