How to avoid hotspot getting disabled during incoming/outgoing call

Hotspots are convenient because they allow you internet access when you cannot rely on a cellular or broadband connection. However, they can be tricky to deal with after receiving or making a call on your device, as they tend to disconnect frequently and force you to set up the connection again.

Hotspot disabling is not entirely in your hands, even though it is quite irritating to deal with frequently setting up a fresh connection. Phones, especially older ones that rely on 3G or 2G network connections, have the issue of automatic disabling of hotspots when you are making or taking a call, then enabling it after you finish.

Hotspot disabling during calls is because of limitations in 3G connectivity, as the network does not allow for voice calls and data to function simultaneously. 4G VoLTE networks eliminate the problem by allowing both data and voice packet use, but there are some methods you can implement to reduce the disabling of your hotspot.

Why do mobile hotspots disable during calls?

Understanding the reason for hotspot disabling involves knowing how your phone operates when its network connection is active.

A radio is in-built in your phone and allows the device to communicate with the cellular network (which you can see through the signal strength bars). In an older phone that uses a CDMA or 3G network, this radio can only send data or voice call packets, but never both at the same time.The result is that the device will change between voice and data depending on what you are currently doing.

The same case happens when using a 2G network type such as EDGE or GPRS because it lacks an extra band to handle other types of information packets coming in and out of the phone receiver. Since the design of a 2G network employs a bi-directional design (also referred to as half-duplex), the data and voice packets can only move in one direction until they reach their destination to avoid blockages on the servers.

Another possible reason for disabling the hotspot is the phone’s in-built attempts to save battery power. Hotspots are quite draining on a phone’s battery, and the device saves its power stores through several measures.During calls, this is even more evident, as the phone has to receive and send voice packets through the cellular network, and this is likely why you may notice the phone battery having less power at the end of a call than when you began. Having an active hotspot will only drain the battery even more – so the phone disables the hotspot to prevent this issue and increase battery life.

Tips to avoid disabling your hotspot

You can opt to use a phone that supports LTE networks because of its high bandwidth and no interference between the data and voice channels. You can enable this on a compatible phone by going to the settings and enable the ‘Advanced Calling’ feature, which converts the network to a 4G VoLTE type.

Due to the automatic power-saving features built into the device, you can also opt to:

Disable the power-saving features

Before resorting to this option, note that disabling this will harm the battery life of the device. It will eventually keep the hotspot on for longer even if you do not connect other devices and even when making calls – especially in a phone that uses a 4G LTE network.

Adjust the hotspot idle timeout settings

When you need to share the hotspot connection with other devices for more than 5 minutes, you can increase its idle timeout. Once you do so in the settings, restart the device.

Disable the network power management options

This tip can come in handy even when managing a hotspot on other battery power-dependent devices. It prevents the device from turning off the cellular network even when your phone is idle or taking calls.

Reasons for hotspot disabling during a call and possible solutions

Reason for hotspot disabling	Tips to solve the problem
Phone using a 2G/3G network, as it cannot handle both voice and data packets	Upgrade your phone to one that uses a 4G LTE network
Phone using in-built power-saving features	Disable all power-saving features
	Adjust the hotspot idle timeout settings
	Disable the network power management options

Conclusion

Using a hotspot connection while taking or receiving a call is not an easy task, as the device automatically disables it in most cases. Upgrading your device to a 4G-capable one is your best option to solve the problem, though you can also implement additional solutions.

FAQs

Why does my phone disable a hotspot during a call?

This is because the network cannot handle voice and data packets at the same time.

Can a hotspot work during a call?

In 4G-enabled phones, yes, it is possible. However, phones that use older cellular networks may not do so unless you make specific adjustments.