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How to use a personal hotspot on a Verizon phone

Setting up a mobile hotspot to work on your laptop or tablet while away from your usual Wi-Fi router is a simpler matter than it once was. In most cases, you no longer need a separate device. These days, the biggest issue surrounding personal hotspots is data and speed caps. If youā€™re on a metered plan, you can start racking up quite a bill if you donā€™t keep an eye on your limit. And on unlimited plans , most carriers, Verizon included, will throttle your data speed on mobile hotspots . This is so users donā€™t start replacing their home Wi-Fi with an inexpensive phone running its hotspot 24/7.

Knowing how to use a personal hotspot on a Verizon phone starts with knowing what plan you are on. You also should know what your data needs are, because at a certain point of consumption, itā€™s going to make more sense to get an unlimited plan. From there, setting up and using a personal (mobile) hotspot couldnā€™t be easier.

QUICK ANSWER

Once you are certain that your plan has mobile hotspot capability included, go into your Settings menu. In the Connections section of your Android device, you should find a menu choice for Mobile Hotspot and Tethering , wherein you can switch your mobile hotspot on. Then you can connect your laptop or other devices by connecting to Wi-Fi, choosing your Verizon hotspot as your network.

JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS

How to set up and use a Verizon personal hotspot on an Android device

How to set up and use a verizon personal hotspot on an iphone or ipad, what hotspot plans does verizon offer.

To begin, make sure you are on a Verizon plan that includes hotspot data (see below). Also, make sure that you have data remaining on your plan for the month and that you are within reach of Verizonā€™s network. Then open the Settings menu by swiping down on your main screen and tapping on the gear icon.

Verizon Hotspot Gear Icon

Tap on Connections.

Settings Menu

Tap on Mobile Hotspot and Tethering.

Connections Menu

Then tap on Mobile Hotspot (and not the slide button to the right of it).

Mobile Hotspot Menu

If it is your first time setting up your hotspot, you will be asked to name your new Wi-Fi network. You will also have to assign a password. Once you enter these and tap Save, your hotspot is ready to activate.

Configure Mobile Hotspot

Tap on Mobile Hotspot again and confirm that you have set up a Wi-Fi network for your hotspot feature.

Mobile Hotspot Network Details 1

On the Mobile Hotspot and Tethering screen, there should be a switch next to Mobile Hotspot. Tap on it to turn on your hotspot.

Switch On Mobile Hotspot

Note: We used the Samsung Galaxy Flip 4 to create the screenshots and the step-by-step instructions. Please note that the exact instructions may be a bit different depending on your device and Android version.

Users of other devices (in this case, a tablet) looking to use your phoneā€™s internet access just need to turn on their Wi-Fi and look for the network name that you assigned when you set up your hotspot. Then they can enter the password you set up and begin to use the internet. Depending on which Verizon Android phone you are using, up to 10 devices can connect to your hotspot at once.

Verizon Hotspot Network Available 1

The procedure for setting up a Verizon hotspot on an iPhone or iPad is very similar to working with an Android phone. Before you begin, make sure your phone plan includes hotspot data. Begin by opening the Settings menu and tapping on Personal Hotspot.

Turn on hotspot on iOS 1

Youā€™ll need to give your hotspot a password. Once thatā€™s in place, youā€™re ready to turn on your hotspot.

Turn on hotspot on iOS 2

On the Settings page, the Personal Hotspot menu choice should have a switch to the right to toggle the hotspot on and off. Tap on the switch to turn your hotspot on. Anyone wishing to connect their device to your hotspot needs to look for the network name and enter the password you set up in the previous step. According to Apple, between three and five devices can connect to your hotspot simultaneously.

Turn on hotspot on iOS 3

Almost every Verizon plan offers some hotspot data. Their plans that include hotspot data are divided into three categories: prepaid plans, unlimited plans, and add-on plans specifically for cellular-enabled devices like tablets.

Prepaid plans are helpful to those who find themselves with bad credit. Verizonā€™s prepaid plans all come with hotspot capability. But only the Unlimited Plus option comes with a significant amount of data to feed hotspot users, as you can see.

Verizon Hotspot Prepaid Pricing

Unlimited plans refer to the talk and text capabilities of the plan, which are unlimited. The hotspot data the plan comes with, however, is definitely limited. You can keep using the hotspot after you go over the 25GB or 50GB limit for the month ā€” but your speed will be severely throttled. If you plan to use significant hotspot data, donā€™t go for the introductory plan, unless your hotspot plans are very basic.

Verizon Hotspot Unlimited Pricing

Verizonā€™s add-on plans for tablets and wearables with cellular capability come with hotspot data, but they require a phone plan, and your phone plan already comes with hotspot data in most cases, so donā€™t get one of these plans for their hotspot capability alone.

Verizon Hotspot Tablet Pricing

Verizon offers loyalty discounts after a few months, and sale prices also happen. So if you are in the market for a new phone plan with hotspot data, call Verizon to ask what the best deal they can offer you is.

Anywhere you can connect to Verizonā€™s cellular network.

The number varies by phone model. Some Androids will let up to 10 devices connect, while iPhones allow for three to five.

Yes, it will, anywhere you have access to Verizonā€™s 4G LTE network. (Verizonā€™s 5G only works in the US.)

It hides your mobile hotspot from nearby Wi-Fi devices so they donā€™t see your mobile hotspot as a Wi-Fi connection option.

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SMARTY review 2024: faster speeds & better 4G/5G coverage

SMARTY logo with a mobile SIM card

The retailers featured on this page may compensate us when our readers follow links to their websites and make a purchase. More

We use the latest testing data and our experience as a real-life SMARTY customer to run the rule on whether SMARTY are any good. Last updated: 15th September 2023.

Overall rating

Sim sherpa rates smarty's overall package as excellent ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ .star-icon{color:#e1df38; font-size:1.4em; position:relative; top:2px;position: relative;}.star-icon.full:before{color: #e1df38;content: '\2605'; /* full star in utf-8 */position: absolute; top:-4px;left: 0;}.star-icon.half:before{color: #e1df38;content: '\2605'; /* full star in utf-8 */position: absolute; top:-4px;left: 0;width: 50%;overflow: hidden;}@-moz-document url-prefix(){/* firefox hack :( */.star-icon{font-size: 1.4em;}  (4/5, excellent).

SMARTY Mobile logo

“We’ve tested SMARTY a couple of times in the last few years and this most recent test has seen a big improvement in their 4G coverage and we’ve found their 5G in the right places can be unbeatably fast.

Add in the fact you’ve got WiFi calling and 4G calling to help boost call signal and we’re starting to wonder why you’d join their parent company Three instead. There’s certainly no speed disadvantage on SMARTY.

And SMARTY aren’t even that no-frills. You get EU roaming included as standard and families/friends can pocket discounts on already cheap plans with SMARTY’s excellent Group Plans.

It’s not perfect. Rural coverage can be lacking. Customer service is all online. But the flexibility, the low prices, the lack of a credit credit check make SMARTY incredibly popular. We’re still using them ourselves!”

The 3 best bits

1) 4G & 5G have both got better 2) WiFi calling and VoLTE 3) Cheap prices and flexibility

The 3 worst bits

1) Patchy rural coverage 2) No phone-based customer service 3) Roaming pain to set up

Speech bubble icon

Which network is SMARTY on?

SMARTY uses the Three network for 3G, 4G and 5G.

Is SMARTY owned by Three?

Yes but they're run as a separate sub-brand.

Can I keep my number on SMARTY?

Yes. Text the word PAC to your old provider using your old SIM to 65075 and give the PAC code to SMARTY in your online account.

Does SMARTY allow WiFi calling?

Yes. SMARTY now offer WiFi calling on all their plans. Most modern phones are supported.

Does SMARTY offer 5G?

Yes. All SMARTY plans are sold with 5G at no extra cost. It also works for all existing customers.

