At a time when staying online is a must, Google rolls out an app that will surely favor smartphone and tablet users. What's up with this feature of Google Play Services 10.2?
Tethering isn't something new at all. Android phones have this standard tethering functionality that can create hotspots to share their connections. Thing is, it can be quite tedious to setup so Google must be trying to create an alternative to this.
As the name suggests, this new feature from Google allows users to stay online with the help of another device in just a few clicks. What is Instant Tethering, how to use this new app, and is this available on all Android device?
When one unit loses connection, it can connect to another device even without Wi-Fi with the help of Instant Tethering. Aside from allowing devices to share their cellular data connection to another, it can also locate devices with Google account that have a cellular data connection.
Instant Tethering was launched first on Google Pixel and Nexus 9. These devices can connect to a compatible phone via Bluetooth. The catch is that it is being pushed to these devices powered by Android 7.1.1 so not everyone will benefit from it. Some devices have the limitations that it might not be available. Also take note that some carriers may block this feature.
How to know if this is available on one's device? Simply go to the main system settings and open the Google Menu. From there, users can check if the app was listed or not. Trusted Reviews reported that users might not see it once they have installed the Play Services update but it could pop up once the unit restarts.
For now, only select Android units have this feature. According to Android Police, the app is still being tested but it is likely that more devices would get this support in the near future. Google has not announced anything related to this new feature so far.
