Android is finally treating the mobile hotspot like the tiny Wi-Fi router it really is. A new option quietly appearing in recent Android Canary builds lets your phone share both the old 2.4 GHz band and the new 6 GHz band at the same time, dramatically improving how tethering works for mixed groups of devices.
Why hotspots used to be a headache
Until now, turning your phone into a hotspot meant making an annoying choice. 
If you wanted the clean, high-speed 6 GHz airwaves used by Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, you had to enable a 6 GHz only hotspot. That was great for the newest laptops, tablets, and flagships, but a complete dead end for older gear that simply cannot see 6 GHz networks at all. The more compatible default mode – usually combining 2.4 and 5 GHz – went in the opposite direction: everything could connect, but top speeds dropped and congestion went up.
The new 2.4 and 6 GHz dual-band mode
The new speed and compatibility setting labeled 2.4 and 6 GHz aims to end that compromise. With this mode enabled, your phone broadcasts a hotspot on both bands in parallel. Newer devices that understand the 6 GHz spectrum can jump onto that band and enjoy higher peak speeds, lower latency, and less interference. At the same time, legacy or budget devices quietly fall back to the familiar 2.4 GHz band, where their older radios feel at home.
For the user, the experience is delightfully boring – and that is the point. You no longer need to ask which friend owns the old tablet, whether your work laptop supports Wi-Fi 6E, or if the hotel TV can see modern bands. You tap to enable the hotspot once, and every device in range negotiates the best possible connection it can handle. The phone behaves much more like a smart dual-band home router and much less like a blunt on or off switch.
Real-world scenarios where it shines
This is especially helpful because the hotspots we rely on today are used in very different ways than a few years ago. Many people tether a laptop during a commute, share a connection with a partner on a trip, or even run an entire household off a phone plan when fixed broadband is unreliable or too expensive. In all of those scenarios, there is usually a messy mix of old and new hardware – from a nearly new gaming laptop to an ageing budget phone or a streaming box that has never heard of 6 GHz. A hotspot that can stretch from basic compatibility to cutting-edge speed in one step is a genuine quality-of-life upgrade.
There is also a regulatory backstory. Pixel phones were the first Android handsets in the United States allowed to offer a 6 GHz hotspot at all, after regulators gave the green light for low-power indoor and very-low-power portable use in that slice of spectrum. The new combined 2.4 and 6 GHz mode builds directly on that groundwork: once 6 GHz broadcasting is allowed, letting the phone use it alongside older bands is a natural evolution rather than a radical new feature.
Hotspots that behave more like real routers
From a technical point of view, this new behavior mirrors what modern dual-band and tri-band routers have done for years. Those routers quietly juggle multiple bands and sometimes even multiple networks, pushing fast devices to the cleanest frequencies while keeping everything else online in the background. Bringing the same intelligence into Android’s built-in hotspot makes the feature feel far more mature and future-proof, particularly as Wi-Fi 7 hardware becomes commonplace.
For people who tether regularly, the difference could be surprisingly noticeable. A laptop that can finally sit on an uncongested 6 GHz channel will often see higher real-world throughput and more stable video calls, especially in crowded places like airports and co-working spaces. Meanwhile, a smart speaker or budget tablet connecting over 2.4 GHz will still get enough bandwidth for music streaming, chats, or basic browsing. Everyone gets what they need without the hotspot owner having to babysit the settings screen.
Fewer mistakes, fewer awkward moments
It also reduces the risk of accidental lockouts. Previously, it was all too easy to flip the hotspot into a fast but exclusive 6 GHz mode, forget about it, and then wonder why a friend’s phone refused to see your network. With the dual-band approach, that sort of confusion should mostly disappear. If a device cannot speak 6 GHz, it simply latches onto 2.4 GHz, and the only clue that anything clever is happening is that some devices run faster than others.
Looking ahead to wider rollout
Looking ahead, the arrival of this setting in Android’s Canary channel strongly suggests that it will become part of a wider rollout with a future Android release. Once phone makers update their software – and once their hardware and regional rules allow 6 GHz tethering – this is the kind of feature that can quietly ship across entire lineups, from premium flagships to mid-range workhorses. Over time, the phrase mobile hotspot might start to feel less like an emergency backup and more like a reliable everyday connectivity tool.
In short, Android’s new dual-band hotspot option turns a familiar feature into something smarter, faster, and kinder to older devices. It keeps the door open for every gadget in your bag while finally letting the most modern ones sprint ahead, no awkward trade-offs required.