How do I cancel my SMARTY plan?

Simply set your plan not to renew in your online account, at any time up to the day before it normally renews.

Can I use a SMARTY SIM in a MiFi broadband device?

Yes. There are no restrictions on putting SMARTY SIMs in mobile broadband dongles, WiFi devices, tablets or iPads.

Does SMARTY allow tethering?

Yes. You can use anything up to your entire data allowance in the UK for tethering.

Does SMARTY support eSIM?

No, you can only get a traditional paper SIM card from SMARTY.

Can I use a SMARTY SIM in a Three phone?

Yes you can.

How long does it take to activate a SMARTY SIM?

In our experience it took literally a couple of minutes. But every network cautiously say it can take up to 24 hours.s

Does SMARTY have a fair usage policy?

In the UK, SMARTY's only fair usage policy is that you're using the SIM for personal (not commercial usage). While roaming, there are monthly caps on how much data you can use.

Is SMARTY owned by EE?

No. SMARTY are owned by Three.

Can you cancel SMARTY anytime?

Yes. If you've previously set your plan to auto-renew, turn that off and you're free to leave for another network.

What happens if you run out of data on SMARTY?

You will no longer be able to connect to data and you will not be charged extra. You can then manually buy a data add-on to re-activate internet on your SIM.

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In our SMARTY review

Thumbs up and down

Our verdict

  • 4 out of 5, excellent

Mobile antenna

  • Data speeds
  • WiFi calling
  • Other network features

Gift box

  • Inclusive roaming
  • Family plan
  • Other good stuff
  • What you don't get

Mobile antenna with VOXI and Vodafone logos

Special offers

SIM only plans

Phone contracts

Pay As You Go

  • Mobile broadband

A smiley face

Customer service

  • How they compare

SMARTY's mobile network

Coverage on smarty has got noticeably better.

Screenshot of SMARTY's coverage checker map

✔ We found their map honest and accurate Check in your area

at SMARTY.co.uk (opens in new window)

SMARTY were set up as a sub-brand of Three , so they share their parent company’s 4G/5G network. You get identical coverage between the two. We’ve found no disadvantage for being on SMARTY vs Three .

4G data coverage ( see 5G below ) has historically been a weakness in rural areas for SMARTY but we’re pleased our latest tests have found much-improved signal, thanks to Three’s massive network investments .

Mobile signal bars

It’s impossible to test signal in every inch of the UK, but we did some spot checks in different locations near us. We tested to see if their signal lines up with their coverage map and if it’s the same as Three’s.

We loaded a Three SIM in one and a SMARTY SIM into two separate but identical test phones and went out to test coverage.

In every place we tested we got almost identical signal bars between the two networks. There was a little fluctuation but never in either’s favour. We got 5G and 4G in the same areas on SMARTY and Three.

What we found lined up well with what their coverage map showed. And they’re also totally honest with the location of blackspots which is good considering there are a fair few out in the countryside.

If you’ve previously ruled out joining a network on Three, now’s the time to re-check their coverage in your area . You can still find patchy areas in the countryside but they’ve come on leaps and bounds elsewhere.

For calls, it’s a similar story. We can’t fault them in most places, though indoor signal can be an issue if you’ve not got 4G calling on your phone. There are more rural call blackspots than other networks too.

Useful link: Check SMARTY coverage near you now

Our rating: ★★★☆☆ (good)

Rank: 4th place (out of 4 network operators)

Not as good as : EE, O2, Vodafone (and providers that use them)

Same as: Three, iD Mobile

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4G data speeds are reliably fast in our experience

Maximum data speed lettering

✔ They estimate max speeds for 3G/4G/5G See latest speeds

We have never found any built-in speed differences when testing out a Three vs a SMARTY SIM side-by-side . So, you get all the benefits of Three’s £2 billion network investment on SMARTY.

The results of this network improvement are plain to see when looking at 4G speed results from independent network testers Opensignal . They measured typical 4G speeds of 35.4 Mbps ( see 5G here ).

Speedometer icon

Just like we can’t test every inch of the UK for coverage, we can’t do speed tests everywhere. But, we checked speeds on SMARTY vs Three directly in the same urban and rural locations.

We found no built-in speed differences in our tests. Speeds weren’t always exactly the same between them, but that’s to be expected when testing two SIMs of the same network against each other.

In the suburbs we got our lowest result of 7 Mbps, while we got as high as 40 Mbps over 4G in a rural area where there was no signal congestion. In the city centre we got speeds as high as 70 Mbps.

SMARTY’s 3G speeds are also pretty decent. We got up to 12 Mbps over 3G, which is faster than their slowest 4G speeds. But for the most part we got around 4 Mbps over 3G.

That's like decent fibre-to-the-cabinet home broadband and easily lets you stream HD videos. The result puts SMARTY in second place (alongside Three) for data speeds in the UK.

In our tests we tended to stay around the 25 - 30 Mbps mark more consistently on SMARTY than on other networks. Speeds can be faster or slower than that, but rarely do you go hugely above or below that.

Useful link: SMARTY's promise not to slow you down

Our 4G speed rating: ★★★★☆ (excellent)

Rank: Joint 2nd

Not as good as : EE (and providers that use them)

Better than: O2, Vodafone (and providers that use them)

5G speeds on SMARTY can be really impressive

5G on SMARTY

✔ Superfast 5G included on every deal What to expect...

5G is probably the area where SMARTY benefit most from being on Three’s network. Speed results from Speedtest and Opensignal show that other networks can’t even touch them for 5G.

Both testers’ latest reports show typical 5G speeds between 237.7 Mbps - 286.27 Mbps on SMARTY’s host network. And peak speeds can get up to 696.73 Mbps, which is over twice as fast as the next fastest network.

A SIM card

Like on all networks, our real-life testing of SMARTY’s 5G produces varying results. Sometimes, you’ll be on 5G and see absolutely no advantage over 4G. Other times, the 5G speed advantage is staggering.

SMARTY have 5G live in 484+ UK towns and cities . It’s not the biggest number of locations, but it’s still huge and it means you’re likely to get 5G near you. And coverage in those locations tends to be strong.

Useful link: Our rankings of the best 5G networks

Our speed rating: ★★★★★ (Joint best choice)

Rank: Joint 1st

Same as : Three, EE (and providers that use them)

Better than: All others

WiFi calling is excellent and works really well

SMARTY WiFi calling banner

✔ Comes on all plans at no added cost Read blog entry

SMARTY’s 3G call signal is broadcast on high-range frequencies that aren’t great at getting into buildings, so indoor blackspots can be an issue . However, SMARTY have a way around this:

They now provide both WiFi calling and 4G calling on every plan. These features let your phone connect to calls and texts over WiFi or 4G signal where regular 3G call signal is weak.

We tested SMARTY’s WiFi calling and found it works identical to Three’s. Some users have claimed their devices weren’t compatible, so look at SMARTY’s list of supported phones here to make sure.

The test phone we used wasn’t listed but worked just fine. We think WiFi calling is basically a must-have on mobile networks nowadays ( see all that do have it here ), so it’s fantastic that SMARTY offer it.

Useful link: SMARTY's WiFi calling help section

Our rating: ★★★★☆ ( excellent )

Not as good as : Three, 1pMobile, EE

WiFi hotspots are handy but not many other network features

SMARTY logo and tethering symbol

✔ No limits on tethering to other devices Read what's allowed

We’ll now go over all the extra network features you get on SMARTY. They have a nice WiFi hotspot scheme that lets you stay connected to WiFi on the Underground. It’s the same as Three’s great scheme .

You can tether other devices to your data signal on SMARTY (essentially turning your phone into a personal hotspot). And SMARTY don’t limit how much of your allowance you can use for tethering in the UK .

SMARTY also include call forwarding . This is a feature that diverts incoming calls to another UK phone number. They have a handy guide for setting it up which you can read here .

