How to connect a laptop to the Internet via a Xiaomi phone: 3 working ways

When you may need to distribute the Internet from phone to laptop

Situations when you don’t have a router at hand, but you urgently need Internet on a laptop, happen more often than you think. Perhaps you are on a business trip, in a cafe with poor Wi-Fi or just moved to a new apartment where the provider has not yet connected the cable. In such cases, a Xiaomi smartphone (be it Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or flagship Xiaomi 14) can become a full-fledged access point – just fine-tune the traffic distribution.

In this article, we will look at all the current ways of connecting, from the classic Wi-Fi Hotspot to lesser-known methods via USB and Bluetooth. Particular attention will be paid to the nuances of MIUI firmware (including the global and Chinese versions), typical errors like “Can not turn on the access point”, and optimization of battery consumption and traffic. If your laptop does not see the network from Xiaomi or the connection is constantly broken, here you will find a solution.

Before you move on to settings, check out two key points:

• 📶 Mobile Internet on your phone – make sure SIM-The card is active, the balance is positive, and the status bar is displayed 4G/5G (not E or 3G).
• 🔋 Battery charge – the Internet handouts put the battery down a lot. If the charge is below 30%, connect Xiaomi to charging before activating the access point.

Method 1: Distribute Wi-Fi via Hotspot

This is the most versatile and fast method that works on all laptops (Windows, macOS, Linux) and does not require additional cables. minus: high load on the phone battery. In MIUI, the access point setting is hidden in the Data Transfer and Modem menu, but the path to it may differ depending on the firmware version.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the settings on the Xiaomi phone.
2. Go to Network and Internet → Access Point and modem (in older versions of MIUI – Additional → Modem).
3. Slip on the Wi-Fi hotspot and turn on the slider.
4. Click on "Access Point Settings" to ask: 🔐 Name of the network (SSID) — Think of something unique (for example, Xiaomi_Hotspot_5G). 🔑 Password minimum 8 symbols, with numbers and letters (example: MiWiFi2026!). 📡 Range - select. 5 GHz for speed (if the laptop supports) or 2.4 GHz for longer range.

Save the settings and activate the access point.

Network Name (SSID) does not contain Cyrillic or special characters

Password entered without spaces and register-dependent

VPN is disabled on the laptop (can block the connection)

The phone has mobile internet enabled (icon) 4G/5G notification-bar)-->

On the laptop:

1. Open the list of available networks (Wi-Fi icon in tray).
2. Find the network with the name you set on Xiaomi and connect.
3. Enter the password and wait for the status "Connected".

⚠️ Warning: If your laptop doesn’t see the access point, check if your phone is running Flight Mode or Traffic Saving (in the app). MIUI This can block the distribution. Also try rebooting both devices.

Method 2: Connect via USB (modem mode)

This method is suitable if you do not have access to Wi-Fi (for example, on an airplane with a USB allowed) or need to save battery power. Pros: stable connection, the phone charges from a laptop. Cons: requires a USB-Type C cable (or Micro-USB for older Xiaomi models), and the speed can be lower than Wi-Fi.

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect your phone to your laptop with a cable (use the original Xiaomi cable – cheap ones often don’t transmit data).
2. On the phone in the notification panel, select the connection mode "File Transfer" (not "Charging").
3. Go to Settings → Network and Internet → Access Point and modem.
4. Turn on the slider "USB-modem".

💡

If Windows doesn’t recognize your phone as a modem, download the Mi USB Driver from Xiaomi’s official website, which will solve 90% of the connection problems.

For macOS:

1. Connect your phone with a cable and select the mode "USB-modem in the settings of Xiaomi.
2. Open System settings → Network.
3. In the list on the left, a new “Xiaomi” connection will appear – select it and click “Connect”.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) 9A or POCO M3) USB-The modem may not work due to firmware limitations. MIUI Up to the latest version or use alternative methods.

Method 3: Distributing the Internet over Bluetooth

Less popular, but useful, if you don't have cable and Wi-Fi isn't available for some reason. Pros: low power consumption, no wire binding. Cons: speed is limited to ~3 Mbps (enough for instant messengers, but not for 4K video).

