How to use your old Android phone as a Wi-Fi extender

image via Engadget

August 28, 2026, 11:00 PM

• •The article explains how an old Android phone can connect to a home Wi-Fi network and rebroadcast it using the built-in hotspot feature.
• •Setup involves joining the phone to the home network, enabling Wi-Fi Hotspot in settings, and assigning a network name and password.
• •If supported, choosing the 5GHz band can improve performance nearby, while 2.4GHz offers longer range.
• •The phone should be placed roughly midway between the router and the weak-signal area and kept plugged in because hotspot use drains the battery quickly.
• •The piece notes that this is a low-cost temporary workaround and will not match the speed, range or convenience of dedicated extenders or mesh hardware.

The article says an old Android phone can be repurposed to extend home Wi-Fi coverage instead of buying a dedicated extender or mesh node. It walks readers through connecting the phone to the home network, enabling the built-in Wi-Fi hotspot and setting a name and password for the rebroadcast signal. It recommends placing the phone between the router and the weak-coverage area, and notes that 5GHz may improve nearby performance if the phone supports it. The article also warns that this approach will not increase internet speed and is less capable and seamless than dedicated networking hardware.

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