But visual voicemail is not supported on SMARTY, which usually lets you sort through your voicemails one by one. And you can’t take an eSIM on SMARTY either, which is something you can do on Three .

Useful link: SMARTY's network feature FAQs

Where to next?

Overall rating

Benefits & features

Deal review

Deals & plans

Customer service review

SMARTY’s added benefits

Eu roaming is a brilliant benefit people will appreciate.

SMARTY no roaming

✔ You have to manually turn it on How to activate it

Unlike the many other UK networks that have removed inclusive EU roaming from their plans, SMARTY still let you use your unlimited calls and texts to UK and EU numbers in these EU destinations .

You can use up to 12GB of your allowance each month while abroad. If you hit that limit you’ll have to pay for extra data. Thankfully, SMARTY’s extra data add-ons are the cheapest of all networks.

Aeroplane icon

We ran into issues very quickly with SMARTY’s roaming, as we landed in the EU only to realise that roaming has to be turned on manually on SMARTY. To do so you’ll have to follow their guide here .

Our SMARTY SIM connected right away to 4G while abroad, but you can’t connect to 5G abroad. We don’t see it as a huge loss, but you won’t be able to get the fastest speeds possible while roaming.

We rarely lost 4G while abroad, so we were able to read maps, online reviews and social media without much slow down. In all, SMARTY offer a great inclusive roaming scheme with good signal while you’re there.

SMARTY don’t offer inclusive roaming beyond the EU and we wouldn’t expect them to. But you will have to pay at these rates . Calls can work out at decent value, but data gets to around £100 per GB in the USA!

It’s important to remember you have to turn on roaming manually before taking your SMARTY SIM abroad. Use their guide here to do it . It’s an annoying downside to an overall good EU roaming scheme.

Useful link: SMARTY's guide to roaming on their network

Rank: Joint 3rd (out of 18 providers)

Worse than : Lebara, O2

Families and groups can make some really nice savings

SMARTY Group plans banner

✔ 10% off up to 7 additional plans See Group Plans

at smarty.co.uk (opens in new window)

If you want to take out a SIM only plan for your kids or other family members, SMARTY are an excellent choice. In our eyes they have the best family plan scheme of all networks in terms of sheer value.

With SMARTY’s group plans you can add up to 7 extra SIMs onto your existing SMARTY account, with each added SIM getting 10% off the original cost. That’s 10% off already great value deals.

Each user can choose their own plan and you can add new plans whenever. And there’s the added convenience of managing your SIMs in one place , making it easier to set parental controls and manage extra spending.

The main potential downside is that you pay for each deal on the day you took it out, instead of all your plans being paid on the same date. But other than that, SMARTY’s family plan scheme is genuinely fantastic.

Useful link: Full details on SMARTY's Group Plans

Our rating: ★★★★☆ (excellent)

Not as good as : N/A

You also get a few other handy benefits on SMARTY

No annual price rise on SMARTY banner

✔ No price increases while you’re on them See their guide

from SMARTY's help section (opens in new window)

We’ll now go over the rest of the benefits of joining SMARTY. The first is that they won’t increase your plan’s cost while you’re with them . Lots of networks increase your bill with RPI (inflation), but not SMARTY.

SMARTY’s deals naturally have spending caps on them. If you want to use any features that would cost extra , you must first to top up with credit or buy an add-on. If you don’t, you can’t accidentally overspend.

You also don’t have to pass a credit check on SMARTY as you pay for your allowance up front rather than joining on a contract. That also means you’re free to leave without giving notice by not renewing your plan.

A few of SMARTY’s plans have a special data discount benefit , giving you back the value of your unused data as a discount off your next month’s deal. But these are worse value than SMARTY’s other plans anyway.

Useful link: Why are SMARTY so cheap?

Our data rollover rating: ★★★☆☆ ( good )

Rank: 3rd (out of 14 providers)

Worse than: Sky Mobile, iD Mobile, Virgin

Better than: Every other provider

Other networks do have some stuff that SMARTY don’t

VOXI logo

✔ Unlimited streaming data on VOXI Read full details

at VOXI.co.uk (opens in new window)

It’s important to know what you don’t get with SMARTY as well, as that’s the only way you can know if they’re right for you. SMARTY don’t offer any free streaming data unlike VOXI’s Unlimited Video and Social Media .

As we said above, SMARTY don’t offer any inclusive worldwide roaming . And while they do have those data discounted plans we spoke about, they don’t have a true data rollover scheme where you hold onto unused data.

They don’t have a rewards app like O2’s Priority , Vodafone’s VeryMe or the Three+ app . And there’s no free trials or subscriptions to any entertainment services or other apps.

It’s just not how SMARTY are set up. They’re a cheap, low-frills option and are able to offer such low costs by keeping premium benefits out of their plans.

Useful link: SMARTY vs VOXI guide

SMARTY Mobile deals and plans

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Phone contracts: SMARTY don’t directly offer any

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Phone contracts

✔ Refurbished devices with a third party How it works

SMARTY only sell SIM only deals. They don’t offer any phone contracts directly. They did say they were going to introduce some, but that was way back in 2019. So we imagine that’s not going to change any time soon.

But, as an existing SMARTY SIM only customer you can get £50 off the cost of a refurbished phone via a third party called reboxed. But these aren’t on contracts, you have to pay the whole cost of the phone outright.

If you want a phone contract while on Three’s network you can either join on iD’s range of low-cost phone deals here or join Three themselves .

You can compare phone deals on all networks using our comparison tool here . This lets you find the best deal on the phone model you want. Follow the link below to try it out:

Useful link: Use our phone contract comparison tool

Pay As You Go: SMARTY aren’t a good choice for this

1pMobile logo

✔ 1pMobile have the lowest UK tariffs Get a SIM card

at 1pMobile (opens in new window)

Few networks still let you top up a SIM with credit and pay as you go for your mins, texts and data. But you can’t do this on SMARTY. Instead you take a new bundle each month to keep your SIM active with them.

If you only use your phone for a few calls or texts now and again, SMARTY aren’t a great choice. Instead, we’d look at 1pMobile who offer rates of 1p per min, text and MB data ( read full details here ).

1pMobile logo

1p  per minute +  1p  per text + -->   1p  per MB data = -->   £0  a month (0‑month contract) See full deal

Three’s rates are now 35p per min, 15p per text and 10p per MB , so they’re really not worth joining on Pay As You Go. But there aren’t any better options if you want to pay as you go on Three’s network.

But if you’re a frequent phone user, then you might find you’d spend less on a SMARTY SIM only deal than constantly topping up and paying for your usage. But infrequent users will be better on these networks .

Useful link: Read our 1p Mobile review

Mobile broadband: SMARTY’s regular SIMs are best for this

SMARTY's data SIM banner

✔ Better value on their regular deals Compare current plans

If you want a SIM to use in a mobile WiFi device / dongle or a tablet, it’s good to know that you can use any of SMARTY’s regular phone SIMs for this. They don’t restrict which devices you can use their SIMs with.

SMARTY have some of the best value data-only SIMs (entirely separate from their regular range) when you compare them to similar products on other networks.

But considering SMARTY already offer such great prices on their phone SIMs and you can use these in other devices, it’s worth comparing their regular SIMs to their data-only SIMs on price.

That’s because SMARTY tend to offer better promotions on their regular SIMs than their data-only ones. If you keep looking you’ll find a regular SIM that’s cheaper per GB, even if you’ll never use the mins or texts.

Useful link: See SMARTY's full range of mobile broadband SIMs

SMARTY Mobile customer service

Online chat is good but everything else is lacking.

Screenshot of conversation with a SMARTY customer service representative

✔ Get help from real people online How to get help

SMARTY have to cut back on a lot of things in order to offer their low prices, and over-the-phone service is one such thing. You’ll need to use their online chat to get help, but it’s not always very responsive.

