Despite technologies like Wi-Fi 7 (and even Wi-Fi 8), the age-old problem of patchy internet coverage across your home is common. There are still dead zones where there’s little to no signal at all.
Most people solve this by buying a more powerful router with better range or switching to a Wi-Fi mesh setup with multiple nodes to extend coverage. However, both of these options come at an additional cost.
Thankfully, you can extend your Wi-Fi range like I did if you have an old Android phone lying around, and here’s how.
I didn’t realize how much my Wi-Fi was slowing down my phone until I did this
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Your old Android phone can work as a surprisingly capable Wi-Fi extender
It can help broadcast your home’s Wi-Fi signal into areas with weak coverage
There are plenty of ways to repurpose an old Android phone. You can turn it into a dedicated music player or even use it as a dash cam, but I used my old Galaxy S23 to extend my home’s Wi-Fi coverage and act as an extender.
Like a traditional Wi-Fi extender, this works by having your old Android phone receive your home’s Wi-Fi signal and rebroadcast it. It’s essentially similar to a mobile hotspot, but instead of mobile data, it uses your existing Wi-Fi to extend coverage for other devices.
It’s not as effective as a proper mesh system or a dedicated extender, but for simple use cases, like getting internet to a security camera or connecting a single device in a weak signal area, it works surprisingly well.
You’ll need a charger connected to your Android phone, since it’ll run continuously as an extender. You’ll also need to identify the dead zones in your home.
If you own a Samsung Galaxy device, you can use the Wi-Fi Connectivity Labs to find weak signal areas and place your old phone there.
Don’t expect the same speeds and coverage as a proper router or mesh setup when using an Android phone as a Wi-Fi extender. You’ll likely see slower upload and download speeds compared to your main Wi-Fi network.
How to turn your old Android phone into a Wi-Fi extender easily
A few steps and you can improve coverage at no extra cost
Turning an old Android phone into a Wi-Fi extender is pretty simple. You’ll first need to connect it to your home’s Wi-Fi network and then enable the hotspot so it shares that connection.
Here are the steps:
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Enable Wi-Fi on your old Android phone and connect it to your home network.
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When connected, enable the mobile hotspot on the device.
This creates a new Wi-Fi network that other devices can connect to. You’re essentially rebroadcasting your home’s Wi-Fi through your phone.
On most devices, you can go to Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot and tethering, then enable the Wi-Fi hotspot toggle. On Samsung phones, go to Settings > Connections > Mobile Hotspot and Tethering, then enable Mobile Hotspot.
After the hotspot is enabled, you can tweak its configuration. You can rename the hotspot so it’s easier to identify on other devices, and set a password for security.
For example, my main Wi-Fi is called Air WiFi, and the extended network is Air WiFi EXT, so it’s easy to tell them apart.
In addition, you can tweak a few more settings to improve the setup.
For example, you can turn off the option that disables the hotspot automatically when no device is connected. This will make sure the hotspot keeps running even when no device is connected to it, just like a normal Wi-Fi extender.
You can also switch between 2.4GHz and 5GHz depending on whether you want better range or faster speeds.
It’s also important to disable mobile data on the old Android phone if it still has a SIM card inside. This ensures that any device connected to the hotspot uses your home Wi-Fi data, not your mobile data.
After everything is set up, place the phone somewhere between your main router and the dead zone in your home, so it can extend the signal to that area. You might need to experiment a bit to find the ideal position.
I also recommend keeping the phone plugged into a wall charger so you don’t have to move it around or charge it repeatedly.
This is a great way to fix dead internet zones in your home
That’s it. This method lets you repurpose an old phone as a Wi-Fi extender and eliminate dead zones in your home.
However, keeping the hotspot enabled constantly can take a toll on the phone’s battery, especially if it’s plugged in all the time.
It’s a good idea to limit charging to around 80% if your device supports it, so the battery doesn’t degrade too quickly while you use it as a Wi-Fi extender.
I also recommend following other battery-saving tips on Android to make sure your old phone’s battery doesn’t deteriorate too much.
