Technician helping troubleshoot a Xiaomi phone hotspot not working

Steve H.

Reviewed for technical accuracy

Specialities: Xiaomi hotspot issues (personal hotspot not working, tethering problems, connection drops), mobile data and Wi-Fi settings (MIUI), Bluetooth tethering alternatives

Xiaomi hotspot suddenly stopped working, won’t connect, keeps disconnecting — safe checks before you reset anything

Technician avatar Technician
I understand how frustrating it is when your Xiaomi hotspot suddenly stops working — especially if it was fine yesterday. The good news is that most hotspot issues don’t mean your phone is broken; they’re usually settings or connection hiccups.

Trust moment: let’s not reset your phone or change anything drastic just yet. We’ll start with the safest checks first, and you can stop at any point if something feels uncertain.

Quick start: is this a Xiaomi Redmi, Poco, or Mi model — and are you trying to share the hotspot with a laptop, tablet, or another phone?
Customer
It’s a Xiaomi Redmi Note. I’m trying to connect my laptop. It was working fine last week, and now the laptop can’t see the hotspot at all. It’s like the phone isn’t broadcasting it anymore.
Technician avatar Technician
That’s a clear description. If the laptop can’t see the hotspot at all, it usually means one of these: the hotspot is turned off on the phone, a data connection issue on the phone, or MIUI settings changed (Xiaomi’s Android version can be stricter about tethering than stock Android).

Before we dig deeper: can you see the hotspot toggle in your phone’s quick settings (swipe down from the top), and is it switched on?
Customer
Yes, I can see it in quick settings. It says “Personal Hotspot” and it looks like it’s on, but now that I think about it, it might be greyed out or disabled somehow. I’m not sure.
Technician avatar Technician
That’s the key clue. A greyed-out or disabled hotspot toggle usually means the phone doesn’t have an active mobile data connection to share. On Xiaomi, this can happen if mobile data is off, airplane mode is on, or the SIM card isn’t detected.

Let me ask: do you see a mobile signal icon at the top of your phone (bars or 4G/5G), and is airplane mode off?
Customer
I see the signal bars and it says 4G. Airplane mode is off. I can use the internet on my phone fine, so the data is definitely working.
Technician avatar Technician
Good — that rules out the data connection itself. So the phone has data, but the hotspot toggle is greyed out even though data is on. This is often a MIUI permission or battery saver issue.

Trust moment: I don’t want you changing unknown settings or clearing app data without understanding why. Let’s check two safer things first.

One: is your phone in a power-saving or battery-saver mode? And two: when you open Settings and look for Tethering & Portable Hotspot (or Hotspot & Tethering), does it show any warnings or options that look different than usual?
Customer
Battery saver is on. I turned it on a few days ago to make the phone last longer. And when I look in Tethering settings, I see the hotspot name and password, but there’s a message that says something like “Hotspot disabled by power saving mode.”
Technician avatar Technician
That’s it. On Xiaomi phones, power-saving or battery-saver modes block hotspot to save power. It’s a built-in restriction, not a broken setting. The fix is straightforward: turn off battery saver, and the hotspot should work again.

Before you do that, one clarification: did you turn on battery saver around the same time the hotspot stopped working, or was it already on?
Customer
I turned it on a few days ago. The hotspot stopped working maybe two days after that. So it might be connected.
Technician avatar Technician
That timing makes sense. Battery saver sometimes takes a while to fully kick in, or you might have restarted the phone in between, which can trigger stricter power restrictions on MIUI.

Here’s what to do: go to Settings > Battery > Battery Saver (or similar, depending on your MIUI version), and turn it off. Then try the hotspot again. It should turn on and your laptop should see it within a few seconds.
Customer
Okay, I just turned off battery saver. The hotspot toggle is still greyed out though. Should I restart the phone?
Technician avatar Technician
Yes, a restart can help. MIUI sometimes needs to refresh after turning off power saver. Try a soft restart: hold the power button for a few seconds, tap Restart, and let the phone reboot. Then check the hotspot toggle again.
Customer
I restarted it. The hotspot toggle is now bright and looks active. My laptop can see the hotspot name now. I’m trying to connect.
Technician avatar Technician
Great. When you connect, the laptop will ask for the password. On your Xiaomi, the default hotspot password is usually printed or shown in the hotspot settings (it’s often something like “12345678” or a random string). Enter it on the laptop and it should connect. Once connected, your laptop should have internet through the phone’s data connection.
Customer
It’s connected now! The internet is working on my laptop. I’m so relieved. Thank you for walking me through this.
Technician avatar Technician
Excellent. One final note for the future: if you use battery saver again, just remember that it blocks the hotspot. You can turn off battery saver temporarily when you need to tether, or use Medium power saving if your MIUI offers it — that’s often less restrictive. If the hotspot stops working again and battery saver is already off, the next steps would be checking app permissions or a quick restart. You’ve got this.

