How to distribute Wi-Fi from Xiaomi phone to another Android: all methods and settings

Are you in a situation where you urgently need to share the Internet from a second phone, and only a Xiaomi smartphone is at hand? Or want to save on mobile traffic by distributing Wi-Fi from the main device to the spare? In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to turn your Redmi, POCO or Mi to a full access point - taking into account the features of the firmware MIUI and typical user errors.

Controlling the Internet over your phone provides not only convenience, but also flexibility: you can limit the speed of your connected devices, change the name of your network, or even hide it from outsiders, but many people face problems like sudden communication interruptions, slow speeds, or inability to connect, and we'll show you how to avoid these difficulties and set up the distribution so that it works steadily.

It is important to understand that the configuration algorithm may vary slightly depending on the version. MIUI (for example, MIUI 14 and HyperOS menus are organized differently) and smartphone models, but the general principles remain the same — and we covered them all, from basic to advanced.

1. Preparing Xiaomi phone for Wi-Fi distribution

Before you turn on the hotspot, make sure your Xiaomi is ready for the task.Here are key points that are often overlooked:

• 📶 Check the mobile internet: Make sure the main phone has a stable network connection (3G/4G/5G). Without an active internet connection, the Wi-Fi distribution will not work. Open your browser and check any page loads.
• 🔋 Battery charge: Wi-Fi handouts significantly increase power consumption.If charge is below 30%, connect your phone to a charger - some Xiaomi models automatically disable the access point when battery levels are low.
• 📱 Update the firmware: In older versions MIUI (Below 12) there may be bugs with the Internet distribution. Check for updates in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🛡️ Turn it off. VPN and proxy: These services can block traffic to connected devices. → VPN Deactivate all active connections.

Also, it's worth considering that some mobile operators block the distribution of Internet (tethering) at certain rates. If the second phone can't connect after the hotspot is turned on, check the terms of your tariff plan or contact the operator, for example, MTS and Beeline sometimes limit this feature at unlimited rates.

2. Standard method: Enabling the access point in the settings

This is the simplest and most reliable method that works on all Xiaomi models, regardless of the version. MIUI. Follow the step-by-step instructions:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to the Connections and Sharing section (in MIUI 14 and HyperOS) or Access Point and modem (older versions).
3. Select a Wi-Fi Access Point (or Personal Access Point).
4. Activate the Wi-Fi Access Point slider. If the system requests confirmation, press OK.
5. Set up your network settings (more on this in the next section).

Once turned on, the active access point notification will appear on the screen, and the second phone can now connect to the network by entering a password. If the notification does not appear, check if the power saving mode is blocking it.

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance.
2. Select Power Saving Mode.
3. Make sure the access point doesn’t make it to the list of restricted apps.

3. Network Name (SSID) and Password Setup

By default, Xiaomi assigns the access point the name of the phone model (for example, the name of the phone, Redmi_Note_12_1234) It generates a complex password. It's not always convenient -- especially if you share the Internet a lot:

1. In the Wi-Fi Access Point section, click on Access Point Settings (or Network Name).
2. In the field Name of the net (SSID) Enter the desired name (for example, Xiaomi_Hotspot). Avoid Cyrillic and special characters – some devices don’t see these networks.
3. In the Password field, specify a new security key. We recommend using at least 8 characters with a combination of letters and numbers (for example, Xiaomi2026!).
4. Press Save or Ready.

If you want to hide your network from outsiders, activate the Hide Network (or Skry) option. SSID In this case, you can only connect to it manually by entering the network name on the second phone, but remember that hidden networks are less secure, because their name is transmitted in the open when you connect.

⚠️ Warning: If you change your password but the second phone doesn't connect, try resetting the hotspot. To do this, turn it off and back on in the settings. Also make sure the second device has the correct password - Xiaomi is sensitive to the character register.

4. Alternative ways of distributing the Internet

If the standard method doesn't work (e.g., because of operator constraints), alternatives can be used.

Method 1: USB-modem (for phones with support) OTG)

This method is suitable if you have USB-cable and second phone support USB OTG. Connect the devices with a cable, then:

1. On the main phone (Xiaomi) go to Settings → Connections and sharing → Access Point and modem.
2. Activate. USB-modem.
3. On the second phone in the connection settings, select USB-web-based.

The advantage of this method is a more stable speed and lower battery consumption, but not all Xiaomi models support the same. USB-modem (such as some budget Redmis).

Method 2: Bluetooth modem

Less popular because of the slow speed, but useful if Wi-Fi is turned off or blocked.

1. Turn on Bluetooth on both phones.
2. Connect devices (find the second phone in the list of available and confirm the password).
3. On Xiaomi, go to Settings → Connections and sharing → Access Point and modem.
4. Activate the Bluetooth modem.

Speed will be limited. ~1-3 Mbps, but this is enough for messengers or reading news.

