From working on a laptop to streaming YouTube and sharing mobile data with a friend, hotspotting can come in handy when you’re travelling overseas. The good news? While some eSIMs set strict daily hotspotting limits, most providers – including ZenSim – now allow unlimited tethering.
Here’s everything you need to know about tethering with a travel eSIM.
WHAT IS HOTSPOTTING?
Hotspotting, also known as tethering, is when you create a portable WiFi network using your phone’s mobile data. Up to 10 or so other devices can connect to your portable hotspot, just like they would a normal WiFi network.
DO TRAVEL ESIMS OFFER MOBILE HOTSPOTTING?
Most eSIM brands offer unlimited hotspotting. The main exception is Holafly.
| eSIM provider | Hotspotting |
|---|---|
| ZenSim | ✅ Unlimited hotspotting |
| Airalo | ✅ Unlimited hotspotting |
| Holafly | ⚠️ 500 MB to 1 GB per day. |
| Nomad | ✅ Unlimited hotspotting |
| Saily | ✅ Unlimited hotspotting |
HOTSPOTTING DATA LIMITATIONS
When hotspotting, you’re still subject to the same data limits of your eSIM plan. Data consumed from all connected devices contributes towards your data limit.
HOTSPOTTING ON A DATA CAP PLAN
On a standard data-capped plan (e.g., 5GB, 10GB, or 20GB), it’s all too easy to chew through a large chunk of your allowance while tethering. I recommend using mobile data monitoring tools to alert you when you’ve reached a specified limit. You can also manually review your data in the ZenSim app, and you will receive emails when you’ve reached 50%, 25%, and 0% data left (in-app notifications coming soon).
HOTSPOTTING ON AN UNLIMITED DATA PLAN
Daily-use caps still apply when hotspotting on an unlimited plan. Your provider will reduce your connection speed once you reach the daily usage cap, typically 2-5GB/day.
Transparent eSIM brands, such as ZenSim, disclose the daily use cap and throttle speed upfront – we allow 3GB/day before throttling to 1 Mbps.
Others hide them within a wordy ‘Fair Use Policy’ (FUP). The local network decides when you’ve used too much data, and then suddenly throttles you without warning. You won’t actually know how much you can download before your connection plummets.
THE BENEFITS OF HOTSPOTTING ON AN ESIM
As a travelling remote worker (AKA digital nomad), I’m constantly creating hotspots to write content on my laptop in random places. From my experience, heaps of cafes, restaurants, and hotels have crappy WiFi, especially during peak periods. By tethering my PC to an eSIM, I’m pretty much guaranteed to get a fast, stable connection.
Other hotspotting benefits include:
- Security: Access sensitive information (i.e., online banking) on your own private connection with no prying eyes.
- Coverage: Instantly create a mobile hotspot in places without any local WiFi.
- Sharing: Let a mate or your significant other use your mobile data from their device.
- Connection quality: eSIMs often offer better connections than saturated local WiFi networks.
- Resilience: Mobile towers have back-up batteries and will continue to transmit signals during a blackout when local WiFi goes offline.
- Streaming: Binge-watch Netflix from a bigger screen, such as a laptop or tablet
THE DISADVANTAGES OF MOBILE HOTSPOTTING
There are two main drawbacks to consider.
The most common conundrum is downloading too much data. Streaming chews through your bandwidth at breakneck speed, and any connected device will automatically activate software updates – some of which are huuuuge. Long story short, you need to be careful with your data consumption when tethering.
Hotspotting also drains your battery fast and contributes towards overheating, which may lead to sluggish performance. Keep your phone plugged in while tethering, or keep a close eye on your battery life.
HOW TO CREATE A MOBILE HOTSPOT ON A TRAVEL ESIM
To make a mobile hotspot on a travel eSIM, you follow the same process you would at home. Note that the exact steps can vary slightly depending on your phone and OS version.
