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How to Create WiFi Hotspot in Ubuntu 16.04 (Android is Supported)

Last updated: April 25, 2016

wifi hotspot

The default network manager in Ubuntu 16.04 now supports to create WiFi hotspot for Android devices.

You can create a Wireless access point in Ubuntu 14.04 using Unity’s default network manager, but a little hack on the configuration file is required.

In Ubuntu 16.04, there’s a Hotspot mode in the WiFi connection editings page that works directly for Android devices. Here’s the step by step how to guide:

1. First disable WiFi and connect your laptop to a wired network, so your network menu looks like:

wired network

2. Click Edit Connections on the menu shown in above picture. Then click Add to add a new connection:

add connection

3. Choose WiFi from the drop-down box in the next window and click Create button.

choose wifi connection

4. When the editing window popup, do:

  • Type in connection name, SSID, select Hotspot mode.
  • In Wifi Security tab, select WPA & WPA2 Personal and type in a password.
  • In IPv4 Settings tab, select mode “Share to other computers”

edit-wifi-connection

5. After clicked the save button, enable WiFi and click Connect to Hidden Wi-Fi network and select connect to the connection you just created.

connect hidden wifi

6. Your network menu now looks like:

wifi-hotspot-connected

Finally connect to this hotspot from your Android device and enjoy!

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    I'm a freelance blogger who started using Ubuntu in 2007 and wishes to share my experiences and some useful tips with Ubuntu beginners and lovers. Please comment to let me know if the tutorial is outdated! And, notify me if you find any typo/grammar/language mistakes. English is not my native language. Contact me via [email protected] Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/ubuntuhandbook1 |

    23 responses to How to Create WiFi Hotspot in Ubuntu 16.04 (Android is Supported)

    1. JJ May 2, 2016 at 8:56 pm

      Hi Ji,

      Thanks for the tutorial , I am following your instructions but I am getting the following error after attempting to connect to the hidden wifi (point 5):

      (2) Connection ‘MyAP’ is not available on the device wlp3s0 at this time.

      Do you know what might be wrong here .

      Thanks!

      • JJ May 2, 2016 at 9:08 pm

        I was able to fix the issue by changing the mode in the file located under:

        /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/MyAP

        first It was

        mode=ap

        Then I moved to:

        mode=ad-hoc

        Then It connected fine. Then since I want AP mode, I modified the file back to “ap” mode and reconnect . Now it didnt throw me the error. Its kind of buggy for me since its depending on the order of operations

        JJ

      • Alan May 13, 2016 at 3:58 pm

        Addicional drivers –> Don’t use Broadcom Corporation Proprietary Wireless Network Adapter, Chosse (Do not use the device) —-> Apply Changes. —> Restart and try again.

        • Ayush July 31, 2016 at 7:47 am

          Now there is no driver for my Wi-Fi card. Why is that supposed to work??

        • Heru Sutanto September 15, 2016 at 5:32 pm

          how i can create hotspot using 1 connection with wifi connection

        • Gerson October 3, 2016 at 7:42 pm

          This did the job. So the tutorial could have to begin with something like “WARNING: Check that you don’t have a broadcom propietary driver. This tutorial won’t work if you are using it.”

      • Michael October 19, 2016 at 11:33 am

        This problem may be occur because driver of your wi-fi card does not support the AP (Access Point) mode. You should use another wi-fi card driver with AP mode support to avoid this error.

        Are you using the broadband wi-fi card ?

    2. ameyCU May 28, 2016 at 5:58 am

      Hey, Thanks !! but can you tell how to set a password for the hotspot .

    3. Manuel July 4, 2016 at 10:49 pm

      i dont have a wired network, only wifi, because the modem is in other room.. so, how i do?..

    4. nikhil July 6, 2016 at 6:58 pm

      thank u bro!!!
      i had tried several answers on askubuntu etc but none worked.
      but your detailed solution has done.

      • Gray October 6, 2016 at 11:17 pm

        Is it possible to create a hotspot when the Ubuntu device does NOT have any internet connectivity? That probably sounds weird, but my goal is *not* to share an internet connection. My goal is to share files, over wifi, in a CAR, with the Ubuntu device acting as the hotspot + file server. The devices will be various iOS and Android phones and tablets. I’d like for up to 5 devices to be able to stream video files from the Ubuntu device, while we are traveling.

    5. zek August 5, 2016 at 2:08 am

      I’m using a thinkpad. Your tutorial works and now my thinkpad can be a hotspot ap.
      Previously I thouht it only works on windows.
      Tqvm!

    6. mat August 8, 2016 at 9:34 am

      On my laptop (Acer Aspire 5750) it doesn’t work:

      I can configure it allright, but when I connect to the hidden network it disables my wifi completely and it doesn’t restart unless I reboot. No connection whatsoever. Tried even with ad-hoc instead of Hotspot, but no difference

    7. Anoop M August 11, 2016 at 7:16 pm

      thanks for your support….. its a great tutorial for normal user

    8. Shirish K August 26, 2016 at 3:42 pm

      Good tutorial, worked for me on my Inspiron-7447. But i’m having this small issue with the wifi icon indicator, keeps showing the loading icon. regardless, the hotspot works fine.

      wifi indicator error:
      https://s13.postimg.org/45k4v8slj/wifi_icon.png

    9. jay September 24, 2016 at 3:49 pm

      It works on my lenovoSL300/ ubuntu 16.04 & HTC M8. Thanks a lot~~~

    10. Mariano Marini October 6, 2016 at 9:55 am

      How can I change the AP IP address?

    11. Harsh October 13, 2016 at 5:15 pm

      How to remove the hotspot connection permanenty

    12. Barnabas October 27, 2016 at 7:36 am

      10Q! for everything! … “(2) Connection ‘Wi-Fi Hostpot’ is not available on the device wlp12s0 at this time. ” How to solve this idea ?

    13. philip b February 9, 2017 at 3:44 pm

      I would like to use 2 wifi adaptors – connect my laptop to the internet with one wifi adaptor, then share a wifi connection with the other wifi. Do you think your setup will work for this?

      ISP…….(wireless adaptor1)(computer)(wireless adaptor2)…….another computer