How to set up:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and laptop.
2. On your phone, go to Settings → Connection Devices → Bluetooth.
3. Click on "Search for Devices" and select your laptop from the list.
4. Confirm the pairing (the code must match on both devices).
5. Go back to Settings → Network and Internet → Access Point and modem.
6. Turn on the Bluetooth Modem slider.

On a Windows laptop:

1. Open Settings → Devices → Bluetooth and other devices.
2. Find your Xiaomi in the list and click “Connect through → Access Point”.

Optimizing traffic and battery consumption

Getting the Internet from your phone is not just a convenience, it's also an extra cost, both money (if you have a limited rate) and battery power. Here's how to keep costs down:

• 📉 Limit background traffic: In MIUI Go to Settings. → Network and Internet → Use traffic and disable background data transfer for unnecessary apps (such as TikTok or Facebook).
• ⚡ Use Power Saving Mode: Enable "Super Battery Savings" in Settings → Battery, but add "Access Point" to exceptions, otherwise the connection will break.
• 🔄 Turn off the hotspot when not needed: Even in standby mode, it consumes up to 10% charge per hour.
• 🛡️ Set up traffic restriction: C MIUI You can set a distribution limit: → Network and Internet → Access point → Traffic restriction.

On Xiaomi models with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (such as the Xiaomi 13 Pro), Wi-Fi distribution in 5 GHz mode can consume up to 20% of charge per hour. If you need to extend the autonomy, force the access point to 2.4 GHz - this will reduce speed, but increase the time of operation by 30-40%.

💡

If you often use the Internet distribution, buy powerbank capacity from 20000 mAh – this is enough for 3-4 full charging cycle Xiaomi with active use of the access point.

Addressing common mistakes

Even with the right setup, there can be problems, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

1. "Cannot turn on the access point" error

Causes and solutions:

• 📱 Outdated firmware: Update MIUI Up to the latest version in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🔧 Settings Fail: Reset network settings: Settings → Network and Internet → Additionally. → Resetting Wi-Fi, Mobile Network and Bluetooth.
• 🚫 Blocking by the operator: Check if the service "Banning Internet" is active (call in support of the operator).

2.The laptop is connected, but the sites are not opened

Possible causes:

• 🌐 DNS-Servers: On the laptop manually write DNS 8.8.8.8 (Google) or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare).
• 🔒 VPN or firewall: Turn it off VPN on your laptop and temporarily deactivate the antivirus.
• 📡 Weak signal: If you have 1-2 network divisions, move closer to the window or use the network. USB-modem.

3. The access point itself is off.

How to fix it:

• ⚡ Battery savings: Disable optimization for the Access Point function (see the instructions in the Wi-Fi section).
• ⏱️ Timeout: In some firmware MIUI access point is disconnected through 10 To avoid this, periodically ping any site from your laptop (for example, ping ya.ru) -t command-line).

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi phones with custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the Internet distribution may be unstable. MIUI Install Tethering Enabler module via Magisk.

Alternative methods: Wi-Fi Direct and Reverse Tethering

If standard methods don't work, you can try less obvious options, which require additional adjustments, but sometimes save in difficult situations.

Wi-Fi Direct

This technology allows you to connect devices directly, without a router, but not all laptops support an Internet connection via Wi-Fi Direct (usually this only works for file transfer).

How to try it:

1. On the phone: Settings → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi Direct.
2. On your laptop: Find the Wi-Fi Direct feature in your network settings (in Windows 10/11, it may be called Projector Connection).
3. Connect the devices and check if there is Internet access.

Reverse Tethering (Reverse Tethering)

This method allows a laptop to give away its Internet phone, but we'll do the opposite: we'll make the phone use the laptop's connection.

• 🖥️ Laptop with Internet access (for example, via Ethernet).
• 📱 Xiaomi phone with root rights or unlocked bootloader.
• 🔌 Cable USB ReverseTethering NoRoot for Android).

Instructions:

1. Download and install ReverseTethering NoRoot on your phone.
2. Connect your phone to your laptop via USB and enable Debugging via USB (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times, then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers).
3. Run the program on your phone and follow the instructions.

FAQ: Frequent questions