# Want to use my 4G Samsung Galaxy S3 phone as a hotspot but getting conflicting info from Verizon **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 21, 2014, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-use-my-4g-samsung-galaxy-s3-phone-as-a-hotspot-but-getting-conflicting-info-from-verizon/696054 "2014-08-21T01:44:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-use-my-4g-samsung-galaxy-s3-phone-as-a-hotspot-but-getting-conflicting-info-from-verizon/696054/1 "2014-08-21T01:44:24Z")
A friend at work and I were discussing using smartphones as hotspots and he says he has tech savvy friend with a Verizon phone who has set up his phone as a hot spot using his _existing_ unlimited data plan to connect his wifi tablets and notebooks on the road. He claims he does not use a separate broadband plan. I called in and talked to two Verizon reps. One says I should be able to activate the hotspot feature on my phone and use my unlimited data plan to feed the attached devices. I have a Verizon smartphone and an unlimited data plans so I tried this and when I tried to activate the hotspot feature a warning screen pops up and forces me to call Verizon or get online and set up the afore mentioned data plan. There are no other options and the hotspot button is off limits unless I get the data plan. Call again to see if I am doing something wrong. The other rep says the system won’t allow me to do this because of my unlimited data plan and I must to get the $30 a month 5 gig limit Verizon broadband plan to do this. I have used the phone to be a hotspot this way in the past and it works fine as long as I have this plan activated. I don’t want to spend more time on this if it’s a dead end, is there a way to get your Verizon phone to be a wifi hotspot using your existing cell phone data plan without getting a separate data plan? ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-use-my-4g-samsung-galaxy-s3-phone-as-a-hotspot-but-getting-conflicting-info-from-verizon/696054/2 "2014-08-21T02:07:18Z")
I use the app FoxFi. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-use-my-4g-samsung-galaxy-s3-phone-as-a-hotspot-but-getting-conflicting-info-from-verizon/696054/3 "2014-08-21T02:13:12Z")
It depends. I had an unlimited data plan on a Verizon Galaxy S3. I tethered my tablet sometimes, because, hey, bigger screen. However, when I did this, I was only using one device, not two at the same time. I even tethered my home computer on it when I had issues with DSL. This was all with OS 4.1.2. One of the “features” of the new OS was that it took this ability away unless you paid $20/month for their tethering option. I knew this & kept declining the OS upgrade; all was good. Then at some point, I lost the ability to decline the upgrade & they were forcing it on me. I had to keep it in airplane (no data connection) mode unless I was using it. If it started to download, making/receiving a call would stop it &/or putting it back into airplane mode. At some point the download would timeout & fail & I would have \_\_\_ (unknown) time until it would start again. This made it into a ‘pull’ device rather than a normal smartphone. I’m not sure if rooting the phone & deleting the Software Update program would solve the issue, but even if it did, you’d be left on an old OS. I switched to T-Mobile because I thought a $250 (w/ tax) increase a year to keep what I had was just a tad bit excessive. Good luck & realize even it it works now, it may not stay that way. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-use-my-4g-samsung-galaxy-s3-phone-as-a-hotspot-but-getting-conflicting-info-from-verizon/696054/4 "2014-08-21T02:20:14Z")
I just got off the phone with the 3rd rep and finally got an answer. Apparently having your hotspot functionality activated _using your existing data plan_ is a buried feature they can activate behind the scenes. She did this and it seems to work perfectly. Dealing with Verizon is frustrating. ---
**Author:** ![zain8500](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@zain8500](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zain8500)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-use-my-4g-samsung-galaxy-s3-phone-as-a-hotspot-but-getting-conflicting-info-from-verizon/696054/5 "2014-08-21T12:26:43Z")
You should upgrade its software version. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-use-my-4g-samsung-galaxy-s3-phone-as-a-hotspot-but-getting-conflicting-info-from-verizon/696054/6 "2014-08-21T13:55:35Z")
