[HOW-TO] Bluetooth Tether from Android phone to XOOM (NO root or app required)

[Newton1221]

This is a HOW-TO guide that details how to bluetooth tether your Android phone's internet to your Motorola XOOM without using any applications or rooting your phone. If done properly you should have your Android phone and XOOM connected via bluetooth and the XOOM should be using your Android phone's internet.

Please post if it works for you, and also say what phone you are using.

Devices confirmed to work:
Droid 2 (Regular, R2D2, and Global)
Droid X
Droid Pro


This has been confirmed working on a few different devices now, it allows you to share your phone's internet with your XOOM without rooting your phone or needing any extra applications


1: on XOOM, go to settings>wireless & networks>tethering and portable hotspot and make sure that "Bluetooth Tethering" is UNCHECKED, this is NOT what we want

2: on XOOM, go to settings>wireless & networks> enable airplane mode

3: on XOOM, go to settings>wireless & networks> enable bluetooth

4: on your android phone, go to settings>wireless & networks (or equivalent)> enable bluetooth

5: Make sure that both devices are discoverable, so that they can see one another, should be in settings>wireless & networks>bluetooth settings

6: on XOOM, go to settings>wireless & networks>bluetooth settings>select your phone in order to pair it with your XOOM

7: a box should pop up on both devices, select Pair on both devices

8: on XOOM, once the pairing is complete (still inside bluetooth settings), select the phone, it should say paired but not connected underneath it

9: The two devices should connect, once connected there should be a wrench next to the connected device, clicking on this will show an option to tether, click this option if it is not automatically enabled

10: TA-DA, if it worked then in the bottom right hand corner of your XOOM should have two bluetooth icons, one should indicated that your bluetooth is turned on and the other should say bluetooth tethered, you are now using your phones internet data plan on your XOOM, aka not counting towards your xoom's data plan

 

[bball840]

I'm able to pair my Xoom and iPhone over bluetooth, but the tethering isn't working. Its probably my fault for having ios and android!

 

[Newton1221]

Yeah I was already shocked that this worked for me on a Droid 2, if it had worked with and iPhone too I would have probably had a heart attack.

Well, at least we can cross that off the list, although its not too much of a surprise

If this works of various android devices then I can see why it wasnt in big bold letters at the Verizon store, they wanna make money just as much as the next guy, but I also feel like its a HUGE feature for the XOOM

If this works across the board, then it means a wifi only XOOM can have internet anywhere as long as you've got an android device handy

 

[Live2ride883]

I am able to pair my Droid X with the Xoom but they will not stay connected they connect just for a second then it goes back to paired but not connected-

 

[Newton1221]

I am able to pair my Droid X with the Xoom but they will not stay connected they connect just for a second then it goes back to paired but not connected-

Thats odd because even if the tether doesnt work you should still be able to connect the two devices for other uses

 

[Newton1221]

ok so i just did a little bit more investigating and this is what i found

I have 3G on my XOOM so it defaults to that, in order to get the tether to work I had to put the device into airplane mode and then manually enable bluetooth. Once did this I was only able to connect the two devices by choosing to connect on the XOOM, if i chose to connect from the Droid 2 then it didnt work.

So maybe that can help with getting it to work for some

 

[Live2ride883]

Thats odd because even if the tether doesnt work you should still be able to connect the two devices for other uses

Looks like I can hold the connection now and I have bt teatherig turned on in the Xoom's menu but when I turn wifi off it simply reverts to 3g like normal.

I transferred a picture of my daughter from my DX to my Xoom.

 

[paulek]

Fascinate

I have the same problem. Xoom says paired (to my Fascinate) but not connected??????

 

[Newton1221]

Looks like I can hold the connection now and I have bt teatherig turned on in the Xoom's menu but when I turn wifi off it simply reverts to 3g like normal.

I transferred a picture of my daughter from my DX to my Xoom.

the bluetooth tethering that you enabled actually works the other direction, what you are doing is giving your droid x internet FROM your xoom

if you put the xoom in airplane mode first and then enable bluetooth manually and connect the devices it should pull the internet from your droid x onto your xoom, also make sure you uncheck the bluetooth tethering that you had turned on, its not the same thing we are trying to do

 

[Newton1221]

I have the same problem. Xoom says paired (to my Fascinate) but not connected??????

ok if you are on your xoom and it says its paired then click on that (on the xoom) and it should connect



I'd like to add that clearly this is only beneficial to those who have XOOM's that are off contract. If you already have 3G on your XOOM then this really doesnt help you at all, but its still good to know that the XOOM (and possibly honeycomb in general) will pull the internet from a connected device

 

[Live2ride883]

Even if we have 3g wouldn't this allow us access to the internet without it counting towards our data limit, if I could get it to work I would consider suspending my 3g.

