How to turn on modem modem on Xiaomi phone: a detailed guide with pictures and tips

Why you need a modem on Xiaomi and when it will be useful

Modem (or tetering) on Xiaomi smartphones allows you to distribute mobile Internet to other devices — laptops, tablets or even other phones. This is an indispensable feature when there is no Wi-Fi at hand and access to the network is urgently needed. For example, you can connect your laptop to the Internet through your phone during a business trip, use a tablet to work in a cafe or even give the network to friends at a picnic.

The technology works on the 3G/4G/5G- connection of your Xiaomi and converts it into a local network to which other gadgets connect. The phone acts as a router, and the speed of the Internet depends on the quality of mobile communication and the tariff plan. It is important to understand that some operators may block tethering or charge an additional fee for it, we will talk about this in more detail in one section.

On Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi, POCO and Mi models), modem modem can be activated in three ways:

• 📶 Wi-Fi is the most popular method, suitable for most devices.
• 🔌 By USB - more stable than Wi-Fi, but requires cable
• 🔵 Bluetooth - saves battery power, but limited in speed.

In this article, we will take each method Step-by-step, discuss possible problems (such as the “No Internet connection” error), and give tips on how to optimize traffic consumption. And if you use tetering often, don’t miss the battery saving section — there are life hacks that will keep your phone running by 30-50%.

Preparing the phone before switching on modem

Before you activate your modem, make sure your Xiaomi is ready for this task. First, check for mobile Internet, without it, the handout will simply not work. To do this, open the notification panel and make sure that the 4G/5G or LTE icon is active. If there is no connection, restart your phone or check your account balance.

Second, look at the MIUI version. On older firmware (below MIUI 12), the tethering settings menu may look different. To find out the version, go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. If you have outdated firmware, update it through Settings → System Update.

It is also worth considering a few nuances:

• 🔋 The battery should be at least 30 percent charged, and the Internet is a big drain, so it's better to connect the phone to charge.
• 📱 Turn off VPN (if you use it). Some VPN- services block tethering.
• 🛡️ Check your security settings. Antiviruses or firewalls may prevent you from giving out.

⚠️ Warning: If you use dual-sim Xiaomi, modem modem will only work with the SIM- card that is selected as the primary data transfer card. To change it, go to Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Data transfer.

Method 1: Enabling Wi-Fi tethering on Xiaomi

It's the most versatile and easy way to distribute the Internet, and it's suitable for connecting laptops, tablets and even other smartphones, to activate the Wi-Fi modem:

1. Open the settings on the phone;
2. Go to Network and Internet (or Connections and Sharing on new versions of MIUI)
3. Select Modem Modem (or Access Point and Modem)
4. Activate the Wi-Fi Access Point switch;
5. Click on Access Point Settings to change the network name (SSID) and password.

By default, the network will be called Xiaomi_XXXX (where XXXX is the last digits of the IMEI phone), and the password is a complex combination of letters and numbers. We recommend changing the name to a more memorable one, for example, Mi_Hotspot_Name, and making the password shorter, but reliable (minimum 8 characters).

Once activated, connect to the network from another device, like a regular Wi-Fi. If the Internet does not appear, check:

• 🔄 Reboot your phone – sometimes helps with crashes
• 📡 Change the Wi-Fi range in the access point settings (try 2.4 GHz instead of 5 GHz if the device can’t see the network);
• 🔧 Turn off traffic savings in the SIM- card settings.

⚠️ Warning: Some operators (e.g. Tele2 or Iota) automatically limit tetering speeds after a certain traffic limit has been exhausted. Check with your provider to avoid unexpected charges.

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If you often share Wi-Fi in one place (such as at home), save the access point settings as "Favorites." To do this, click on the access point settings menu at the top three dots in the right corner and select Save Configuration.

Method 2: Distribute the Internet over USB (the most stable method)

USB-tetering is ideal if you need a long and stable connection, for example, to work on a laptop.

• 🚀 Higher speed than Wi-Fi;
• 🔋 Lower battery consumption (the phone is charged while running)
• 🛡️ Greater security – no risk of connecting third-party devices.

To turn on USB-modem:

1. Connect your phone to your computer or laptop using the original USB- cable (cheap cables may not support data transfer);
2. In the settings of the phone go to modem modem;
3. Activate the USB- modem switch;
4. On the computer, wait for the driver to install (usually they are installed automatically).

