How to distribute Wi-Fi from Xiaomi phone: all the ways and hidden settings

Xiaomi's modern smartphones are not just phone and social media devices, but also full-fledged mobile routers. The ability to distribute Internet from your phone will come in handy when you travel, at the country house or when your home Wi-Fi suddenly goes off, but many users face problems: the access point does not turn on, the devices do not connect, or the speed is too slow.

In this article, we will discuss all the available ways to distribute the Internet with Xiaomi (including the Redmi models, POCO and Mi, from standard access point to obscure methods through USB You'll learn how to set up your network, secure your connection, and fix common bugs, and at the end, you'll learn how to answer frequent questions and life hacks to save traffic.

1. Standard method: Wi-Fi access point

The most common method of distributing the Internet is the creation of a mobile hotspot (Mobile Hotspot), which works on all Xiaomi smartphones regardless of the version. MIUI The main advantage is the high data transfer speed and the ability to connect up to 10 devices at a time (on some firmware, the limit is reduced to 5).

To enable the access point:

1. Open Settings → Network and Internet (or Connections in older versions of MIUI).
2. Select Access Point and Modem (or Modem Modem).
3. Activate the mobile access point switch.
4. When you first turn on, the system will suggest setting up the network name (SSID) password.

By default, the network will be named after the phone model (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro).+), The password is automatically generated, and we recommend changing both settings:

• 🔐 Name of the network (SSID): Use Latin without spaces (for example, Xiaomi_Hotspot_2026). Cyrillic can cause problems on some devices.
• 🔑 Password: minimum length is 8 characters, optimal: combination of letters, numbers and characters (for example, X1a0m1!WiFi).
• 📶 Range: If your phone supports 5 GHz, choose it for a more stable connection (but note that older devices may not see such a network).

⚠️ Note: If you are using dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 + 5 GHz, some devices (such as smartwatches or printers) can only connect to 2.4 GHz. In this case, select the mode Only in the access point settings 2.4 GHz.

2.Security setting: how to protect your access point

Many users leave standard security settings, risking falling victim to hackers or neighbors who "hang" to your network. Xiaomi uses the protocol by default WPA2-PSK — It's reliable, but it can be improved:

To change these parameters:

1. Go to Settings → Access Point and Modem → Access Point settings.
2. Choose Security and Install WPA3-PSK (or WPA2/WPA3 compatiblely).
3. In the section Additional set auto-disconnect and traffic restriction (if necessary).

Important: If you notice that unknown devices are connecting to your network, change your password immediately and check the list of connected gadgets in the access point settings. On Xiaomi, you can do this through Settings. → Access point → Connected devices.

💡

If you often give out the Internet in public places, use it. VPN This will protect your traffic from being intercepted even if an attacker connects to the access point.

3. Alternative ways of distributing the Internet

If Wi-Fi doesn’t work for some reason (for example, a broken module or you need to save battery power), you can use other methods:

🔵 Handling over Bluetooth

Suitable for connecting a single device (for example, a laptop or tablet), speeds are lower than Wi-Fi, but battery consumption is minimal.

1. Activate Bluetooth on both devices.
2. On Xiaomi, go to Settings → Access Point and Modem → Bluetooth modem.
3. Connect the second device via the Bluetooth menu (it should have the Network Connection option enabled).

⚠️ Limitation: Windows may require manual connection settings through Control Panel → Network connections.

🔌 Distribution through USB (USB-tetring)

The most stable way, but it requires cable, suitable for laptops or PCs, speed comparable to Wi-Fi, and Xiaomi battery power is not consumed (the phone will even charge).

1. Connect your phone to your computer through USB-cable (preferably original).
2. On Xiaomi, select Data Transfer Mode (or MTP).
3. Turn it on. USB-modem in the settings of the access point.
4. On the PC, wait for the driver installation (if the connection does not appear, check the Device Manager).

Problems with USB-- A modem:

• 🔄 Reconnect the cable or use another port USB.
• 🖥️ Update drivers on PC (especially relevant for Windows) 7/8).
• 📱 Enable Debugging on USB Developer Settings (unless the modem is determined).

4.Why Xiaomi’s hotspot doesn’t work: Typical problems and solutions

Even after setting it up properly, the access point may not be on or operating smoothly, and let's look at some of the most common errors and how to fix them:

❌ Access point is turned on, but devices are not connected

Causes and solutions:

• 🔄 Wrong password: check the letter register (password is sensitive to it). Reset the access point settings and set a new password.
• 📶 Range problems: If 5GHz network is not visible, switch to 2.4GHz.
• 📵 Operator restrictions: some tariffs block the distribution of the Internet. Check the conditions or call for support.
• 🔧 Firmware failure: update MIUI Up to the latest version or reset your network settings (Settings) → The phone. → Resetting settings → Resetting Wi-Fi, Mobile Network and Bluetooth).

