Xiaomi Access Point: How to Enable and Configure in 5 Minutes

Why You Need an Access Point on a Xiaomi Smartphone and How It Works

A mobile hotspot (or Wi-Fi hotspot) turns your Xiaomi into a mini-router that distributes Internet to other devices. This is an indispensable feature when you don’t have fixed Wi-Fi at hand – on a trip, a cafe or in the country. The brand’s smartphones (including Redmi and POCO) support Internet distribution through 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, and flagships like Xiaomi 14 Ultra even Wi-Fi 6 for a more stable connection.

The technology works simply: the phone uses a mobile network (4G/5G) to receive the Internet, and then relay it over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or via USB. The main advantage USB-modem — the ability to connect several gadgets at once: a laptop, a tablet or even another smartphone. However, there are nuances: at some tariffs of mobile operators, the distribution of the Internet can be blocked or charged separately.

In this article, we will discuss all the ways to activate the access point on MIUI 14/15 (including hidden settings), optimal parameters for speed and security, as well as solving typical problems - from the error "Can not turn on the access point" to slow connection.

Phone Preparation: What to Check Before Turning On the Access Point

Before you activate hotspot, make sure your Xiaomi is ready to give away the internet.

• 📶 Mobile network: the phone must be enabled mobile Internet (icon) 4G/5G or LTE in the status bar. If you use two SIM-Select the card on which the Internet packet is activated.
• 🔋 Battery charge: Wi-Fi distribution actively consumes energy. At a charge level below 20%, the system can automatically turn off the access point.
• 📱 Version. MIUI: on old firmware (below) MIUI 12) the settings menu may differ. Update the system in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🛡️ Operator restrictions: some tariffs (e.g., Internet for Devices from MTS) block distribution.

Pay special attention to the energy saving settings. The default MIUI can have a battery optimization feature that pauses background processes, including the access point, to avoid this:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Optimization.
2. Find Settings (or Settings) in the list and select Without Limits.

Method 1: Enabling the access point via the notification panel (fast method)

The easiest way to activate hotspot is through the notification curtain, which works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models with MIUI 11 and later:

1. Swipe your finger down to open the notification panel.
2. Swipe down again to turn the full panel around.
3. Find the Access Point icon (imaged as two arcs with a dot in the center) and click on it.
4. If there is no icon, click on the icon. ⚙️ Edit (or ➕), Find the Access Point in the list and drag it to the active area.

After clicking on the icon, the access point will turn on with the default settings: the network name will correspond to the phone model (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro), and the password will be generated automatically (you can see it in the settings), up to 8 devices will be able to connect to such a network at a time.

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If the hotspot icon is grey and inactive, check if the mobile Internet is turned on. On some MIUI firmware, the button is blocked when there is no connection to the network.

⚠️ Attention: On phones with MIUI 13 and older, when you first turn on the access point through the curtain, you may receive a request for confirmation of the data distribution. If you ignore it, the function will turn off after 10 minutes.

Method 2: Manually configure the access point in the settings menu

If you need to change your network name (SSID), password, or other settings, use advanced settings.

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to Connections and Sharing → Access Point (on some models, the path may be the Network and the Internet → Access Point and modem).
3. Activate the mobile access point switch.
4. Click on Access Point Settings (or Wi-Fi Configuration) to change settings.

The following options are available in the settings menu:

Once you save the settings, the access point will turn on automatically. To connect to it from another device, find the network in the list of available Wi-Fi and enter the password set.

Name of the network (SSID) displayed on the Wi-Fi list|Password entered without errors|Mobile Internet is on on the phone.|Power saving mode is disabled for the Settings application"-->

Method 3: Distribute the Internet via USB and Bluetooth (alternative options)

In addition to Wi-Fi, Xiaomi supports the distribution of Internet through the Internet USB-cable and Bluetooth, which are less popular, but they can be useful in specific situations:

• 🔌 USB-modem: suitable for connecting to a PC or laptop. Speed is more stable than Wi-Fi, but requires a cable. To activate: Connect your phone to your computer via USB. In the access point settings, select USB-On a PC, a new device will appear in the list of network connections.

Bluetooth modem:

3 Mbps

1. Turn on Bluetooth on both devices and pair them.
2. In the phone access point settings, select a Bluetooth modem.
3. On the second device, activate the “Use to access the Internet” option in Bluetooth settings.

USB-A modem is the most reliable way if you need a long and stable connection (for example, for work or online games), Bluetooth is convenient for saving charge, but is only suitable for transferring small amounts of data (messengers, mail).

⚠️ Attention: When in use USB-modem MIUI You may be notified of the need to install the driver. RNDIS Download it from the official Xiaomi website or use standard Windows drivers.

Typical problems and their solutions

Even when set up correctly, the hotspot on Xiaomi can be unstable, and here are the most common errors and ways to fix them:

• 🚫 "Failed to turn on the access point": Causes: no mobile Internet, blocking by the operator or failure in the Internet MIUI. Solutions: Check balance and rate (some carriers require a separate option for the handset). Reboot your phone. Reset your network settings: Settings → Connections and sharing → Resetting Wi-Fi, Mobile Network and Bluetooth.

Slow Internet speed:

If the speed is lower than expected, try:

1. Switch from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz (or vice versa).
2. Disable energy saving for the Settings application.
3. Reduce the number of connected devices (optimally, no more than 4).
4. 🔄 The access point itself shuts down: The power saving settings are to blame. Open the settings. → Battery and productivity → Battery Optimization and Add Settings to Exceptions.

If the problem persists, check to see if antivirus or VPN is blocking the distribution, for example, apps like Avast or Kaspersky can restrict network activity, and it’s also worth updating the firmware: older versions of MIUI had bugs that worked hotspot.

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On phones with MIUI 14 and later, the access point can automatically shut down when the mobile network signal level is low (less than 2 divisions), in which case only a change of location or a reboot of the device will help.

Hidden functions of the access point on Xiaomi: what does MIUI

MIUI offers some hidden features that many users are unaware of, and here are the most useful ones:

• 🔒 Hidden network (hidden network) SSID): You can make sure that your access point does not appear in the public Wi-Fi list. To do this, activate Hide the Network in the hotspot settings. You can only connect to it manually by specifying the network name.
• ⏱️ Automatic shutdown on schedule: B MIUI 13+ So you have a scheduler feature, and for example, you can set the access point to shut down every day at 23:00. → Access point → Schedule.
• 📊 Traffic restriction: Useful if you have a limited rate. Hotspot settings allow you to set a data limit (e.g. 1 GB per day). Once the limit is exhausted, the access point will automatically shut down.
• 📱 Connection Priority: On some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T Pro) you can prioritize devices, for example, a laptop will be given more speed than a tablet.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions