Soon, your Android phone will be able to use the 6GHz band for hotspot

Android is introducing a new option in Wi-Fi hotspot settings that combines the speed of 6 GHz WiFi with the wide compatibility of 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. This will maximise both performance and device support. This dual-band hotspot option is designed to deliver the fastest speeds while ensuring older devices with limited compatibility can still connect without issues.

Right now, Android smartphones use the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands for creating a hotspot, which limits access to the speeds of the faster 6 GHz bands supported by modern devices. While the 6 GHz band offers higher throughput thanks to wider channels, it has a shorter range and is not supported by many older devices. This has forced users to choose between speed and compatibility when setting up a hotspot.

The new 2.4 and 6 GHz hotspot mode being tested in the latest Android Canary build offers a practical solution by broadcasting both bands simultaneously. This allows newer devices to connect on the 6 GHz band for the fastest possible speeds, while legacy devices automatically fall back to 2.4 GHz for compatibility. This approach mirrors modern dual-band router behaviour and removes the need for users to manually switch settings based on device type.

This feature is expected to roll out more broadly with the Android 16 QPR3 release, initially appearing on Pixel phones and likely expanding to other Android devices soon. It leverages recent regulatory changes in regions such as the U.S. that now permit smartphones to create 6 GHz Wi-Fi hotspots.

With this update, Android hotspots will become more intelligent and user-friendly, offering a seamless experience that balances speed and device support without trade-offs, especially as Wi-Fi 7 adoption grows in the coming years. And with the latest flagships supporting up to Wi-Fi 7, it is better to use that hardware for convenience.​