If the internet is not available, check:

Windows sometimes requires manual networking.

1. Open the Control Panel → Network and Internet → Network Management Center;
2. Select Change of Adapter Parameters;
3. Find Remote NDIS or Xiaomi connection, right-click and select Properties.
4. In the list, mark the IPv4 Protocol and set up automatic IP acquisition.

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USB-tetering is the most reliable way to distribute the Internet, but requires original cable and properly installed drivers.

Method 3: Bluetooth tetering saves battery but with limitations

If you need to distribute the Internet to another device (such as a tablet or second phone) without unnecessary battery consumption, Bluetooth tetering is a good compromise. It consumes less power than Wi-Fi, but the connection speed is limited to ~1-3 Mbps (versus 10-50 Mbps for Wi-Fi).

To turn on the Bluetooth distribution:

1. Activate Bluetooth on both devices.
2. Connect them (find the handset phone in the list of available devices and confirm the connection);
3. On Xiaomi go to Settings → Modem mode;
4. Turn on the Bluetooth modem switch;
5. On the second device in Bluetooth settings, select an internet connection.

This method is convenient for:

• 📱 Smartwatch connections (e.g., Xiaomi Watch or Amazfit)
• 🎧 Headphone updates (if they need internet)
• 🚗 Connect to the tape recorder (if it supports Bluetooth tetering).

⚠️ Warning: On iPhones and some Samsung tablets, your Bluetooth connection from Xiaomi may not work. In this case, use Wi-Fi or USB.

Xiaomi models with MIUI 14 and later have the “Automatic Shutdown of Bluetooth modem inactivity” feature, which saves charge. To set it up, go to Settings → Modem Mode → Additional → Bluetooth timeout and select the appropriate time (5 to 30 minutes).

How to save battery power with a long Internet distribution

Modem mode is one of the most energy-consuming features of a smartphone. When you actively distribute Wi-Fi, your phone can run out in 2-3 hours, even if it is connected to charging. To extend your running time, follow these tips:

• 🔌 Use USB-tetering — not only is it more stable, but it also allows the phone to charge in parallel.
• 🔋 Enable power saving mode in your battery settings (but note that this may reduce internet speeds);
• 📴 Disable background applications that consume traffic and processor
• 🌡️ Watch the temperature of the phone — if it overheats, the handset can automatically shut down.

You can also optimize the settings of the access point:

1. Reduce the timeout of the shutdown (in the settings of the Wi-Fi modem) to 5 minutes – this will reduce energy consumption in the idle;
2. Turn off WPS and WPA3 in the security settings (WPA2-PSK is sufficient).
3. If the speed is not critical, limit the maximum number of connected devices to 1-2.

On Xiaomi with Quick Charge support (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or Xiaomi 13), you can use reverse charging (if you have powerbank connected).

1. Connect your phone to powerbank;
2. Turn on Reverse Charging in the battery settings;
3. Activate modem modem.

Typical errors and their solutions

Even if you set it up correctly, sometimes Xiaomi’s modem can malfunction, and let’s look at the most common problems and how to fix them.

1. "No Internet connection" error when actively distributing

Causes and solutions:

• 📵 No mobile network – check balance, reboot phone or change location
• 🔧 Incorrect settings APN – Go to Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Access Points (APN) and compare the settings with your carrier’s recommendations;
• 🛡️ Operator-Blocked – some tariffs do not support tethering (e.g., MTS’s “For Smartphone”).

2 Devices are connected, but the internet is not working

Possible causes:

• 🔄 Conflict IP-Addresses - in the settings of the access point change the range IP (e.g. with 192.168.43.x on 192.168.1.x);
• 🔒 Firewall or VPN – Turn them off on the device that connects.
• 📡 Weak signal – try changing the Wi-Fi range to 2.4 GHz (better passes through walls).

3.The phone is not visible as a USB modem

What to do:

• 🔌 Change the cable – use the original one from Xiaomi.
• 🖥️ Update your drivers on your computer (download Mi PC Suite)
• 🔄 Switch the USB mode in the notification curtain to File Transfer or USB- modem.

If none of these methods worked, try resetting your network settings:

1. Go to Settings → System → Resetting settings;
2. Select Network Resetting;
3. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

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Most of the problems with Xiaomi modem mode are solved by restarting the phone, changing the cable, or checking the APN settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about modem modem on Xiaomi