Google Says Galaxy S25 Will Now Play Nicely With Android's Instant Hotspot Feature

Android announced a new set of cross-device services last year, and both have been made available for the company’s Pixel lineup. Nearly a year later, Google has updated support for cross-device services like instant hotspot to include the Galaxy S25, and maybe more of Samsung’s devices.

Call casting and instant hotspots are similar in how each of the features works. In essence, it relies on two devices communicating with each other to share data. For instance, internet sharing will automatically turn on a hotspot if another one of your devices needs it. This comes in handy if you have a Chromebook or Pixel Tablet that doesn’t operate on its own network connection.

A new detail on Google’s support article for cross-device services indicates that the Galaxy S25 can now utilize the instant hotspot feature (via Android Authority). Previously, Google directed Samsung users to use the “auto-hotspot” tool instead, as Galaxy devices were not supported when the feature rolled out. This was a clash of proprietary functions, but it seems Samsung is now willing to operate from Google’s services.

The access will allow Galaxy devices to operate an instant hotspot with other compatible devices, though the support article does not list Galaxy Tab devices, so it could still be limited to other Android devices for the time being.

It’s also worth noting that the original report indicates that users have seen instant hotspot active on their older One UI 7 devices besides the Galaxy S25, which likely means that One UI 7 itself is what enables support. Still, Google’s page notes that the Galaxy S25 and later devices are technically supported.