How to See the History of Users Who Used Your Mobile Hotspot

Last updated on September 14th, 2024 at 10:34 am

There’s love in sharing, whether it’s Netflix or your mobile hotspot. But sometimes you want to see who is connected to your mobile hotspot, whether it’s to keep an eye on their usage or just to satisfy your inner Sherlock Holmes.

Whether you are using an Android or iOS device, you can easily see the history of users who used your mobile hotspot.

 

How Mobile Hotspot Works

You can think of your smartphone as a tiny, portable Wi-Fi router. When you turn on your mobile hotspot, your phone creates a small bubble of internet connection around itself that other devices can draw mobile data from.

Here’s the process broken down:

• You activate the mobile hotspot feature on your phone.
• Your phone starts broadcasting a Wi-Fi signal, complete with its own network name (SSID) and password.
• Other devices around you can see this network and connect to it, just like they would to any other Wi-Fi network.
• Once connected, the service can use your phone’s mobile data connection to access the internet.
• Your phone acts as the middleman, routing data requests from the connected devices to your mobile network and back again.

That’s the idea behind sharing mobile hotspots. But with great power comes great responsibility (potentially hefty data bill if you’re not careful).

 

How to see the history of users who used your mobile hotspot on an Android device

While Android doesn’t have a built-in feature that shows a comprehensive history of all devices that have ever been connected to your hotspot, there are still ways to get this information.

 

Check Currently Connected Devices

• Open Settings: Start by tapping on the settings app—usually, it’s the gear icon. This is where all the magic happens!
• Navigate to Network & Internet: Look for the “Network & Internet” option. It might also be labelled “Connections” on some devices.
• Select Hotspot & Tethering: Tap on “Hotspot & Tethering” or “Mobile Hotspot”. This is where you can see all the details about your hotspot settings.
• View Connected Devices: Once you are in the hotspot menu, look for an option that says “Connected Devices” or “Device List”. Here you will see a list of devices that are currently connected to your hotspot.
• Check Historical Data: For a more detailed history, you might need to use a third-party app, as Android doesn’t always keep a long-term log of past connections. Apps like “WiFi History Logger” can help track device connections over time.

 

Use Third-Party Apps

You can also use third-party apps on the Google Play Store to help you monitor your hotspot usage and keep track of connected devices. Some popular options include Fing, the “Who’s On My Wi-Fi” app, and NetX Network Tools.

These apps often provide features like real-time monitoring of connected devices, and historical data on device connections.

 

Check Your Data Usage

While this method won’t give you a list of specific devices, it can help you spot unusual activity:

• Go to Settings, then Network & Internet and then Data Usage.
• Look for “App data usage” or a similar option.
• Check if there’s been any unexpected spike in data usage during times when your hotspot is on.

If you notice a sudden increase in data usage that doesn’t match your own activity, it might be a sign that someone else has been using your hotspot.

 

Ways to See Who’s Connected to Your Hotspot iOS Device

While iOS, like Android, doesn’t have a built-in feature to show a detailed history of users who used your mobile hotspot, you can still find it in the following ways:

 

Check Currently Connected Devices

• Open Settings: Grab your iPhone and open the “Settings” app. This is where all the control happens.
• Go to Personal Hotspot: Tap on “Personal Hotspot”. This is your hotspot home base where you can manage who connects and how.
• View Connected Devices: Under the “Personal Hotspot” menu, you should see a list of devices that are currently connected. iOS doesn’t offer historical data, so you will only see devices that are actively connected at the moment.
•  Check Device Names: You can often identify connected devices by their names. If you see a device you don’t recognize, it’s a good idea to change your hotspot password to secure your connection.
• Additional Security Measures: For added peace of mind, regularly change your hotspot password. This way, even if someone gets hold of it, they won’t be able to connect indefinitely.

 

How to Prevent People From Connecting to Your Hotspot without Your Permission

Aside from setting up a good password for your WiFi, you can prevent unauthorized access to your hotspot by:

 

Enabling Maximum Connections Limit

• Go to Settings > Personal Hotspot.
  Look for “Maximum Connections” or “Allow Others to Join.”
  Set this to a low number (like 1 or 2) if you only want a specific device to connect.
• This way, you will immediately notice if an unexpected device connects, as it will kick off your intended device.

 

Using Family Sharing and Screen Time

If you are mainly concerned about keeping an eye on family members’ device usage:

• Set up Family Sharing if you haven’t already.
• Use Screen Time to monitor and set limits on device usage.

Remember, the exact steps and available features may vary depending on your specific Android device and OS version.

Don’t be afraid to play around in your settings to see how you can hide your hotspot from unwanted access.

Just like on Android phones, you can also use third-party apps to see who is connected to your mobile hotspot.

 

See the History of Users Who Used Your Mobile Hotspot FAQ

 

How do I find hotspot details on my iPhone?

You can do this by accessing the Settings app. Then select Mobile Data. Next, tap Personal Hotspot. Ensure you have activated it.

Next, input the WiFi password and name of the mobile device. Once you are connected to the hotspot, select the ‘i’ option to find details about the hotspot.

 

How do I remove people from my hotspot?

On your mobile device, access the Manage Devices option in the Hostpot settings and specifically remove connected users.

 

Can mobile hotspot owners see history?

Yes, you can still access your browsing history. With this, you can enjoy a better browsing experience and secure your internet.

However, you can’t check the websites that users who have connected to your hotspot have visited.

 

Conclusion

While it’s great to know who has been using your hotspot, it’s also important to remember why you are sharing your connection in the first place.

Maybe you are helping out a friend in need, or just being a good Samaritan to a total stranger.

Whatever the case, your mobile data is yours, and it’s perfectly okay to want to keep track of its usage and know how it has been using it with you. 

Use the methods we have shared for Android and iOS devices and don’t forget to change your hotspot password regularly for added security.

So, the next time you feel like your mobile hotspot is hosting too many people, you can see the connected devices and choose whether you have to continue your act of generosity or not.