Quick answer: the accepted fix

Accepted first fix for Xiaomi hotspot not working (safe approach): 1) check that mobile data is on and you have a signal (4G/5G bars visible), 2) turn off battery saver or power-saving mode — Xiaomi blocks hotspot when power saver is active, 3) confirm the hotspot toggle in quick settings is now bright and enabled, 4) if still greyed out, restart the phone (hold power, tap Restart), and 5) try connecting your laptop to the hotspot using the password shown in your phone’s tethering settings. If the hotspot was disabled by power saving, turning it off usually restores the feature immediately or after a restart.

Why Xiaomi hotspot suddenly stops working (and why it started now)

When a Xiaomi phone hotspot stops broadcasting, it’s rarely a hardware failure. The most common reason is that battery saver or power-saving mode is turned on. Xiaomi’s MIUI operating system intentionally disables hotspot when power saver is active to preserve battery life. This can happen gradually if you turned on power saver a few days before noticing the hotspot was gone, or suddenly if the phone restarted while power saver was enabled. Other causes include mobile data being off, airplane mode being on, or a temporary MIUI glitch that a restart fixes. The hotspot feature itself isn’t broken — it’s just restricted by a setting.

What to check first (safe checks before changing anything advanced)

Start with the most basic checks: confirm your Xiaomi phone has an active mobile data connection (look for 4G or 5G bars at the top) and that airplane mode is off. Next, check whether battery saver or power-saving mode is enabled in Settings, and turn it off if it is. Then look at the hotspot toggle in quick settings — if it’s greyed out, that’s usually the power saver restriction. A soft restart (power button > Restart) often refreshes MIUI and re-enables the hotspot toggle after you’ve turned off power saver. Avoid resetting network settings or clearing app data unless the hotspot still doesn’t work after these steps. For more Xiaomi troubleshooting, see Troubleshooting Guides and Mobile Troubleshooting.

Xiaomi hotspot disabled by power saver — calm, senior-friendly guidance

Battery saver blocks hotspot on purpose. Turning it off restores the feature.

If your Xiaomi hotspot suddenly stopped working, the first thing to check is whether power-saving mode is on. On MIUI, battery saver is designed to restrict power-hungry features like hotspot, so this isn’t a sign of damage — it’s a built-in safety feature. Once you turn off battery saver, the hotspot toggle should become active again. If you prefer to keep battery saver on for everyday use, you can turn it off just when you need to tether, or explore whether your MIUI version offers a “Medium power saving” option that’s less restrictive. A restart after disabling power saver often helps MIUI fully refresh the setting.

Disclaimer: This information is AI-generated and intended for general guidance only. Avoid resetting network settings or clearing data unless certain the hotspot issue persists after basic checks. For model-specific menus, consult official Xiaomi documentation or your carrier.

If the issue continues

Getting Started Is Easy

Ask for help, 24/7

If your Xiaomi hotspot isn’t working, start with the safest check: turn off battery saver. Most hotspot issues on Xiaomi are power-saving restrictions, not hardware problems.

Expert will respond in minutes

Most “hotspot not broadcasting” issues come down to power saver being on, mobile data being off, or a quick restart needed after changing settings.

Stop hotspot from disappearing again

Once you know power saver blocks hotspot, you can manage it: turn off power saver when you need to tether, or use a medium power mode if available on your MIUI version.

FAQ

Why does battery saver disable the Xiaomi hotspot?

Xiaomi’s MIUI operating system blocks hotspot when battery saver is on because tethering uses significant power — both from the mobile data and from Wi-Fi broadcasting. It’s a deliberate restriction to help your phone last longer on a single charge. This isn’t a sign of a problem; it’s a feature designed to protect battery life.

Did this start after I turned on battery saver or power-saving mode?

Very likely. If you turned on battery saver a few days before the hotspot stopped working, that’s the most common cause. MIUI’s power saver can take time to fully activate after a restart, or you might not have immediately noticed the hotspot was disabled. Turning off power saver usually restores it right away.

Is the hotspot broken, or is it just a setting?

It’s just a setting. If the hotspot toggle is greyed out and battery saver is on, the feature is intentionally disabled, not broken. Once you turn off battery saver and restart the phone, the toggle should become active and bright again. No hardware is damaged.

Can I use the hotspot safely with battery saver off?

Yes — turning off battery saver is safe. Your phone will use more battery while tethering (as expected), but this is normal. If you want to preserve battery life, you can turn battery saver back on when you’re not using the hotspot, or explore whether your MIUI version offers a “Medium power saving” mode that restricts fewer features.

Sources

Filed under: Hotspot, Tethering & Sharing

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