Force mobile to use mobile data when connected to one particular WiFi network

[androidmonk]

Context - My phone connects to my car's WiFi hotspot for Android Auto to work. The car itself has an embedded SIM and a data plan of its own. The car's data is significantly more expensive than the cellular plan on my phone and therefore I need to use it only for the apps on the car and not my phone. However, when the phone is connected to the car's hotspot, the phone also uses the car data.

Question - Is there a way to force my phone to use cellular data only if it is connected to one particular WiFi network? I couldn't find a setting in the phone and hoping there's an app for it!

Thank you

 

[J Dubbs]

Welcome to Android Central! The simplest way to probably do that would be to shut off the WiFi in the quick settings when you swipe down from the top of the screen.

I think you might still get a notification telling you when you're around an open WiFi network, to remind you to turn it back on at home etc in case you forget.

 

[rvbfan]

This is how I have mine set. Also in developer options you can make sure WiFi scan throttling is turned on.

 

[androidmonk]

Thanks both for your replies however I need my phone to connect to the car WiFi (as it is required for Android Auto to work).

My requirement is to have the phone connect to the car WiFi but when it is connected to the car WiFi, I need to force the phone to use cellular data (instead of the car WiFi).

 

[J Dubbs]

I don't think there's a way to do that, unless you connect your phone by cable to the car, then shut the WiFi off? ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

That's a little above my pay grade though lol, someone more knowledgeable might come along with the answer

 

[JRTuttle4]

I'm not sure how you could do that unless your vehicle's settings have a way to tell it to connect to your phone for Android Auto usage only without allowing data usage, so the phone continues to use its own data. I haven't seen a setting like that on my 2019 GMC Terrain though.

However, since I get 10 GB/month of phone hotspot data with my Straight Talk mobile plan, I cancelled my Terrain's data plan. So, instead of just having my phone use my phone's data, I have both my phone & my Terrain use my phone's data, & even the non-Android Auto apps & stuff that require data also work {not just Android Auto}:

I have a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, so I use the Samsung Modes & Routines app, but there are other apps that can be used, such as IFTTT {IF This, Then That}. My phone is Bluetooth paired with my Terrain & automatically connects to it via Bluetooth. So, I use that as the "If" trigger to run the Routine below, which enables Mobile Hotspot & disables WiFi on my phone, & [of course] I had to connect my Terrain to my Mobile Hotspot the first time, but now it automatically connects to it since the Terrain no longer has its own data plan.

When I exit my vehicle & my phone disconnects from my vehicle's Bluetooth, the Routine ends & it reverts the Mobile Hotspot & WiFi settings back to how they were before the Routine ran.