Which new hotspot extension should be used to create a mobile hotspot

MIT App Inventor Help
1

I want to make a hotspot app

2

Search extensions (wifi) ?

3

To create a hotspot on every android phone needs just 2 swipes and one click. What is the point to create an app for this?

4

The extension works only for devices using Android version 7 or below. Starting from Android 8 only apps, which are defined as system apps are able to create a hotspot

Taifum

5

I want to use it in my app

6

Probably launching the device's Hotspot Settings screen using an Intent is sufficient for you?

Try the activity starter together with action android.settings.ACTION_TETHER_SETTINGS

There is currently no extension available, which can do it. You could write your own extension and create the functionality yourself...

more information about how to create an extension see the App Inventor Extensions document
however that will be more advanced and will require some Java skills...

I asked Gemini if it is doable. See the answer below and decide, what kind of hotspot you need

Taifun

Yes, it's possible to create a hotspot application in Android with SDK 35 (Android 15), but your options depend on the type of hotspot you want to create:

  1. Local-Only Hotspot (Recommended for App-to-App Communication) :link:
    The officially supported method for non-system apps is to create a Local-Only Hotspot using the WifiManager.startLocalOnlyHotspot() API. This creates a Wi-Fi Access Point (AP) that is isolated from the internet (it does not share the device's mobile data). This is ideal for peer-to-peer communication between your app and a nearby device.
  • API: WifiManager.startLocalOnlyHotspot()
  • Purpose: Sharing network connectivity locally, without providing internet access.
  • Permissions for SDK 35 (Android 15): You must declare the android.permission.NEARBY_WIFI_DEVICES permission (and set android:usesPermissionFlags="neverForLocation" if your app doesn't need location for other purposes). For older versions (up to API 32), ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION was required.
  1. Tethered Hotspot (Sharing Mobile Data) :signal_strength:
    Creating a traditional mobile hotspot (tethering) that shares the device's mobile data with other devices is significantly more restricted for third-party apps and is generally only allowed for system apps or apps with special privileges.
  • Official API (Android 11+): The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) documentation indicates that system-level components can start a tethered hotspot using TetheringManager.startTethering() and configure it using WifiManager.setSoftApConfiguration().
  • Third-Party Apps: For typical, non-system third-party apps, directly enabling or disabling the primary mobile data hotspot programmatically is not officially supported using public APIs and is strongly discouraged. Attempts to do so often rely on hidden or reflection-based APIs, which are prone to breaking in new Android versions (like SDK 35).
  • Workaround: The common alternative for a third-party app is to launch the device's Hotspot Settings screen using an Intent, allowing the user to manually toggle the hotspot on/off.

Key Considerations for Android 15 (SDK 35)
When targeting SDK 35, you'll need to be aware of the following:

  • Permissions: For local-only hotspots, ensure you are requesting NEARBY_WIFI_DEVICES.
  • Configuration: Customizing the SSID and passphrase for a tethered hotspot is typically restricted to system apps. However, for a local-only hotspot, while it was previously restricted, newer versions of Android (including 13, 14, and likely 15) allow configuration using reflection on hidden APIs, though this is still an unsupported approach that could break with future updates.
  • Enterprise Features: Android 15 introduces new features for enterprise management (Device Owners/Work Profiles), such as controlling Wi-Fi roaming settings, but these are for administrators and not for consumer-facing hotspot creation apps.