You go to share your ROG Phone 9's connection with a laptop or tablet, flip on the hotspot, and nothing connects, or the other device sees the network but never gets online. On a gaming phone built around the Snapdragon 8 Elite and near-stock Android 15, the hotspot is usually one toggle and a password away from working, so a failure almost always points to a plan limit, a stale setting, or a connection that needs a clean restart. The good news is that the ROG Phone 9 fully supports mobile-network sharing through a Wi-Fi hotspot, USB tethering, and Bluetooth tethering, which gives you several ways to get back online. Work through the fixes below in order, starting with the quickest checks and saving the reset and repair steps for last.
Start by confirming your carrier allows tethering
The hotspot does not create its own internet; it rebroadcasts the mobile data on your SIM. Some carriers limit or charge extra for tethering, and when that is the case the hotspot can fail even though your phone is configured perfectly. The official Android guidance is direct about this: "Some mobile carriers limit or charge extra for tethering. We recommend checking with your carrier." If you recently changed plans or SIMs, confirm tethering is actually included before troubleshooting anything on the device itself.
Check that mobile data is live before you blame the hotspot
Because a Wi-Fi hotspot shares the phone's mobile data with other devices, there must be a working cellular connection to share in the first place. Quickly test it by turning off Wi-Fi on the ROG Phone 9 and loading a website or an app over mobile data. If that page will not load on the phone, the hotspot has nothing to pass along, and the problem is your cellular connection, not the sharing feature. Once mobile data clearly works on the phone, move on to the hotspot controls.
Re-toggle the Wi-Fi hotspot from the right menu
A hotspot that hangs or refuses connections often clears with a clean off-and-on cycle from the correct settings page. ASUS confirms the tethering controls live in one place on its Android phones, so head there directly.
- 1.Open Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering.
- 2.Turn the Wi-Fi hotspot off, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on.
- 3.If you prefer Quick Settings, swipe down from the top of the screen and tap Hotspot. If Hotspot is not there, tap Edit and drag it into Quick Settings.
Re-toggling forces the phone to rebuild the network rather than keep serving a broken one. Give your other device a moment to rediscover the hotspot after you switch it back on.
Refresh the hotspot name and password
A wrong or stale password is one of the most common reasons another device sees your hotspot but cannot join it. The ROG Phone 9 lets you view and change the credentials in a couple of taps so you can re-pair with fresh details.
- 1.Touch and hold the Hotspot icon.
- 2.Tap "Set up Wi-Fi hotspot" to find or change your hotspot name and password.
- 3.Save the changes, then reconnect your other device using the new credentials.
Typing the password in fresh on both ends rules out a quietly mismatched or autofilled value. Keep the name simple so it is easy to spot in your other device's Wi-Fi list.
Count the devices already connected
There is a hard ceiling on how many gadgets one hotspot can serve. According to the official Android documentation, you can "share your phone's mobile data with up to 10 other devices via a Wi-Fi hotspot." If you have hit that limit, a new device simply will not get on, so disconnect anything you are not actively using and then try the connection again. Old phones, smartwatches, and idle tablets quietly hold slots more often than you would expect.
Force restart a frozen hotspot the official way
When the hotspot is stuck or glitching and toggles do nothing, a forced restart clears the radio and networking state. Use ASUS's documented combination for the ROG Phone 3 and later, which includes the ROG Phone 9; this is the volume-down plus power combo, not a power-button-only hold. The official wording is: "Press and hold volume down and power simultaneously for at least 8 seconds. If it doesn't restart after 8 seconds, try pressing and holding both buttons for 12 seconds." After the phone powers back up, turn the hotspot on again and reconnect.
Install the latest system software
An outdated build can carry connectivity bugs that break tethering, and ASUS ships fixes through system updates. Check for one and install it before going any further.
- 1.Open Settings > System > System update.
- 2.Tap "Check Update."
- 3.If a newer version exists, follow the on-screen steps to install it.
The update needs power to proceed, so charge via the AC adapter or keep the phone at a minimum of 15% battery before you start. If you would rather check manually, the MyASUS app on the phone also surfaces system updates and ASUS support.
Switch to USB or Bluetooth tethering as a workaround
If the Wi-Fi hotspot simply will not cooperate, the ROG Phone 9 can share the same mobile data over a cable or over Bluetooth, which is often enough to get a laptop online right now. For a wired connection, plug the phone into the computer by USB first, then open Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering and turn on "USB tethering." For a wireless alternative, swipe down, touch and hold Hotspot, and turn on Bluetooth tethering. Both routes live in the same tethering area, so you are not setting up anything separate, just choosing a different way to share the connection.
Reset the network settings to clear stuck configuration
Tethering that breaks after a carrier change, a SIM swap, or a botched setup is frequently fixed by wiping the phone's network configuration. This clears saved Wi-Fi, mobile, and Bluetooth settings but does not erase your personal files.
- 1.Open Settings > System > Reset options.
- 2.Tap Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth (also shown as "Reset mobile network settings").
- 3.Confirm the reset, then set the hotspot up again from scratch.
Because this clears saved Wi-Fi networks, you will need to re-enter your home and work Wi-Fi passwords afterward. Once it is done, rebuild the hotspot name and password and try connecting again.
Factory reset as a last resort, then reach ASUS support
If every step above fails, a factory reset returns the phone to a clean software state, but it erases everything, so treat it as a genuine last resort and back up first. ASUS's warning is explicit: "Once the Factory Reset is completed, all data, apps, settings and personal information will be deleted from the device after the initialization."
- 1.Open Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset).
- 2.Tap "Erase all data."
- 3.Confirm by tapping "Erase all data" again.
Should the hotspot still fail after a full reset, the issue may be hardware or account related, so contact ASUS support or an ASUS service center for repair or RMA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my ROG Phone 9 hotspot turn on but no device can connect?
This usually comes down to credentials or capacity. Touch and hold the Hotspot icon, tap "Set up Wi-Fi hotspot," and re-enter the name and password on both devices, then make sure you have not already reached the limit of 10 connected devices.
Does the ROG Phone 9 hotspot work without mobile data?
No. The hotspot rebroadcasts your phone's mobile data, so it only works when mobile data is active and your carrier plan permits tethering. Confirm a website loads over cellular on the phone itself before expecting the hotspot to share a connection.
How many devices can the ROG Phone 9 hotspot support at once?
The official Android documentation states you can share your phone's mobile data with up to 10 other devices via a Wi-Fi hotspot. If a new device will not join, disconnect ones you are not using to free up a slot.
What is the correct way to force restart a ROG Phone 9 when the hotspot freezes?
Press and hold volume down and power simultaneously for at least 8 seconds. If it does not restart after 8 seconds, hold both buttons for 12 seconds. This is the documented combination for the ROG Phone 3 and later, including the ROG Phone 9.
Will resetting network settings delete my photos or apps?
No. Resetting Wi-Fi, mobile, and Bluetooth settings only clears saved network configuration; your personal files and apps stay in place. A factory reset is the only step here that erases everything, so back up before using that one.