When we’ve recently tried to get help we were put through to an agent quite quickly. However, this will depend on the time of day and we’ve also had experiences where they didn’t get back to us for a long time.

Tethering icon

SMARTY seem to have improved their online chat customer service since our last experience. You do have to go through an automated options menu, but if you can’t get help this way you’ll be put through to a real person.

We were put in touch with an agent within a few minutes. Once you get through there is a bit of back and forth before they actually answer your question, which can take a while. But they did help resolve our issue.

In all, we’d say their chat agent isn’t quite as slick as some other networks. But it’s usually a good enough way of getting your issue resolved.

You can get in touch with their chat agent using SMARTY’s app too. Or if you’re tech savvy you can use your online account and their self-help resources here to get to the bottom of your issue yourself.

While SMARTY’s customer service is reliable, they don’t offer as many ways to get help as other networks do. In all, you are getting an overall inferior customer service experience in exchange for lower costs.

Useful link: Best networks for customer service

Our customer service rating: ★★☆☆☆ (average)

Rank: 16th (out of 19 providers)

Worse than: Tesco, EE, O2, Three, Vodafone, Sky, iD, Virgin, Talkmobile, Plusnet, Lebara, ASDA, Co-op, 1pMobile, Honest Mobile

Better than: giffgaff, VOXI

Other SMARTY guides

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BT Mobile review

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giffgaff review

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iD Mobile review

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Plusnet Mobile review

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Sky Mobile review

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SMARTY review

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Tesco Mobile review

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Three review

Virgin Mobile review

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Vodafone review

VOXI review

1p Mobile review

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smarty set up personal hotspot

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SMARTY APN Settings for Android and iPhone 2024

Smarty apn settings for android, smarty mms settings for android, smarty apn settings for iphone, smarty mms settings for iphone, smarty personal hotspot settings for iphone.

You might like to know SMARTY 2G 3G LTE 4G and 5G high-speed APN and Internet settings for Android, iPhone, iPad 2024.

SMARTY APN Internet Settings Android iPhone

SMARTY  is a popular SIM company in United Kingdom. As of 2024, it has 0.5 million active subscribers/users. In this tutorial, we will show you how to set up APN, Internet, MMS, Hotspot on Android, iPhone, Modem and other mobile operating systems.

You can browse thr internet once you purchase plan from here SMARTY Plans and Offers : Unlimited, Data Only, Data Discount, Talk & Text Packs .

SMARTY fastest internet Settings for Android. This setting will work for all android devices (iPhone, Xiaomi, Samsung, Oppo, HTC, Huawei, Google, Realme, Nokia, Sony, Vivo, LG, Tecno, Acer, Asus, OnePlus, etc).

To set up APN on Android, first, go to the add 'Access Point Name' option. To find this setting, go to settings and search Access Point Name or go to

In the new Access Point Name, fill the Name and APN fields according to the following table and keep the rest of the fields unchanged. For better understanding check the image.

SMARTY APN Settings for Android

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SMARTY MMS Settings for Android. MMS , also known as Multimedia Messaging Service  is a standard way to send Multimedia Messages such as photos, short videos, GIFs, etc. to and from a mobile phone using the mobile network.

To set up MMS on Android, first, go to the add 'Access Point Name' option. To find this setting, go to settings and search Access Point Name or

In the new Access Point Name, fill the Name , APN , APN type fields according to the following table and keep the rest of the fields unchanged. For better understanding check the image.

SMARTY MMS Settings for Android

SMARTY APN Settings for iPhone and iPad. This will work on all models of iPad and iPhone (e.g. iPhone 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, Pro, Pro Max, SE, S, Mini)

To set up APN on iOS, first, go to the Settings option and find Cellular Data or Mobile Data . To find this setting, go to settings and search Cellular Data or Mobile Data or

** General and Network options may not available in some models.

After going to Cellular Data / Mobile Data , write internet in the APN field or fill it up according to the following table/image and keep the rest of the fields unchanged.

Cellular Data / Mobile Data

LTE Setup (Optional)

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How to enable MMS on SMARTY? SMARTY APN Settings for iPhone and iPad. This will work on all models of iPad and iPhone (e.g. iPhone 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, Pro, Pro Max, SE, S, Mini)

To set up MMS on iOS, first, go to the Settings option and find Cellular Data or Mobile Data . To find this setting, go to settings and search Cellular Data or Mobile Data or

After going to Cellular Data / Mobile Data , scroll down to MMS and fill the blanks according to the following table/image.

SMARTY MMS Settings for iPhone

How to enable Personal Hotspot on SMARTY? SMARTY Personal Hotspot Settings for iPhone and iPad. This will work on all models of iPad and iPhone (e.g. iPhone 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, Pro, Pro Max, SE, S, Mini)

To set up Personal Hotspot on iOS, first, go to the Settings option and find Cellular Data or Mobile Data . To find this setting, go to settings and search Cellular Data or Mobile Data or

After going to Cellular Data / Mobile Data , scroll down to Personal Hotspot and fill the blanks according to the following table/image.

Personal Hotspot

SMARTY Personal Hotspot Settings for iPhone

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is the APN Settings for SMARTY? APN Settings for SMARTY is a process by which you can access the internet via SMARTY SIM on your device. APN stands for Access Point Name , is the name of a gateway between a GSM, GPRS, 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE, VoLTE, 5G mobile network, and another computer network, frequently the public Internet.

People also visit this page for:

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smarty set up personal hotspot

APNArena.com is an APN Settings provider for all Carriers worldwide. Here we provide 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, LET Vo-LTE, Hotspot, and Hi-Speed Internet Settings for all SIM for iPhone, Android, etc.

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smarty set up personal hotspot

Please can you helped me I have an iPhone SE and I’m on the smarty network app but I can’t seem too get all the apn and mms settings right for me to get on the internet properly please could you help me step by step

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APNarena.com Ā is a 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE, and 5G APN Settings provider for all carriers worldwide. Our aim is to provide high-speed internet (APN- Access Point Name) settings for all operating systems including Android, iPhone, etc. We also provide Internet Settings for all devices including iPhone, Xiaomi, Samsung, Oppo, HTC, Huawei, Google, Realme, Nokia, Sony, Vivo, LG, Tecno, Acer, Asus, etc.

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SMARTY Help Centre

Hereā€™s how you can access our 5G network.

Casey avatar

5G is available on SMARTY and in partnership with our sister brand Three, weā€™re continuing to roll out more 5G locations across the UK as fast as we can. šŸš€

smarty set up personal hotspot

What is 5G? šŸ‘€

5G is short for " fifth-generation mobile network " and itā€™s set to be the fastest speed yet. 5G's super-fast speeds, capacity and low latency are going to change the way we use data for gaming, movies, apps, downloads and high-definition video streaming. To put it simply, 5G's going to get more data to more people, more quickly.

If youā€™re in a 5G area and have a compatible device , youā€™re ready to go. Your device will connect automatically to 5G, If not, check 5G is enabled in your device's network settings.

Is 5G more expensive? šŸ’ø

At SMARTY, 5G comes at no extra cost. All you need is a 5G enabled phone and be in a 5G area and youā€™ll have access to our 5G network. Itā€™s as simple as that.

What is a 5G enabled device? šŸ“±

A 5G-enabled device is any product thatā€™s capable of connecting to a 5G network. This includes certain smartphones, tablets, broadband routers and WiFi dongles. Paired with a 5G SIM, these devices can access the superfast 5G network. šŸš€

Check out the list we have tried and tested on our network here .

Can I personal hotspot on 5G? āš”

Yes! You can tether and use your phone as a mobile hotspot with your full allowance if you want to. šŸŽ‰

Do I need a special SIM card for 5G? šŸ¤”

All of our SIM cards, old and new, are ready for 5G, so you wonā€™t need to order a new one. The only thing you need is 5G enabled device and you're good to go.

