How to share your Android's Wi-Fi with your Chromebook

Interoperability between devices makes for a better user experience. Apple is known for its interoperability, but Google has added some great features to link devices running its operating systems. This means Android devices, Chromebooks, and their accessories have features that work in tandem to give you a great experience. One useful feature is sharing Wi-Fi connections between a Chromebook and an Android device. This guide walks you through how to use this interconnection feature.

Share Wi-Fi Using the Chromebook Phone Hub

The Chromebook Phone Hub allows you to connect your Android phone to your Chromebook and share features and information between them. One of the things you can share through this feature is an internet connection. To do so:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on your Android phone and your Chromebook.
2. On your Chromebook, select the time in the lower-right corner of the screen.
3. Select the settings gear in the lower-right corner to go to the Settings app.
   

   A Chromebook home screen with the quick settings menu open and the settings gear highlighted with a red box
4. Choose Connected devices on the left.
5. Next to Android phone, tap the Set up button.
   

   The Chromebook Settings app with the Connected devices and Set up buttons highlighted with red boxes
6. Select your phone from the Select a device drop-down menu and tap Connect.
   

   The Connect your Android phone for a seamless experience pop up with red boxes around the Select a device dropdown and Connect button
7. Enter your Google account password and tap Done.
8. On the All set screen, tap Done.
   

   The All set! Chromebook window when setting up an Android phone and Chromebook connection
9. Select the arrow to the right of your Android phone.
   

   The Connected devices menu on a Chromebook with a red box around the arrow in the Android phone section
10. At the bottom of the page, turn on the Wi-Fi Sync toggle.
    

    The Android phone settings in Connected devices settings on a Chromebook with a red box around the Wi-fi Sync toggle

After confirming this toggle is turned on, you will share Wi-Fi connections between your Android phone and Chromebook using the Wi-Fi Sync feature. Wi-Fi Sync saves logins to Wi-Fi networks across your devices. You don't have to log in again on another device if you're logged in to a Wi-Fi network on one of your devices.

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Share Wi-Fi using Quick Share

You don't have to use Wi-Fi Sync to share Wi-Fi networks. You can also share them with Quick Share.

1. On your Android phone, pull down the notification shade to get to the quick settings menu.
2. Find the Internet tile and tap it.
3. Select the settings gear next to the Wi-Fi network you want to share.
   

   The quick settings menu on an Android phone with a red box around the Internet tile

   

   Internet settings on an Android phone with a red box around the settings gear next to the currently connected Wi-Fi network
4. Select Share.
5. Verify your identity through biometrics or your PIN.
6. Tap the Quick Share button.
   

   Share Wi-fi settings on an Android phone with the Quick Share button highlighted with a red square
7. Select your Chromebook from your list of devices.
   

   Quick sharing a Wi-Fi network on an Android device with a red box around a Chromebook name
8. Your Chromebook prompts you to accept or decline the sharing request. Click Accept.
9. Your Chromebook receives the Wi-Fi network and can access it.
   

   A Chromebook receiving a Wi-Fi network using Quick Share

Quick Share makes it easy to share Wi-Fi networks with your other devices.

Bonus: Share your Android phone's cellular connection to your Chromebook

If you aren't near a Wi-Fi connection but want to connect to the internet, use your phone's hotspot on your Chromebook.

1. Tap the time in the lower-right corner of the screen.
2. Select the Network tile in the upper-left corner of the quick settings menu.
   

   The Chromebook quick settings menu with the internet tile highlighted by a red box
3. Under the Mobile data section, tap the name of your phone.
   

   The Network portion of the quick settings menu on a Chromebook with the name of a phone selected under Mobile data

Doing this turns on your phone's hotspot and automatically connects to it. You can also activate this by selecting the phone icon in the lower-right corner of the screen and tapping the Hotspot option.

The Phone Hub open on a Chromebook with a red box around the Hotspot option

Make the internet easy on your Chromebook

An internet connection allows you to access a plethora of data and features on your devices. By sharing internet connections between your Android phone and your Chromebook, you can access all these features while only logging in to the internet on one device across your account. Even if you don't have access to an internet connection, you can still use many Chromebook features offline.