Method 3: Applications for distributing Wi-Fi

If standard methods don’t work, you can use third-party utilities like NetShare or PdaNet.+. They circumvent carrier restrictions, but require root rights on some firmware.

5. Solving common problems

Even after setting up correctly, Xiaomi users often face difficulties, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

Problem 1: The second phone doesn't see the network

Causes and solutions:

• 🔄 Reboot both phones – sometimes a banal reboot helps.
• 📡 Check Wi-Fi range: In the access point settings (More) select 2.4 GHz instead of 5 GHz - not all devices support the new standard.
• 🛡️ Turn off the firewall: Antiviruses (such as Avast or 360 Security) can block the distribution. Go to the security settings and temporarily deactivate the protection.
• 📶 Check it out. SIM-map: Some operators (e.g. Tele2) block distribution at certain rates. SIM operator.

Problem 2: Connection is available, but the Internet is not working

This is most often due to settings. APN. Correct it like this:

1. On Xiaomi, go to Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Settings of access points (APN).
2. Select your operator's APN (for example, internet.beeline.ru for Beeline).
3. Check that in the Type field. APN Default, dun (if not, add manually).
4. Save the changes and restart the access point.

Problem 3: Slow Internet speed

If the speed is much lower than on the main phone:

• 📉 Limit the number of connected devices – each new connection “eats away” a part of the bandwidth.
• 🔄 Change Wi-Fi range: In urban settings, 5GHz can be congested - try 2.4GHz.
• 📡 Reduce channel width: In the access point settings (More) choose 20 MHz over Auto – this will reduce speed, but increase stability.
• 🛡️ Disable background apps: Close all programs that consume traffic (torrents, cloud services, messengers with autoload media).

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If the speed is critically low, try to turn on the plane mode for 10 seconds, then turn it off and restart the access point, which will reset the network settings.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note) 8 Pro after updating to MIUI 13+ There is a bug with a break connection every time 5-10 So the solution is to roll back the firmware or use alternative ways of distributing it (USB/Bluetooth).

6. Optimization of battery consumption when distributing Wi-Fi

Internet distribution is one of the most energy-consuming functions of a smartphone. To keep your phone from running out in an hour, follow these tips:

• 🔋 Connect to charging - even if it's 80% charge, it's better not to risk it.Use the original Xiaomi power supply (e.g. 33W for the Redmi Note 12).
• 🌡️ Reduce the brightness of the screen to 30-40% and activate a dark theme – this will reduce the load on the battery.
• 📵 Disable unnecessary modules: GPS, NFC The second SIM-slot (if not used) consumes additional energy.
• ⚡ Enable Power Saving Mode, but Add Access Point to Exceptions: Settings → Battery → Energy saving regime → Annexes.
• 🔄 Use Adaptive Handling: Turn on the access point only when you need it, not for the whole day.

On models with a Snapdragon processor (for example, POCO X5 Pro) the distribution of Wi-Fi consumes 15-20% less power than phones with MediaTek chips (Redmi) 10A). This is due to the optimization of drivers in firmware.

7 Security for Wi-Fi distribution from phone

By sharing the Internet from your Xiaomi, you are opening up your network, and to avoid unauthorized connection or data leakage, follow these rules:

• 🔐 Use a complex password: Avoid simple combinations like 12345678 Or qwerty. The best option — 12+ symbols with letters, numbers and special characters (e.g. X!a0m1_2026_Hot).
• 🔄 Change your password regularly: If you give away Wi-Fi frequently in public, update your password once a week.
• 📡 Disable the access point when it is not needed: Even if no one is connected to it, the open network is vulnerable to attacks.
• 🛡️ Use it. VPN On the main phone: It hides your real phone IP-Address from connected devices.We recommend ProtonVPN or Warp from Cloudflare.
• 📱 Check connected devices: In the access point settings (Connected devices), you can see all the gadgets that use your Internet. MAC-Addresses - a reason to change password.

If you are handing out Wi-Fi at a cafe, airport or other public place, turn on the Hide Network option (see section below). 3). This will not make the network completely invisible, but it will reduce the number of random connections. 1-2 customized.

⚠️ Attention: On phones with MIUI for China (the version of the firmware marked CN) By default, you can turn on the collection of data about connected devices. To turn this off, go to Settings. → Additionally. → Confidentiality → Special permits → Wi-Fi data and deactivate the option.

8. Comparison with other brands: which is better?

If you've ever tried to distribute Wi-Fi from other brands (Samsung, iPhone, Realme), you'll notice differences in stability and speed.

Xiaomi beats competitors in speed, but loses in stability — especially on budget models with MediaTek processors. MIUI Offers more settings (such as manual indication) APN or bandwidth restriction for connected devices, which is not in the iPhone or Samsung.

If stability is critical (for example, for work), it is better to use external stability. 4G-But for the temporary distribution of the Internet, Xiaomi remains one of the best options due to the balance of speed and flexibility of settings.

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For maximum speed, use the 5GHz band (if the second phone supports it) and disable all background apps that consume traffic.

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