Will I use more data if I'm connected to 5G? šŸ”„

No, 5G itself doesnā€™t use more data than 4G as itā€™s only a more advanced network. However, you may find yourself using more data because 5Gā€™s speed and reliability means youā€™re connecting more devices and streaming, scrolling and sharing more.

Why don't I have 5G in my area? šŸ“

Weā€™re currently working hard to roll out 5G across our network. This means that it may not be in your area yet. But donā€™t worry weā€™re on our way, and in the meantime, you can still enjoy our fast and reliable 4G coverage .

Looks like no oneā€™s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

augratin

Suddenly getting "To enable personal hotspot, contact your carrier" message in settings

And by 'suddenly', I mean my personal hotspot has been working for nearly the ten years I've had my phone number. Then, few days ago, the option just vanished from my network settings. When I go deeper into the settings, I see the "Set Up Personal Hotspot" option. Selecting that gives me the message "To enable personal hotspot on this account, contact your carrier".

So I called them, and sure enough they confirmed no changes on their end. My account is cleared to use a personal hotspot on my phone, just as it always has been for the past decade.

So why am I getting the 'contact your carrier' message? I tried resetting all network settings, with no change. The message is pictured below, left. In the image at right, you can see I have a long history of personal hotspot data usage, confirming my carrier's response that personal hotspot is enabled on my account.

smarty set up personal hotspot

iPhone 12 mini, iOS 14

Posted on Jun 18, 2021 5:54 AM

Posted on Jun 18, 2021 11:46 PM

I worked for Verizon data provisioning for six years, so I know what that means. I will also note that this account has two numbers associated with it, mine and my brother in law. He still has personal hotspot available on his phone while I do not. The telecom agent said she compared the two accounts side-by side and there is no difference in the settings. I know that rare software glitches can happen that don't always show up in telecom GUIs, but there isn't even an option to turn on/off tethering for my account because it is an unlimited data plan. Only plans that are voice + limited data access come with a tether/no tether option.

My brother in law is traveling at the moment, but when he returns I am going to swap the SIMs between his phone and mine to see if the problem stays with the phone or the account. Will update this thread with the findings.

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Jun 18, 2021 11:46 PM in response to KiltedTim

Jun 22, 2021 6:24 PM in response to KiltedTim

"Escalate the call until you get someone who knows what that means." is not going to be a simple 5-minute phone call.

But as promised, I have an update. Last night I swapped the SIM cards with my brother's phone and initially the problem stayed with my phone, even with his SIM card in it. My phone (with his SIM in it) still showed "contact carrier to enable hotspot", while his phone (with my SIM in it), had a working hotspot option.

This strongly suggests the problem is with the phone, not with the SIM/account.

However when I swapped them back, the hotspot was enabled again on my phone with my SIM inside. It's pretty clear the phone was the issue here. Maybe not making good contact with the SIM? Who knows. If it happens again I won't even try to swap SIMs, I'll just pull it out and put it back in again to see if that clears up the problem.

Jul 25, 2021 9:02 PM in response to augratin

Just popping back in to report that this happened to me again yesterday. I had been using the hotspot in the morning, then tried to use it again in the early afternoon when I suddenly got the message to contact my carrier to enable tethering.

My brother was here and I immediately swapped our SIM cards. My SIM worked fine in his phone and I could set up tethering. I tried to power cycle my phone and then was getting ready to do a wipe/restore but when I connected to iTunes to do a backup first, I got a message that an iOS update was available for the phone. So I did that first and the issue was resolved.

Aug 4, 2021 1:26 AM in response to augratin

Hi, augratin, I just wanted to ask, what is ā€˜power cycleā€™? Also, I assume you didnā€™t see an iOS update in settings only when you went to back up? My problem with trying this (updating) is I only have my sim data in the iPhone and in lockdown so canā€™t access any external wifi. I changed SIM cards into a spare iPhone but it hasnā€™t worked. It showed the same contact carrier message in other phone and in current phone in its return. ā˜¹ļø

Aug 4, 2021 1:29 AM in response to ScovaApple

Forgot to add, Iā€™ve been using the personal hotspot all day to connect to my personal HP laptop, then log into a secure system to access my work PC.

the personal hotspot just disappeared when I tried to use it on my Mac about 5 minutes after I logged out of work! Maddening! If anyone has any additional tips Iā€™d be glad to hear them. Thanks.

Aug 5, 2021 7:26 AM in response to ScovaApple

Power-cycle = shut down the phone cold and turn it back on.

Regarding iOS update, I don't usually go looking for it. But when I connected to the PC to back up the phone, I got a pop-up from iTunes that an iOS update was available. So I did that first and after the update the personal hotspot option was available once again.

KiltedTim

Jun 18, 2021 5:57 AM in response to augratin

Call them back. They probably need to re-provision your line. Escalate the call until you get someone who knows what that means.

Jun 19, 2021 10:49 AM in response to augratin

Fine. You want to wait it out instead of investing 5 minutes to make a simple phone call, go for it.

How to set up a Personal Hotspot on your iPhone or iPad

A Personal Hotspot lets you share the mobile data connection of your iPhone or iPad (Wi-FiĀ +Ā Cellular) when you donā€™t have access to a Wi-Fi network.

Set up Personal Hotspot

  • Go to Settings > Mobile Data > Personal Hotspot or Settings > Personal Hotspot.
  • TapĀ the slider next to Allow Others to Join.

If you canā€™t see the option for Personal Hotspot, contact your network provider to make sure you can use Personal Hotspot with your plan.

Connect to Personal Hotspot with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB

You can connect to a Personal Hotspot using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB.Ā And with iOS 13 or later, devices that are connected to a Personal Hotspot will stay connected, even if the screen is locked,Ā so those devices will still receive notifications and messages.

When you connect a device to your Personal Hotspot, the status bar turns blue and shows how many devices have joined.Ā The number of devices that can join your Personal Hotspot at one time depends on your network provider and iPhone model. IfĀ other devices have joined your Personal Hotspot using Wi-Fi, you can only use mobile data to connect to the internet from the host device.Ā 

Use these steps to connect:

iPhone screen showing the Personal Hotspot bar.

On the device you want to connect to, go to Settings > Mobile Data > Personal Hotspot or Settings > Personal Hotspot and make sure itā€™s on. Then verify the Wi-Fi password and name of the phone. Stay on this screen until youā€™ve connected your other device to the Wi-Fi network.

On the device you want to connect, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and look for your iPhone or iPad in the list. Then tap the Wi-Fi network to join. If asked, enter the password for your Personal Hotspot.

To make sure that your iPhone or iPad is discoverable, go to Settings > Bluetooth and stay on that screen. Then on your Mac, follow the manufacturer directions to set up a Bluetooth connection. Find out more about using Personal Hotspot with Bluetooth .

Personal Hotspot supports Bluetooth connections with MacĀ and other third-party devices. To connect another iOS device, use Bluetooth.

Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes andĀ the Finder on your Mac. Then connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer with the USB cable that came with your device.Ā If you see an alert that says ā€œ Trust This Computer? ā€, tap Trust.

Find out more aboutĀ  connecting a device to your iPhone or iPad device's Personal Hotspot .

Let your family join automatically

You can set up Family Sharing so that your family can join your Personal Hotspot automatically ā€“ without needing to enter the password. Here's what to do:

  • On your device with Personal Hotspot, go to Settings > Personal Hotspot > Family Sharing.
  • Turn on Family Sharing. If you can't see the option, find out how to set up Family Sharing .
  • Tap the name of each of your family members and set whether they need to ask for approval or join your Personal Hotspot automatically.

Disconnect devices

To disconnect a device, turn off Personal Hotspot, turn off Bluetooth or unplug the USB cable from your device.

