One annoying issue I’ve faced while using Android smartphones and Windows 10 PC is the fact that they often conflict. Conflict in the sense that for whatever reason, my Windows 10 PC often gets disconnected from my mobile hotspot.
This is actually a common problem after doing a little bit of digging on the internet to find out why this is the case. What I found is that there might be some configurations that are wrong somewhere either within my smartphone’s Mobile Hotspot settings or the Windows PC settings itself.
Before continuing, one thing to note is the fact that timeout is often the reason why smartphone Mobile Tethering is turning off without your prior knowledge but that isn’t the only cause as there are a few other causes.
For example, in my own case, my PC often gets disconnected and then automatically gets reconnected. This can be disastrous especially if I’m in a virtual meeting and I lose connection for no reason.
But before we go far, be sure to check the following just to be sure.
First, check the distance
The distance between your Android smartphone to your Windows PC can be a major reason for a sudden disconnection. For example, if your smartphone is in one room while your Windows 10 PC is in the other, there might be some hindrances to the connection such as a door or even external network interference.
Remember, the hotspot on smartphones aren’t as powerful as a proper wireless router which is often built for this function alone. So next time, you can try to bring both devices (your smartphone and PC) as close together as you possibly can.
Also, check for third-party interferences
As mentioned above, there might be some external interferences that can hinder a smooth connection while you are tethering your mobile hotspot to your Windows 10 PC.
A good example of such interference can be traced to the Microwave which is known to emit Electromagnetic or Radio-Frequency (RF) interference which can obviously affect the smooth connection between your mobile hotspot and your Windows PC.
However, if this just isn’t your own issue, then you might want to ensure that your devices are up to date as far as their firmware is concerned. Sometimes, this might just be the case.
Another thing is to ensure you check the “Connect automatically” checkbox when next you want to connect with your mobile hotspot via your Windows PC.
This might be important because when next there is interference (maybe the smartphone’s internet connection went off or whatever the issue might be) your Windows PC can automatically reconnect back without being hindered by the plethora of WiFi networks the PC is seeing.
These are the four quick fixes when your Windows 10 PC keeps disconnecting from your Mobile Hotspot
- Change Mobile Tethering Timeout Settings
- Alter or Remove third-party antivirus on either your smartphone or PC
- Configure Power saving option on your Windows 10 PC
- Toggle off Power Saving Mode on your Windows 10 Mobile Hotspot seettings
1] Change Mobile Tethering Timeout Settings
As mentioned above, there might be a Hotspot timeout feature turned on on your Android smartphone. This is often common in many Android smartphones and the reason is to conserve battery life.
Note: The procedure will vary from device to device, and in this example, we are using Samsung’s One UI 2.1.
Long-press your drag down the notification center and long-press the “Mobile Hotspot” icon to access the Hotspot settings or just do the following:
- Tap on the Settings icon from the notification center
- Click Conenctions > Mobile Hotspot and tethering > Mobile Hotspot
- Click the “Three dots” icon at the top-right hand corner next to barcode icon to access the menu option
- Click on “Configure Mobile Hotspot“
- Check or Uncheck the “Power Saving Mode” option
Depending on your power saving configuration on your device, this will have an effect on the Mobile Hotspot. “Unchecking” the “Power Saving Mode” checkbox should help rectify this issue.
2] Alter or Remove third-party antivirus on either your smartphone or PC
I make use of the Kaspersky AntiVirus application on my Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus and there are just numerous security configurations that could potentially affect the consistency of my smartphone’s mobile hotspot.
Just like that, you can check out your own antivirus and security application in order to see if there are any issues.
As for your Windows 10 PC, you can check the configuration of any antivirus program on your computer by visiting the Settings area by clicking on the Win + X keys and then clicking on Apps, then search if there is any antivirus interfering with your WiFi connection.
Hopefully, you are able to get your issue fixed with this configuration, or else, continue reading.
3] Configure Power saving option on your Windows 10 PC
Your Windows 10 PC can in fact be the culprit due to the configuration of your WiFi network. There is a feature called “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” which gives your computer the priority to disable its WiFi connectivity in other to conserve power.
The thing is this feature might mistake the Mobile tethering connection leading to the loss of connection. But it can be stopped or altered by doing the following:
- Open your Windows 10 Settings app or combine the key Win + I
- Then click on Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Change adapter options.
- Right-click on your WiFi, select Properties and click Configure.
- From here, look for the Power Management feature and then untick “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power”, and click Ok.
This should fix your Windows PC automatically disconnecting from your Mobile Hotspot and if not, proceed to the next guide.
4] Toggle off Power Saving Mode on your Windows 10 Mobile Hotspot seettings
Oh, lest I forget, Windows 10 has its own inbuilt Hotspot as well. And this is one you want to get fixed, you can look into the Power Saving option on your Windows 10 computer in order to fix this issue.
- Open your computer Settings application by combining the keys Win + I.
- Click Network & Internet > Mobile Hotspot.
- Use the toggle to disable the Power Saving option.
Hopefully, this is able to help resolve your mobile hotspot automatically disconnecting from your Windows 10 PC. Let’s know if you have a different configuration that has helped you before in the comment section below.
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