Personal Hotspot (also known as "Tethering") allows you to share your OnSim mobile data connection with other devices, such as laptops, tablets, or other smartphones.
📡 Status: Disabled by Default
To protect our customers, the Personal Hotspot feature is disabled by default on all new OnSim accounts.
Why is this disabled? When you connect a laptop or tablet to your mobile data, those devices often perform background tasks—such as software updates, cloud syncing (OneDrive/iCloud), or high-definition video streaming—that can consume a large amount of data in a very short space of time. This can lead to your data allowance being exhausted much faster than expected.
How to Enable Tethering
If you require the ability to tether and understand the data implications, you can request to have this feature unlocked:
Email Support: Contact us at support@onsim.uk.
Request Access: State the landline/mobile number(s) you would like the hotspot feature enabled for.
Confirmation: Our team will update your network profile and notify you once the feature is active. (You may need to restart your device after we confirm the change).
⚠️ Your Responsibility: Monitoring Usage
Once the Personal Hotspot is enabled, it is your responsibility to monitor your data consumption.
Avoid "Bill Shock": Other devices do not "know" they are on a mobile connection and may treat it like home Wi-Fi.
Set Limits: We strongly recommend setting a Data Warning or Data Limit within your phone’s settings menu to notify you when you reach a certain threshold.
Dashboard Tracking: You can check your remaining data balance at any time by logging into the OnSim Dashboard.
💡 Pro-Tips for Efficient Tethering
Turn off Auto-Updates: Disable automatic Windows or macOS updates on your laptop before connecting.
Set as "Metered Connection": On Windows, go to Wi-Fi settings and toggle the OnSim hotspot as a "Metered Connection" to restrict background data.
Password Protect: Always ensure your hotspot has a strong password so unauthorised users cannot "piggyback" on your data.