Set or change your Wi-Fi password

You need to set a Wi-Fi password in order to set up a Personal Hotspot. To change the Wi-Fi password, go to Settings > Mobile Data > Personal Hotspot or Settings > Personal Hotspot, then tap the Wi-Fi password.*

Choose a Wi-Fi password thatā€™s at least eight characters long and use ASCII characters. If you use non-ASCII characters, other devices will be unable to join your Personal Hotspot. Non-ASCII characters include characters in Japanese, Russian, Chinese and other languages. ASCII characters include:

  • All the letters in English, both lowercase and uppercase
  • The digits 0 to 9
  • Some punctuation marks

* When you change your password, any connected devices will be disconnected.

  • Certain apps and features that require a Wi-Fi connection might not work while using a Personal Hotspot. For example, you might not be able to make an iCloud backup or upload photos to iCloud Photo Library or Photo Stream.
  • Learn how to use InstantĀ Hotspot on your Mac, iPhone, iPad or iPodĀ touch.
  • Get help with Personal Hotspot on your iOS and iPadOSĀ devices.

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Tethering on UK Networks: Which Mobile Networks Allow You To Tether?

smarty set up personal hotspot

Tethering or personal hotspot allows you to share your mobile data connection with other devices. Find out the tethering policy for each UK network.

smarty set up personal hotspot

In this article, we’ll explain how you can use the tethering or personal hotspot functionality on your device. We’ll also look at the best value SIM cards for tethering and personal hotspot and at how individual mobile networks treat the use of this feature.

  • 1 How to Use Tethering & Personal Hotspot
  • 2 Overview of Policies By Network
  • 3 Cheapest Deals For Tethering
  • 4 In Depth: Tethering Policies By Network
  • 5 More Information

How to Use Tethering & Personal Hotspot

smarty set up personal hotspot

  • iPhone: Go to Settings > Personal Hotspot and tap the slider to switch it on. You can set a Wi-Fi password for your hotspot here. See the Apple website for more information.
  • Android: Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Hotspot & tethering . Tap the Wi-Fi Hotspot feature to switch it on. You can also set your network name and password here. See the Google website for more information.

Most people will choose to tether by creating a personal wi-fi hotspot. However, it’s also possible to tether using Bluetooth or using a USB cable in some cases.

If you find yourself using tethering or personal hotspot regularly when at home, consider getting a 4G-based home broadband service instead. On some of these services, you can get unlimited data for as little as Ā£22/month. You’ll also get better network performance compared to tethering with a stronger wi-fi signal and the ability to add things such as an external 4G antenna .

Overview of Policies By Network

The following table shows a summary of which mobile networks and tariffs you’re able to tether on. For further information, please select your mobile network for full details about their tethering policy.

Cheapest Deals For Tethering

Pay as you go.

Top Up Logo

Currently, giffgaff is our recommended network for tethering on Pay As You Go. On giffgaff, a Ā£10 top-up will give you unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 3GB of data (increased automatically to 4GB once you’ve been a customer for 3 months). You’ll get 99% population coverage from O2, including both 3G and 4G, and there’s no need to undergo a credit check .

Order giffgaff SIM Card (Free) ā†’

The following table gives a quick summary of some of the bundles available for tethering on Pay As You Go:

With 2GB of Data

iOS8 Tethering

The following table gives an quick overview of currently available deals with at least 2GB of tetherable data each month:

Please remember: the data allowance listed will need to cover your normal smartphone data usage as well as any data use through tethering or personal hotspot.

With 4GB of Data

MacBook Pro

If you’re likely to tether regularly on your smartphone (e.g. a couple of times per week), we recommend choosing a tariff with at least 4GB of tetherable data per month.

The following tariffs will allow you to tether up to 4GB per month:

With 8GB of Data

If you’re likely to tether almost every day (e.g. on your commute into the office), we recommend choosing a tariff with at least 8GB of tetherable data per month. The following SIM-only contracts will be suitable for your usage:

For larger monthly data allowances, see our in-depth guide to SIM-only deals in the UK . Alternatively, read on to see a list of the deals available on each network.

In Depth: Tethering Policies By Network

In the following section, we’ll discuss the tethering policies on each UK mobile network in more detail.

Popular Networks

smarty set up personal hotspot

You can tether on giffgaff’s Pay As You Go service or when using any of their goodybags . This is explained in more detail within giffgaff’s tethering policy :

Tethering is allowed on all our goodybags and airtime credit (PAYG). If you tether with a goodybag using your data allowance, your Internet data allowance is shared between all connected devices. If you use up your data allowance before the goodybag expires, we will send a notification to your device to let you know. You will then be charged at 5p per MB from airtime credit balance (PAYG) for the remaining life of your goodybag, but once your goodybag expires standard rates for mobile data will apply.

The following giffgaff goodybags will allow you to tether from Ā£8/month:

Prior to August 2017, the Ā£20 goodybag didn’t allow you to tether once you’ve used 6GB of data per month. This restriction no longer applies to new goodybags, though data speeds on the Always-On goodybag are now reduced to 384kbps once you reach 20GB per month.

smarty set up personal hotspot

On O2 , tethering and personal hotspot has been a standard feature of both Pay Monthly contracts and Pay As You Go tariffs since March 2011 (the rules may differ if you took out your contract before this).

The following SIM-only deals will allow you to tether on O2:

If you’re a customer of O2 Pay As You Go with an older iPhone, it might be necessary for you to install a software update to enable the tethering functionality. We’d strongly recommend buying a Big Bundle if you’d like to tether on Pay As You Go (tethering on Classic Pay As You Go will very quickly deplete your balance).

smarty set up personal hotspot

Tesco Mobile

On Tesco Mobile , you can tether at no extra cost on all price plans with inclusive data. This includes both Pay Monthly and Pay As You Go tariffs.

From the Tesco Mobile help pages :

If your tariff has a data allowance included, you can use your device as a personal hotspot at no extra cost. If you don’t have a data allowance, or you go over your data allowance, youā€™ll be charged our standard rates.

The following SIM-only deals will allow you to tether on Tesco Mobile:

smarty set up personal hotspot

Three now allows you to tether on all of their price plans. This is possible when you’re inside the UK or travelling within Europe. If you’re travelling to a Go Roam Around The World country such as the USA or Australia, tethering isn’t permitted unless you first buy a Data Passport add-on.

The following SIM-only deals allow you to tether on Three:

Prior to October 2018, Three had a number of different restrictions on tethering and personal hotspot. For instance, Essential Pay Monthly contracts that were sold between July 2016 and September 2018 didn’t allow the use of tethering. Advanced Pay Monthly SIM cards with 100GB or all-you-can-eat data also had a separate 30GB monthly allowance for tethering. All of these restrictions have now been removed as a result of Ofcom’s net neutrality investigation in 2018 . Prior to April 2018, tethering also wasn’t possible on Three Pay As You Go.

As of 2019, restrictions on tethering now only apply when you’re travelling in a Go Roam country outside of Europe.

smarty set up personal hotspot

Vodafone has allowed tethering on all of their Pay Monthly plans since June 2011.

The following SIM cards from Vodafone will allow you to tether:

On Vodafone Pay As You Go , it should normally be possible to tether. However, a number of readers have fed back in the comments and elsewhere online that they sometimes experience problems doing so.

Other Mobile Networks

smarty set up personal hotspot

BT Mobile has allowed the use of tethering and personal hotspot for all customers of their mobile network since June 2016. This includes customers with a Pay Monthly contract, with a Family SIM package or with a normal SIM-only contract.

The following SIM-only deals will allow you to tether on BT Mobile:

The prices shown in the table above include a discount for customers living in a BT Broadband household.

