Can I use a hotspot or share my connection?

Yes, on every plan, at the same allowance as your data. We never charge extra for tethering and we never quietly disable it.

A small number of host networks block tethering at their end. Where that is true for a country we say so on the country page before you buy, rather than in the terms afterwards.

Why tethering is included rather than sold

Because a byte through a hotspot costs us exactly what a byte through the phone costs us. Charging extra for it would be charging for nothing, and disabling it quietly, which parts of this category do, is worse than charging for it. Tethered traffic comes out of the same allowance at the same rate on every plan we sell.

Where it genuinely does not work, and why

A small number of host networks block tethering at their end. It is their equipment refusing the traffic shape, not a setting on our side or yours, and there is nothing we can do about it from here. Where we know a host blocks it, the country page says so before you buy rather than the terms saying so afterwards.

The practical limits nobody prints

Tethering will empty a plan much faster than a phone does, and the reason is the laptop rather than the network.

A laptop downloads OS and app updates the moment it sees a connection. Pause updates first.
Cloud sync on a laptop treats a hotspot as home wifi unless you mark it as metered.
A video call from a laptop is sent at the laptop's screen resolution, which is higher than the phone's.
Windows and macOS both have a metered connection setting and both default it to off. Turn it on for the hotspot.

Tethering, plan by plan

Plan	Tethering included	Speed while tethered
Wallet gigabytes	Yes, at the same allowance	No throttle at any point
Country pack	Yes, at the same allowance	No throttle at any point
Day pass at $5.89	Yes, at the same allowance	Full speed to 2 GB a day, then 1 Mbps
Free rescue data, 100 MB a month	Yes	Enough for messages and a purchase, not for a laptop

Where a host network blocks tethering at their end, the country page says so before you buy. That is their equipment refusing the traffic, not a setting of ours.

What we do automatically and what needs you

We include tethering on every plan at the same allowance, we never quietly disable it, and we publish the countries where a host blocks it before you buy. What needs you is marking the hotspot as a metered connection on any laptop that joins it. Windows and macOS both have that setting and both default it to off.

The numbers, and where they came from

On the unlimited day pass, tethered traffic runs at full speed to 2 GB a day and then 1 Mbps, the same as the phone. On metered plans there is no throttle at all. A day pass is $5.89, seven days is $16.89, and thirty is $64.89, which is the honest comparison to make before tethering a laptop for a week.

The settings that matter, on each platform

Marking the connection as metered is the one change that does most of the work, and both desktop operating systems hide it in a different place.

Windows: Settings, Network and internet, the hotspot's wifi entry, then set Metered connection on. Windows then defers most updates.
macOS: System Settings, Network, the hotspot, then Low Data Mode. This holds back iCloud sync and background downloads.
iPhone as the hotspot: leave Maximise Compatibility off unless a device cannot connect. On, it forces 2.4 GHz and slows everything.
Android as the hotspot: set a data limit for the hotspot itself if the build offers one, which several do.

Common questions

Does tethering cost extra?

No, on any plan we sell, and we do not disable it quietly either. It draws on the same allowance at the same rate as data used on the phone itself.

How do I know if a country blocks it?

The country page says so before you buy. Where a host network blocks tethering at their end we print it there, because finding out in the terms after you have paid is not a disclosure.

How many devices can join the hotspot?

As many as your phone allows, which is usually five to ten. The limit that will actually bite is the data, not the device count.

Is tethering throttled on the unlimited day pass?

It runs at full speed to 2 GB a day and then 1 Mbps, exactly like the phone. There is no separate, worse tethering limit hidden behind it.

Can I tether and pool at the same time?

Yes. Pooling shares one balance across up to eight people, and each of them can tether from their own phone. The balance is the only thing being shared.

Does a hotspot drain more data than using the phone directly?

The connection does not, but the devices on it do. A laptop asks for larger pages, larger video and its own updates, so the same hour of use costs more. Marking the connection as metered removes most of the difference.

Can I use the free rescue data as a hotspot?

Technically yes, and 100 MB a month will not carry a laptop anywhere useful. Rescue data exists so you can reach support and buy a plan when you have nothing, not as a tier of service.

Where to go next

Measured speeds by country The unlimited day pass, with its number The full price ladder Sharing with family

Who wrote this

Priya Raman, Support Lead

Answers the queue these pages fail to answer, and rewrites the article whenever the same question arrives twice.

Responsible for

The help centre
Install and activation guides
What travellers actually get stuck on

Reviewed by Jonah Reyes

Last reviewed 5 September 2026

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