⚡ The battery goes down quickly when you give Wi-Fi

Internet distribution is a resource-intensive task, to reduce the cost of charge:

• 🔋 Connect your phone to charge (especially if you’re dealing with Wi-Fi or USB).
• ⚙️ Reduce auto-disconnect timeout (e.g., up to 5 minutes).
• ❄️ Disable background apps through Settings → Annexes → Auto-start.
• 📉 Enable Traffic Saving Mode (Settings) → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Saving traffic).

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) the phone may overheat if the temperature exceeds 45 if the Wi-Fi is given for a long time.°C, take a 10-15-minute break.

🌐 No Internet access on connected devices

If devices connect to an access point but pages are not loaded:

1. Check the balance and fare – it is possible that traffic has run out or the operator is blocking the distribution.
2. Reboot the phone and connected device.
3. Try changing the type. APN in the mobile network settings (Settings) → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Access point (APN)). For most operators, default,supl,dun is suitable.
4. If you use VPN, Turn it off – it can block traffic for connected devices.

5. Hidden settings and life hacks for power users

V MIUI There are some features that few people know about, but they can make the access point work much better, like limiting the speed of connected devices or changing the Wi-Fi channel to reduce interference.

🎛️ Changing the Wi-Fi channel

If there are many networks nearby, they can cause interference, so to choose the least loaded channel:

1. Install the Wi-Fi Analyzer app (available on Google Play).
2. Check which channels are used by the neighboring networks.
3. In the settings of the access point (Settings) → Access point → Setting up the access point → Channel select free channel (e.g. 6 or 11 for 2.4 GHz).

📊 Speed Limitation for Connected Devices

If multiple devices are connected to your network and one of them eats up all traffic (for example, downloading torrents), you can limit its speed:

1. Install the NetMaster or NetGuard app.
2. Turn on the modem modem on the phone.
3. In the application, select the connected device and set a speed limit (for example, 5 Mbps).

⚠️ Important: This feature doesn’t work on all models and may require root rights.

🔄 Automatic activation of the access point on a schedule

If you need Wi-Fi to turn on at a certain time (for example, in the morning), use automation:

1. Open the Automation app (built into the MIUI).
2. Create a new task with the Time Trigger.
3. Add the action Enable the access point.
4. Save and activate the rule.

💡

On Xiaomi models with MIUI 14+ The function "Quick Access Point" appeared - it allows you to turn on the distribution of the Internet directly from the notification panel, without going into the settings.

6. How to give away Wi-Fi with Xiaomi without password (guest network)

Sometimes you have to give the Internet access to the guests, but you don't want to divulge the password from the main network. MIUI There's a guest access point feature, but it's hidden in the depth of the settings. Here's how to turn it on:

1. Open the Settings. → Access Point and modem.
2. Slip on the Access Point setting.
3. Scroll down and find the Guest Network option (or Restricted Access Point in newer versions).
4. Activate it and set a separate network name (SSID) passwordless.

⚠️ Restrictions of the guest network:

• 🚫 No access to local devices (e.g. printers or other devices) NAS).
• ⏱️ Speed can be limited (depending on the phone model).
• 🔄 After the last device is disabled, the network automatically shuts down.

If the guest network option is not in your version MIUI, Use an alternative method:

1. Create a primary access point with a simple password (e.g., 12345678).
2. After connecting the guest, change the password back.

7. Saving traffic when distributing the Internet

A phone-based Internet service can quickly run out of traffic, especially if multiple devices are connected.

📉 Limiting background traffic

On connected devices (laptops, tablets) disable:

• 🔄 Automatic update of OS and applications.
• ☁️ Synchronization of cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox).
• 🎵 Streaming music/video in high quality.

🛡️ Blocking Advertising and Tracking

Advertising and analytics consume up to 30 percent of traffic, and to block them:

• On Xiaomi phone, turn on Traffic Savings (Settings) → SIM-maps and mobile networks).
• Install a browser extension on the connected device, such as uBlock Origin.
• Use it. DNS-Ad-blocked servers, such as 1.1.1.3 (Cloudflare) or 94.140.14.14 (AdGuard).

📊 Monitoring of traffic flow

To keep the limit up:

• 📱 On the phone: Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Using traffic.
• 💻 On PC: Use programs like NetBalancer or GlassWire.
• ⏱️ Set a traffic limit in the access point settings (if the feature is supported by your model).

💡

If you give out the Internet frequently on your trips, consider buying an unlimited fare or a toursim with a large packet of traffic. For example, MegaFon has a 150-hour "No Limits" option.₽/day-night.

FAQ: Frequent questions about giving away Wi-Fi with Xiaomi