CREATING AN ESIM MOBILE HOTSPOT ON AN ANDROID PHONE
- Find Settings
- Select Network & Internet or Connections
- Select Mobile Hotspotting & Tethering
- Toggle the hotspot switch to on.
- Select Setup Portable Hotspot to configure the SSID (network name) and password
CREATING AN ESIM MOBILE HOTSPOT ON AN IPHONE
- Find Settings
- Select Mobile Service
- Select Personal Hotspot
- Set the hotspot SSID (network name) and password
- Toggle the Allow others to join switch
HOW MUCH DATA DOES AN ESIM HOTSPOT USE?
Data used from all connected devices and your phone will contribute towards your eSIM data limits or daily use cap. The more devices you connect to one hotspot, the more rapidly your data will diminish.
Usage matters even more. Streaming high-resolution video or downloading chunky files will blast through your data in no time. Also, as devices think they’re connected to a regular home WiFi network, they won’t hesitate to install massive software updates.
MY ESIM HOTSPOT ISN’T WORKING
Resolving a busted hotspot is usually pretty easy.
To quote the IT Crowd, ‘Have you tried turning it off and on again?’ If toggling your hotspot on-off doesn’t work, reset your phone and try again.
The next step is to check whether data is flowing through your eSIM. Type ‘speed test’ into Google to review your connection. If nothing happens, check your mobile app to ensure you still have data left in your allowance.
If you do have data, use our eSIM compatibility tool to ensure your phone supports eSIMs.
Next, review the phone settings to ensure your eSIM is selected for mobile data and that mobile roaming is enabled. Failing that, turn aeroplane mode on and wait for 30 seconds, then switch it off.
See our help & support page for more info.
HOTSPOT LIKE A BOSS WITH ZENSIM
Need an eSIM with hotspotting on your next overseas adventure? Look no further than ZenSim.
We understand tethering is a non-negotiable for many travellers. That’s why we offer unlimited hotspotting on all our data-capped or unlimited plans. Feel free to hotspot away the whole damn day (subject to standard data-use restrictions) with our full range of travel eSIMs.
Unlimited hotspotting is just one of many things that make ZenSim awesome.
Best networks – We partner with top-tier local networks for the best on-the-ground connections.
Simple installs – Getting set up takes less than 5 minutes and is so easy your grandmum could work it out.
Australian support – No chatbots or offshore call centres here. We offer responsive, near-24/7 support from a real Australian agent via WhatsApp.
Flexibility – Add more data, days, or even destinations to your plan at any time through the ZenSim app.
Transparent pricing – We don’t slug you with sneaky last-minute card surcharges or hidden fees, and we’re clear about our unlimited 3GB/day daily use caps.
Easy refunds – ZenSim offers one of the most generous refund policies in the business, with a full money-back guarantee for any reason pre-departure.
Australian-owned – Support a small Aussie start-up instead of a big multinational tech firm.
Rave reviews – ZenSim has a near-perfect 4.9 / 5.0 score on Productreview.com.au.
Affordable prices – ZenSim undercuts the competition to offer our amazing customers the best possible value.
FAQs
Most eSIMs include information about hotspotting on the destination pages. Otherwise, you could try looking through support pages and FAQs.
Hotspotting restrictions are generally set by the eSIM provider, not the partner network. ZenSim, for example, offers unlimited hotspotting in all its 200+ destinations.
Not necessarily. Even if you have unlimited data and ‘unlimited hotspotting,’ you’re still subject to a daily use cap, which is the amount you can download before getting throttled.
Yes. Most travel eSIMs support hotspotting, although some providers, such as Holafly, have daily hotspotting limits.
Written by
Harry Stewart
Australia-based content writer, fully-grown eater of party pies.
Harry is a remote-working article contributor zipping between picturesque places in his rusty, clapped-out motorhome. When he’s not patching holes in the roof, you’ll find him hiking national parks, researching eSIM plans, or dreaming of his next overseas getaway.
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