How to connect to hotspot via bluetooth

This post explains how to activate bluetooth tethering from an Android device and then connect a Windows 10/11 computer to it.

Steps on how to connect a Windows 10 computer to the Internet through an Android Bluetooth Hotspot

The main steps are:

1. Activate bluetooth tethering on your Android device
2. Pair your Windows 10 device bluetooth to the Android device
3. Connect to the Android device as an access point from Windows 10

Remember that your computer should be connected to the internet through WiFi.

1. Activate bluetooth tethering on your Android device

From your Android device, go to Settings > Bluetooth > activate Bluetooth (if it is not already done).

Go back to Settings > Mobile network > Tethering & portable hotspot > enable “Bluetooth tethering” (if it is not already done).

2. Pair your Windows 10 device bluetooth to the Android device

From your Windows 10/11 device, go to Start > type “Bluetooth and other device settings”.

Click on “Add Bluetooth or other device”.

Select your Android phone and pair it.

3. Connect to the Android device as an access point from Windows 10

From your Windows 10/11, locate the system tray on the bottom right of your desktop. Find a bluetooth icon (you may need to expand all system tray apps) for “Bluetooth Devices”, right-click on the icon and click “Join a Personal Area Network”.

Find your phone on the new screen, right click on it and select “Connect using” > “Access point”.

The first time you do this, it will ask you whether you want to consider this network public or private. It only asks this the first time, and it never asks again if you disconnect and connect again.

Then your Windows 10/11 computer should have access to the same WiFi connection as the Android device but communicating between them with bluetooth.

4. Set personal area network to private (in case you made it public)

This step only applies if you did not set the network to private in the previous step.

I tried to do this through the GUI, but I did not find the way. I would appreciate if you could leave a comment.

If you reconnect and connect the personal area network, it does not ask you again whether you want to make it public or private.

There may be alternatives ways to do this, through Registry Editor and PowerShell. You probably need administration privileges to do this. Check this post with hints about this, though the post refers generally to WiFi connections and not bluetooth personal area networks.

Network profiles are stored in Registry Editor on this path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles

Values in Registry keys:

• Public: 0
• Private: 1
• Domain: 2

To know whether your current connection is private or public through PowerShell:

Get-NetConnectionProfile

To make a network profile private:

Set-NetConnectionProfile -Name "NetworkName" -NetworkCategory Private

To make a network profile public:

Set-NetConnectionProfile -Name "NetworkName" -NetworkCategory Public

You may need to introduce before in cmd:

net user administrator /active:yes

External references

• Wendy May; “Bluetooth tethering Android to PC“; Driver easy
• Lee Stanton; “How to change a Wi-Fi Network“

About pmgallardo

I studied Computer Science at University of Salamanca. Since then, I have been working first as developer and then as SAP consutant. This blog is about problems I dealt when using computers, and more important, the solutions I found. Whenever I am on an issue and suddenlly I have a flash that leads me to a solution, I document my discoveries in a post.

Many wireless-capable devices, including Windows computers, Android tablets and some iOS devices, can share an Internet connection via Bluetooth. If your company has a Bluetooth device, you can take advantage of Internet "tethering" to cut down on the need for separate Internet plans for all of your mobile devices. However, some mobile service providers charge an additional fee for tethering. Consult your service provider for the specific details of your plan.

Windows Computers

1. Click the "Start" button and select "Control Panel" from the Windows Start menu. Type "adapter" in the search box and click "View network connections" under the "Network and Sharing Center" heading.

2. Right-click the Internet connection you want to share and choose "Properties." Enter your administrator password, if prompted.

3. Click the "Sharing" tab and tick the check box for "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection."

4. Pair your Bluetooth device to your computer. The exact procedure for doing this varies, depending on the device you are using. Consult your user manual for specific details.

   If you are pairing another Windows PC, you need to set up Internet connection sharing on that computer as well. Click "Start | Control Panel | Network and Internet | Internet Options." Click the "Connections" tab, and then click "Never dial a connection." Click "LAN Settings" to launch the LAN Settings window. Under the Automatic Configuration heading, deselect the check boxes for "Automatically detect settings" and "Use automatic configuration script." Under the Proxy Server heading, deselect the "Use a proxy server for your LAN" check box. Click "OK" when you are finished.

iPhone and iPad

1. Touch the “Settings” icon on the home screen of your iPhone or iPad.

2. Touch “General,” and then tap "Network."

3. Touch the “Personal Hotspot” button to toggle it from “Off” to “On," if necessary.

4. Tap the “Turn on Bluetooth” button to enable Internet sharing via Bluetooth.

5. Pair your other device to your iPhone or iPad.

Android Devices

1. Touch the "Settings" application.

2. Touch "Wireless & Networks" and select "Tethering & Portable Hotspot."

3. Tap the "Bluetooth Tethering" check box to enable Bluetooth Internet sharing on your Android device.

4. Pair the other Bluetooth device to your Android device.

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