I use my Verizon Note 3’s unlimited data plan for hotspot use all the time for multiple devices. Still I just checked my bill and I (by that I mean my company) am paying an extra fee for this feature ($26 with company discount). Did they activate this for you for free? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-use-my-4g-samsung-galaxy-s3-phone-as-a-hotspot-but-getting-conflicting-info-from-verizon/696054/7 "2014-08-21T14:33:13Z")
What you have is simply the $ 30 a month data 5 gig limit plan with your corporate discount applied that is a “feature” billed alongside your other costs. It is not using your base plan data allocation. I have done that before several times for limited period when travelling. What I am talking about is using the existing cell data plan to feed a wifi hotspot without paying for a separate plan. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-use-my-4g-samsung-galaxy-s3-phone-as-a-hotspot-but-getting-conflicting-info-from-verizon/696054/8 "2014-08-21T14:42:44Z")
> [@astro](#): > > What you have is simply the $ 30 a month data 5 gig limit plan with your corporate discount applied that is a “feature” billed alongside your other costs. It is not using your base plan data allocation. I have done that before several times for limited period when travelling. What I am talking about is using the existing cell data plan to feed a wifi hotspot without paying for a separate plan. No. I have a $44 corporate unlimited data plan that I had grand fathered in and a separate $26 hotspot activation. Been using this for about 4 years now. Just wondering if they had changed the rules and not told me, which is something that I have come to expect from Verizon. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-use-my-4g-samsung-galaxy-s3-phone-as-a-hotspot-but-getting-conflicting-info-from-verizon/696054/9 "2014-08-21T16:45:09Z")
Verizon just sent me an email indicating the rep that told me my unlimited data plan was untouched had actually blown out my unlimited data plan to make the switch which is not what the rep said they were doing last night. I called them (still on line now) and current rep admitted what rep said yesterday was BS and you cannot get a self feeding hotspot using your unlimited data plan. They are unwinding deal now. So no unlimited data hotspot for me. I almost get the feeling at this point they will say and do practically anything to get you off unlimited data including lying to you. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-use-my-4g-samsung-galaxy-s3-phone-as-a-hotspot-but-getting-conflicting-info-from-verizon/696054/10 "2014-08-21T17:03:06Z")
See this article on FoxFi which was mentioned above: > **[FoxFi Update Brings WiFi Tethering Back to Verizon Samsung Phones...](https://www.droid-life.com/2014/04/29/foxfi-update-brings-wifi-tethering-back-to-verizon-samsung-phones-on-kit-kat/)** > > Over the years, we have seen WiFi tethering apps come and go as carriers like Verizon have tried their hardest to kill off their working existence, especially for those of us who maintain unlimited data packages. FoxFi has long been one of the most... ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-use-my-4g-samsung-galaxy-s3-phone-as-a-hotspot-but-getting-conflicting-info-from-verizon/696054/11 "2014-08-21T17:09:13Z")
If you root your phone and flash a new, 3rd party ROM (or get the right 3rd party app(s) on your stock ROM), there are ways to get away with what you want to do. It’s against Verizon’s ToS, but there are ways to cover your tracks. But even if you rooted, ROMed, and hotspotted _without_ covering your tracks, they probably wouldn’t make an issue out of it unless you started abusing it. If it’s only for occasional use where you’re not sucking down gigs like crazy, you’d most likely fall under their radar. Mainly, they’re after the people who try to (ab)use their phone’s data connection as their sole means of internet access, even while at home. ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-use-my-4g-samsung-galaxy-s3-phone-as-a-hotspot-but-getting-conflicting-info-from-verizon/696054/12 "2014-08-21T21:39:16Z")
The short version is that the limitation on tethering is a unique feature of the grandfathered plans with unlimited data. Newer plans do not have this limitation. Verizon specifically is barred\* from blocking (or charging extra for) tethering by third party apps. However, there’s some sort of loophole for the older plans because that’s part of the contract customers agreed to when they originally signed up for them years ago. - This is due to a condition Verizon agreed to when they purchased a range of frequencies (in the highly sought after 700mhz band) a few years ago.