 

[Newton1221]

Even if we have 3g wouldn't this allow us access to the internet without it counting towards our data limit, if I could get it to work I would consider suspending my 3g.

yes, it would allow you to use internet and it wouldnt count toward your xooms data plan, which is actually really useful now that you bring it to my attention

 

[kingboarder]

I'd really love to tether the xoom to my iPhone and am a little disappointed that Android doesn't support either ad hoc networks or bluetooth tethering with iPhone.
Maybe there will be a solution at one point because I don't really feel like paying another $20 for data to verizon if AT&T already gets $30 for unlimited data.

 

[Newton1221]

Even if we have 3g wouldn't this allow us access to the internet without it counting towards our data limit, if I could get it to work I would consider suspending my 3g.

try this, I will break down what i did step by step

1: on XOOM, go to settings>wireless & networks>tethering and portable hotspot and make sure that "Bluetooth Tethering" is UNCHECKED, this is NOT what we want

2: on XOOM, go to settings>wireless & networks> enable airplane mode

3: on XOOM, go to settings>wireless & networks> enable bluetooth

4: on your android phone, go to settings>wireless & networks (or equivalent)> enable bluetooth

5: Make sure that both devices are discoverable, so that they can see one another, should be in settings>wireless & networks>bluetooth settings

6: on XOOM, go to settings>wireless & networks>bluetooth settings>select your phone in order to pair it with your XOOM

7: a box should pop up on both devices, select Pair on both devices

8: on XOOM, once the pairing is complete (still inside bluetooth settings), select the phone, it should say paired but not connected underneath it

9: The two devices should connect, and if it works then the bottom right hand corner of your XOOM should have two bluetooth icons, one should indicated that your bluetooth is turned on and the other should say bluetooth tethered

10: TA-DA, if it worked then you are now using your phones internet data plan on your XOOM, aka not counting towards your xoom's data plan

 

[bball840]

Holy crap - I am sending this using tethering from my iPhone!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Newton1221]

Holy crap - I am sending this using tethering from my iPhone!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you arent pulling our legs then I think you should chat with kingboarder up above cuz he'd really like to know what you did to get that working

 

[NewAge]

ok if you are on your xoom and it says its paired then click on that (on the xoom) and it should connect



I'd like to add that clearly this is only beneficial to those who have XOOM's that are off contract. If you already have 3G on your XOOM then this really doesnt help you at all, but its still good to know that the XOOM (and possibly honeycomb in general) will pull the internet from a connected device

This is for people on contract too. I am on a 1gb data plan on the Xoom because it's the cheapest, and tether with my DroidX which has an unlimited data plan. I really didn't want to get ANOTHER data plan but the idea of 1gb in emergencies is kinda nice. I don't see me ever being without my phone, but you never know.

I do this with wireless tether for root users on the DroidX since its rooted and seem to get better speeds than over BT.

This is more for people who DO NOT have a rooted phone and want to avoid the wireless tether fee that VZW charges for a natively free application. If this wasn't a flagship device, or there has been a policy change, I would bet VZW would rip the feature out, recreate their own and charge you $9.99 for it.

 

[bball840]

Definitely not pulling leg - I've been fiddling with this for hours.

I have a jailbroken iPhone 4 using bluetooth tethering via MyWi 4.0. I followed your instructions (I think airplane mode was key) and everything finally worked. I am afraid to disconnect and try again in case it was a fluke...

 

[wg#AC]

Thats odd because even if the tether doesnt work you should still be able to connect the two devices for other uses

Ya I ahd the same problem with my X it connects for about 3 seconds then says it is paired but not connected but when I try to transfer a file it transfers fine but when I tried to use the internet it says no network available. I tried this the day I got my Xoom so I thought it did not work. Nice to know there is hope. I even tried to pair it and use PDA Net but that failed as well.

 

[Newton1221]

Well I'm glad it started working for you even though my instructions were not really targeted at you

Also the appeal to the process I outlined is that (1) you dont have to root your phone, and (2) you dont have to use an app

all you should have to do is pair the two together over bluetooth and not have any other connections available (ala wifi or 3G)