Prior to June 2016, clause 25b of the BT Mobile terms and conditions prohibited the use of tethering on their network:

Prohibited use 25. You must not allow our service to be used: … b. to create your own personal hotspot which provides internet access to other devices which may be used by yourself or others (this is sometimes known as ‘tethering’); or

For more information, see the thread on BT’s Community Forums .

smarty set up personal hotspot

On FreedomPop , tethering is not permitted unless you buy the FreedomPop Premium add-on. This has a monthly cost of Ā£3.99, with a free trial available for the first month. Tethering is only supported on Android devices at present.

smarty set up personal hotspot

As of 2019, tethering is now permitted for customers on iD Mobile. This is stated on the iD Mobile frequently asked questions page :

Can I tether on iD Mobile? You can tether on iD Mobile, but please be warned – it can use up a lot of data very quickly and can work out to be very costly if you don’t take the right precautions (see the below FAQ for more details).

Prior to 2019, tethering was not permitted for customers on iD Mobile. iD’s terms and conditions are still yet to be updated to reflect this change in policy. Clause 5.3.4 of the iD Mobile terms and conditions still contains the following restriction on tethering:

5.3 You must not use the Services, the SIM Card or an iD phone number or allow anyone else to use the Services, the SIM or an iD phone number for illegal or improper uses, including but not limited to : … 5.3.4 tethering (unless explicitly stated in your Agreement with us), downloading, sending or uploading content of an excessive size, quantity or frequency. We will contact you if your use is excessive; … Any such use shall give us the right to charge you any Charges due and terminate the Services immediately.

smarty set up personal hotspot

Lebara Mobile

Lebara Mobile allows the use of tethering on their network, but typically advises customers against doing so. According to an FAQ posted on their website in January 2017:

Tethering is something that we don’t advise since our data plans are design to be use with our sim cards not to be shared. You can share data if your device lets you, but if you have connection issues or other issues related to the tethering, we won’t be able to assist you.

Previously, the use of tethering was explicitly prevented in the Lebara Mobile terms and conditions, but this clause has now been removed from the contract.

smarty set up personal hotspot

Lycamobile doesn’t allow tethering on their network. The terms and conditions pertaining to tethering can be seen on the Lycamobile bundles page (scroll to the bottom and click the small link saying ‘Terms and Conditions’):

The offer is for non-commercial, private, personal use only ā€“ Lycamobile reserves the right to withdraw or suspend the offer or to disconnect you if we suspect that offer is being used for commercial purposes, for conferencing, or if it is not being used in a handset (in a SIM box for example), if it is being used for tethering or if any reason Lycamobile reasonably suspects that you are not acting in accordance with this policy where we consider that the usage was illegitimate.

smarty set up personal hotspot

Plusnet Mobile

On Plusnet Mobile , it’s possible to tether on all SIM-only plans.

The following SIM-only deals will allow you to tether on Plusnet Mobile:

If you’re a Plusnet home broadband customer, you can benefit from double data through the Plusnet Mates Rates offer .

smarty set up personal hotspot

On Sky Mobile , it’s possible to tether on all tariffs at no extra charge. A unique feature of the network is you can also save unused data allowances in a data piggybank , which can be useful if you only want to tether very occasionally.

The following SIM-only deals will allow you to tether on Sky Mobile:

smarty set up personal hotspot

Customers of SMARTY are able to tether or use personal hotspot at no extra charge. The only limitation to this is SMARTY’s fair usage policy of 19GB/month on their unlimited plan when you’re travelling in Europe. This is detailed in the SMARTY Support Centre :

Youā€™re entitled to use your data however you like, no matter which of the SMARTY plans you’re on, so you can tether and use your phone as a mobile hot spot with your full allowance if you want to . The only exception to this is the Unlimited plan and if you’re roaming, where you’ll be limited to 19GB.

The following 30-day plans from SMARTY will allow you to tether from Ā£6.25/month:

smarty set up personal hotspot

With Talkmobile , you can tether on any of their plans. For more information, go to their help pages and search for ‘tethering’. This will give you the tethering policy for their network:

Tethering (using your mobile as an internet hotspot for other devices) is included in all Talkmobile plans. You can tether if you have a data plan and have enabled Wi-Fi hotspot functionality on your phone.

As of April 2017, the Talkmobile brand is being gradually phased out. The mobile network is no longer available to new customers.

smarty set up personal hotspot

TalkTalk Mobile

You can tether on most tariffs from the legacy TalkTalk Mobile service. There’s a FAQ page on TalkTalk’s website explaining how to tether on their network. Please note that TalkTalk Mobile is in the midst of being closed down, as of January 2018.

In 2015, TalkTalk Mobile offered an All-in SIM card where tethering was prohibited. The All-in SIM card is no longer available to TalkTalk Mobile customers.

smarty set up personal hotspot

The Phone Co-Op

On The Phone Co-Op , it’s possible to tether on both Pay Monthly and Pay As You Go plans. This was confirmed by an Internet & Data FAQs page on their old website (the page has since been removed during a website redesign):

Can I use tethering? We are happy for you to tether your phone to any other device, to share its internet connection, though we cannot guarantee that every phone will be compatible.

You can use the following Pay As You Go bundles to tether on The Phone Co-Op:

smarty set up personal hotspot

Vectone Mobile

Vectone Mobile allows tethering, but only up to a maximum of 10GB per month. If you exceed this 10GB limit, your services might be suspended. This is stated in clause 4e of their network terms and conditions :

4(e) Tethering of up to 10GB mobile data is permitted; post which, it might result into suspension of your services.

smarty set up personal hotspot

Virgin Mobile

Virgin Mobile allows the use of tethering and personal hotspot on all price plans since April 2018.

The following SIM-only deals from Virgin Mobile will allow you to tether:

Prior to April 2018, it wasn’t possible to tether on Virgin Mobile contracts taken out after the 24th January 2013. This was stated in the old terms and conditions for the Virgin Mobile service :

Data usage on some Virgin Media tariffs is for mobile internet services and data consumption actually on your handset. It does not include using your handset as a modem to connect other devices such as laptops and tablets – also known as “Tethering”. Please refer to your terms and conditions and other communications from Virgin Media to check whether this applies on your tariff. This applies to all new and upgrading customers since 24 January 2013.

smarty set up personal hotspot

VOXI by Vodafone

VOXI is a low-cost sub-brand of Vodafone offering SIM-only deals with unlimited social media data. You can tether or use personal hotspot on VOXI without any restrictions. This is stated on the “Why VOXI?” web page :

Personal hotspot Turn your VOXI mobile into a personal Wi-Fi hotspot to share your data with other devices.

The following SIM cards from VOXI will allow you to tether from Ā£10/month:

More Information

For more information, see our in-depth guide to mobile broadband . Alternatively, get in touch with your mobile network to find out how you can use tethering functionality.

Related Articles

smarty set up personal hotspot

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smarty set up personal hotspot

Your Comments 145 so far

We'd love to hear your thoughts and any questions you may have. So far, we've received 145 comments from readers. You can add your own comment here .

smarty set up personal hotspot

Frederick Wheatley said:

Ken, I use a 4G router and have been looking for a new provider due to Giffgaff degrading the service level where I live. I have previously reported that Lebara block data service if you put a sim in a 4G router. I assume it is a Vodafone automatic system that does it as it starts blocking after a few minutes. it does by stopping service when you go to a webpage. It hangs and stays that way until it times out.

Today, 28 Oct 2023, I have thrashed through the question of using a VOXI sim in a 4G router with their customer service. VOXI admits that you cannot use their sim in a 4G router. Their sim can only be used in phone handset.

Mr Blues said:

It seems Lycamobile have revised their policy about tethering. Now terms and conditions read:

Lycamobile reserves the right to withdraw or suspend the offer or to disconnect you if we suspect that offer is being used for commercial purposes, for conferencing, or if it is not being used in a handset (in a SIM box for example).

Tethering is no longer mentioned. Have a look. Thanks.

Mark G replied:

Duh, thats still a fancy way to say YOU CAN’T TETHER.

