Android's new feature instantly connects you to a phone when your internet dies
Instant Tethering lets you piggyback off another connection when you lose web access
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Google is rolling out a new feature to Android users, designed to keep all of their devices connected to the internet all the time.
Instant Tethering takes the hassle out of setting up a mobile hotspot, by automatically detecting when one of your devices loses internet access and prompting you to piggyback off another device associated with your Google account, which does have a mobile data connection.
You usually have to enable tethering on one device before using another to connect to it, using a passcode.
According to Android Police, Instant Tethering uses Bluetooth to detect an alternative connection, with the feature rolling out as part of Google Play Services 10.2.
It appears to be coming to Pixel- and Nexus-branded devices running Android Nougat 7.1.1 ahead of all others. The Nexus 9 and Pixel C, however, are only supported as clients for the time being, meaning they can connect to a compatible phone and not vice-versa.
If you do happen to own an up-to-date Pixel or Nexus handset, you can find out whether or not you have Instant Tethering by heading into the Google menu in your settings.
Google has been working on a number of new features designed to improve Android users’ offline experience of late.
It recently announced a handy update to its search app for Android, which saves your search queries whenever you have no signal, automatically delivering your results as soon as it detects a connection again.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments