How to give away the Internet with Xiaomi Mi 9: all ways + secrets of stable connection

Xiaomi Mi 9 is one of the most popular flagships of the brand, but even a few years after its release, its owners are faced with questions about how to properly configure the Internet distribution. It does not matter whether you need a mobile hotspot for a laptop, tablet or other smartphone – in this article you will find all the relevant ways, taking into account the features of the MIUI firmware and the hardware limitations of the model.

We will not just list the standard steps from the menu, but will analyze the hidden settings that will help increase the speed of the transfer, save battery power and avoid typical errors (for example, when devices are connected but the Internet does not work), separately focus on the unique problem of the Mi 9 with a disconnection during long-term distribution over Wi-Fi – and give working solutions.

If you’ve tried to set up a hotspot before but have encountered bugs like “Can’t Enable Access Point” or “Operator Restriction,” here are the workarounds tested on MIUI 12–14. And at the end of the article, answers to frequent questions, including compatibility with Windows 11 and macOS Ventura.

1. Preparation of the smartphone: what to check before giving the Internet

Before you turn on the hotspot, make sure your Xiaomi Mi 9 is ready for this task. Skipping these steps often leads to crashes - for example, when the handout suddenly turns off after 5-10 minutes.

Key points:

• 📶 Mobile network signal: Internet distribution requires stable 4G/LTE (or 5G, If your operator supports, check the signal level in the status bar if less. 2–3 «Move closer to the window or use an amplifier.
• 🔋 Battery charge: Wi-Fi distribution consumes up to 15-20% of the charge per hour% MIUI It can automatically disable the access point.
• 📱 Firmware version: on MIUI 10 and below have handout bugs through USB. Update to MIUI 12+ through settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🛡️ Operator restrictions: some tariffs block distribution (for example, “Smartphone Tariff” from MTS).Clarify the terms with the operator or temporarily connect the option “Mobile Internet for devices».

Pay special attention to the power saving settings. By default, MIUI limits the background activity of access points to save charge.

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Consumption Management.
2. Select the “No Limits” mode for the Settings application (it is responsible for the hotspot operation).
3. Turn off the option “Automatic Wi-Fi Disconnect” in Settings → Wi-Fi → More

2. Method 1: Distribution via Wi-Fi (most versatile)

This is the main method that works with all devices, from laptops to Smart TVs. However, on the Xiaomi Mi 9, there is a caveat: the default access point uses the 2.4 GHz band, which can “conflict” with other networks. If the speed is low or the connection breaks, try manually switching to 5 GHz (not available on all firmware).

Step-by-step:

1. Open Settings → Access Point and modem (or Settings → Connections → Access Point in newer versions of MIUI).
2. Switch to the Wi-Fi Access Point setting.
3. Ask: 🔐 Name of the network (SSID): Latin, without spaces (e.g, Mi9_Hotspot). 🔒 Password: minimum 8 symbols, with numbers and letters (for example, Xiaomi9_2026). 📡 Range: If you have an option, select 5 GHz for less interference.

Wi-Fi hotspot

If after activation there is an error "Can not start the access point", reset the network settings:

Settings → About phone → Resetting → Resetting Wi-Fi, mobile network and Bluetooth settings

Make sure the access point is turned on (indicator in the notification curtain)

Check that the password is entered correctly (registration is important!)

Disable VPN on the connected device (can block traffic)

Reboot your smartphone if the connection is not established-->

3. Method 2: Bluetooth Distribution (Saves Charge)

This method is suitable for connecting to a laptop or tablet when it is important to save battery power Mi 9. the speed will be lower than Wi-Fi (up to 3-5 Mbps), but the energy consumption is reduced by 30-40%.

How to set up:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on both devices.
2. On Xiaomi Mi 9, go to Settings → Connections → Bluetooth and find the target device in the list.
3. After pairing, tap by device name → select Internet access (or Use to transfer data in older versions of MIUI).
4. On a connected device (for example, a laptop) in Bluetooth settings, activate the “Connect via an access point” option.

💡

If the speed over Bluetooth is too low, try turning off background data downloads (such as app updates) on the connected device, which will speed up the main services.

Method 3: Distribution via USB (maximum stability)

USB connectivity provides the most stable speeds (up to 10-15 Mbps) and does not drain the battery, but requires cable and is not supported by all devices. For example, a MacBook may not recognize Xiaomi as a modem without additional drivers.

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect the Mi 9 to the PC via USB-cable (preferably original).
2. On the phone in the notification curtain, select File Transfer Mode (MTP) → Then change to USB-modem.
3. If you're optional USB-The modem doesn't appear: 🔧 Go to Settings. → System system → Developer Mode (if not enabled, activate via 7 taps on About Phone Build Number). 🔄 Turn on Debugging. USB Allow fictitious locations. 📱 Reboot your phone and reconnect.

For macOS:

On Mac, you will need to install the HoRNDIS driver (free):

1. Download the HoRNDIS and install it.
2. Connect Mi 9 in mode USB-modem.
3. In System Settings → Network will appear a new USB Ethernet connection.

5. Solving Problems: Why Internet Distribution Doesn't Work

Even with the right settings, the handout may not start. Below is a table of typical errors and how to fix them:

Unique problem Xiaomi Mi 9: when distributed via Wi-Fi more than 30 minutes smartphone can overheat, which causes the speed drops to 0.5 Mbps. the Solution is to use a cooling stand or temporarily turn off the access point every 20-25 minutes.

💡

If the distribution is unstable, check the APN settings and energy saving first, and 80 percent of the time, these are the solutions.

6 Hidden settings: how to increase speed and time

MIUI has hidden settings that optimize the Internet distribution, such as manually setting a Wi-Fi channel to avoid interference from neighboring networks, or turning off automatic shutdowns when inactive.

How to open the engineering menu (only for experienced users!):

1. Open the Phone app and type ##4636##.


2. Go to Phone Information → scroll down to Wi-Fi Settings.




3. In the Wi-Fi channel field, select a channel from 36 to 48 (for 5 GHz) or 1–11 (for 2.4 GHz).




4. Save settings and restart the phone.

Another useful trick is to disable IPv6 in the access point settings (sometimes speeding up the connection):

1. Go to Settings → Wi-Fi Access Point → More
2. Find the IPv6 option (or IP Protocol) and select IPv4.
3. Save and restart the access point.

⚠️ Note: If you use Xiaomi Mi 9 with custom firmware (like LineageOS), the handout settings may differ. USB-Modem is disabled by default – check developer forums (e.g, XDA).