HOTSPOT / 3 MIN READ
One eSIM.
Two devices?
Sharing your connection is simple. Choosing the right allowance takes one extra check: does your plan count all data together, or limit hotspot separately?
Start with the device doing the sharing
A hotspot turns your phone’s mobile connection into a Wi-Fi connection for another device. Your laptop or travel companion connects to that Wi-Fi; you do not install the same eSIM on both devices. The phone providing the connection needs to stay nearby, powered on and connected to a mobile network.
Ask two separate questions before buying: “Is tethering allowed?” and “How much data can I share?” A yes to the first does not answer the second. Nomad’s hotspot explanation describes how sharing draws on plan data.
Three policies, three different limits
| Provider | What sharing uses |
|---|---|
| Nomad | The fixed plan’s total data pool. |
| Airalo | The unlimited plan’s shared daily high-speed tier. |
| Holafly | A separate 1 GB daily hotspot limit. |
Nomad: our selected fixed-data plans share their allowance between phone and hotspot. For a 20 GB plan, using 6 GB on the phone leaves 14 GB for everything else, including sharing. There is no extra 20 GB reserved for the laptop. See the Japan plans.
Airalo: its unlimited guidance advertises 3 GB per 24 hours at 20 Mbps, then reduced speeds. Phone use and tethering count together. The daily tier resets; 20 Mbps is a stated tier, not a real-world speed guarantee. See Airalo’s unlimited policy.
Holafly: Japan hotspot sharing is limited to 1 GB per day. Phone data is advertised as unlimited, but fair-use speed reductions can apply; a numeric phone-data threshold is not published. See the Japan product terms.
Count your laptop as extra usage
Suppose your phone needs an estimated 1 GB daily and your laptop another 0.5 GB. Over 14 days, your planning total is 21 GB. A 20 GB shared pool is below that estimate. A daily policy also needs checking day by day: spare allowance yesterday does not necessarily cover a large upload today.
In the finder, turn on “Sharing your connection?” and choose the extra amount you expect to share. That amount is added to the phone estimate. These choices are planning assumptions, not measurements of your apps or a promise that a video call will work.
Before you turn it on
Make the travel eSIM your mobile-data line, follow your phone’s hotspot instructions, and use a hotspot password. Check connected devices and background downloads. Keep an eye on the provider’s usage meter during the trip, especially after sharing with a laptop.