Android Is Finally Fixing One of the Hotspot’s Biggest Annoyances

Google is quietly preparing a small but genuinely useful upgrade to Android’s Wi-Fi hotspot, and it is one of those changes that makes you wonder why it took this long. As revealed by Android Authority, in the latest Android Canary build, a new option has appeared in the Speed and Compatibility menu: 2.4 and 6 GHz. It might sound simple, but it fixes a problem that has annoyed hotspot users for years.

The new dual-band hotspot mode fixes the long annoyance

Right now, Android forces you to choose between speed and compatibility whenever you enable a hotspot. If you pick 6 GHz, you get the highest speeds your phone can offer, but many older phones, tablets, laptops and smart devices cannot connect at all. If you stick to the default 2.4 and 5 GHz modes, every device connects without complaints, but you miss out on the performance benefits of Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7. For people who tether often, this decision gets old very quickly.

The new 2.4 and 6 GHz mode finally removes that tradeoff. Your phone will broadcast both bands at the same time. Newer devices automatically switch to 6 GHz for better throughput, while older or budget devices fall back to 2.4 GHz without you having to change anything. It works very much like a modern dual-band router, only now it is built into your Android hotspot settings.

This matters because Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 support is quickly becoming standard across new Android phones, yet older devices are still everywhere. A combined mode gives you the best possible speeds while keeping everyone connected. Once this feature rolls out beyond Canary, it should be a noticeable upgrade on any phone that supports it, including the latest Galaxy phones.