Richard Ward said:

Hi Ken can you help I would like to tether my iPhone 4s to my sky + box (old type) in my Motorhome while we are away traveling, can it be done using my phone as a modem? We have 110v + 240v and have a sky dish on the roof which gives us the sky Chanelā€™s but we canā€™t access catch up / planner etc without wifi We also have a sky phone which can tether if that would help Regards Richard

smarty set up personal hotspot

Ken replied:

Hi Richard, Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I’m not familiar with the Sky+ box but assuming it just requires a wi-fi connection, and assuming your iPhone 4s is able to create one using personal hotspot, it should be possible to do this. Do, however, keep a very close eye on how much data you’re using and consider getting an unlimited data plan if necessary. You could alternatively decide to get a home broadband service like Three’s HomeFi Plus which costs Ā£20/month with unlimited data. Hope this helps, Ken

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COMMENTS

  1. Tethering and mobile hotspots

    How do I set up hotspot on iOS? How do I set up hotspot on Android? My hotspot isn't working šŸ˜­ Did this answer your question? Understand whether you can tether with your SMARTY plan.

  2. personal hotspot

    8 REPLIES MSF SMARTY Champ 12-06-2023 09:09 AM @chrisgri_584538 I often use my iPhone as a hotspot on Smarty without any issue, so I wonder if you need to check the phone settings carefully. Apple website rather than Three may be the way.

  3. Solved: Hotspot

    Options Hotspot Go to solution RobertK_2324733 SMARTY Rookie 02-10-2024 09:45 AM Says I need to enable my hotspot 0 Kudos Reply 1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION MSF SMARTY Champ 02-10-2024 09:48 AM @RobertK_2324733 Insufficient information here - where does it say that? View solution in original post 0 Kudos Reply All forum topics Previous Topic Next Topic

  4. SMARTY blog

    Tethering on an Android device For Android phones, head to the Settings menu and look for 'Network & Internet'. The wording may be slightly different between smartphone brands, so for example, it may be called 'Wireless & Networks' or 'Mobile network', all depending on your make and model.

  5. How to set up a personal hotspot so you can stay connected from

    Go to Settings Tap Cellular Tap Personal Hotspot On some iOS devices, you'll see Personal Hotspot directly under Settings If you don't see an option for Personal Hotspot, you can contact your cell phone company to add it to your plan You will then have the option to Allow Others to Join, and a WiFi password will be displayed.

  6. How to set up a Personal Hotspot on your iPhone or iPad

    Go to Settings > Cellular > Personal Hotspot or Settings > Personal Hotspot. Tap the slider next to Allow Others to Join. If you don't see the option for Personal Hotspot, contact your carrier to make sure that you can use Personal Hotspot with your plan. Connect to Personal Hotspot with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB

  7. Using the internet after you've joined SMARTY

    Using the internet after you've joined SMARTY. If you can't use your available data, here's how to update your APN settings. When you join SMARTY, all of your settings should update automatically and everything should work fine. šŸ˜Ž. However, if you can't access the internet when you've got available data (yet you can still make ...

  8. How to use a personal hotspot on a Verizon phone

    Turn on. On the Settings page, the Personal Hotspot menu choice should have a switch to the right to toggle the hotspot on and off. Tap on the switch to turn your hotspot on. Anyone wishing to ...

  9. How to Turn Your Phone Into a Wi-Fi Hotspot

    To set up a personal hotspot on your iPhone or iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular), go to Settings > Personal Hotspot > Allow Others to Join and toggle it to on (if you don't see Personal Hotspot in Settings ...

  10. How to Set Up a Mobile Hotspot on Any Device

    Open the Settings app. This is the gear-shaped app that comes pre-loaded on all iPhones and iPads. Then tap Cellular. Go to Personal Hotspot. Toggle the slider to turn on the personal hotspot. You will know it is on if it is green. Finally, enter a password.

  11. SMARTY blog

    Typically, enabling hotspot on your device involves navigating to the settings menu, selecting "Personal Hotspot" or "Tethering & portable hotspot," and activating it, often with the option of choosing your hotspot name and password. Ensure your plan supports hotspot usage, and your device has this feature enabled.

  12. SMARTY blog

    With your attention on driving, you can easily turn on a hotspot before setting off, place your device down and let your passengers enjoy the benefits. Hotspot on an iPhone or iPad. Head to the Settings menu and look for Personal Hotspot. Tap Personal Hotspot and you will be presented with a slider for the Allow Others to Join option. Slide ...

  13. No Hotspot

    Ever since the outage on 2024-02-09, the "Personal Hotspot" setting disappeared in my iOS settings and when I go to "Mobile Service">"Set Up Personal Hotspot", it says "To enable personal hotspot on this account, contact Three". Help please. Labels: Customer Support Network 0 Kudos Reply All forum topics Previous Topic Next Topic 0 REPLIES

  14. Getting started with SMARTY

    Getting set up. Start using a new number When you switch to SMARTY you'll receive a new number. Cancel my old phone number and account with my previous provider See how we can terminate your old number and account services with your previous network provider for you. Using the internet after you've joined SMARTY If you can't use your ...

  15. How to use Personal Hotspot on your iPhone

    Set up a Personal Hotspot on your iPhone or iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular) and share your cellular connection with other devices so you can get online, wherever you...

  16. SMARTY review 2024: faster speeds & better 4G/5G coverage

    SMARTY were set up as a sub-brand of Three, so they share their parent company's 4G/5G network. You get identical coverage between the two. ... You can tether other devices to your data signal on SMARTY (essentially turning your phone into a personal hotspot). And SMARTY don't limit how much of your allowance you can use for tethering in ...

  17. Re: Hotspot

    Hello and good day WendyHa. Settings/ wireless & networks (has fiive options No5/ More/ Tethered & portable hotspot/ Wi-Fi hotspot/ Set up Wi-Fi hotspot (Gives you the settings you need to find or alter as you choose, for example) Network name (you can change and make your own, this is what will appear on your laptop Wi-Fi Networks) Password (is the one your looking for and will look like

  18. SMARTY APN Settings for Android and iPhone 2024

    SMARTY Personal Hotspot Settings for iPhone SMARTY 2G 3G LTE 4G and 5G high-speed APN/Internet settings for Android, iPhone, iPad 2024. By setting this up for SMARTY, you can use faster internet on your device. SMARTY is a well-known SIM company in United Kingdom. As of 2024, it has 0.3 million active subscribers/users.

  19. Am I 5G ready?

    5G is short for "fifth-generation mobile network" and it's set to be the fastest speed yet. 5G's super-fast speeds, capacity and low latency are going to change the way we use data for gaming, movies, apps, downloads and high-definition video streaming.To put it simply, 5G's going to get more data to more people, more quickly.

  20. Suddenly getting "To enable personal hotsā€¦

    Suddenly getting "To enable personal hotspot, contact your carrier" message in settings. And by 'suddenly', I mean my personal hotspot has been working for nearly the ten years I've had my phone number. Then, few days ago, the option just vanished from my network settings. When I go deeper into the settings, I see the "Set Up Personal Hotspot ...

  21. How to set up a Personal Hotspot on your iPhone or iPad

    On the device you want to connect, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and look for your iPhone or iPad in the list. Then tap the Wi-Fi network to join. If asked, enter the password for your Personal Hotspot. Bluetooth To make sure that your iPhone or iPad is discoverable, go to Settings > Bluetooth and stay on that screen.

  22. Tethering: Which UK Mobile Networks Allow You To Tether?

    BT Mobile has allowed the use of tethering and personal hotspot for all customers of their mobile network since June 2016. This includes customers with a Pay Monthly contract, with a Family SIM package or with a normal SIM-only contract. The following SIM-only deals will allow you to tether on BT Mobile: Network. Minutes.

  23. Sign Up

    Continue with Microsoft. Continue with Email. Already have an account? Log in. " Fantastic service and easy API. Drop-dead easy to use by our developers. ". Get access to our amazing products and beyond excellent support service by signing up for your Smarty account now... It's just so Smart!