Boost’s hotspot doesn’t come with its own pool of data, and that single detail explains most of the complaints about it. Here’s what it costs, which plans include it, and the restart step that fixes it more often than anything else.
How much does Boost Mobile hotspot cost?
The Data Hotspot add-on is $10 per month. You add it in your account online, in the Boost Mobile app, or by calling Customer Care at (833) 502-6678.
If you’re on Unlimited+ or Unlimited Premium, don’t buy it. It’s already part of the plan.
Which Boost plans include hotspot?
| Plan | AutoPay price | Premium data | Hotspot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $25/mo | 30GB | Not included, $10/mo add-on |
| Global Connection | $40/mo | 40GB | Not included, $10/mo add-on |
| Unlimited+ | $50/mo | 40GB | Included |
| Unlimited Premium | $60/mo | 50GB | Included |
Worth doing the arithmetic before you add it. Unlimited at $25 plus the $10 hotspot add-on is $35 with 30GB. Unlimited+ is $50 with 40GB and hotspot built in. Whether the upgrade is worth $15 depends entirely on whether you’d use the extra 10GB, because as the next section explains, hotspot and phone data come out of the same place.
Connecting a device to your Boost hotspot
Nothing Boost-specific here, which is good news.
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Turn the hotspot on, on your phone
It lives in your phone’s settings, not in the Boost app.
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Open Wi-Fi settings on the other device
Laptop, tablet, console, whatever you’re connecting.
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Look for your phone’s device name under available networks
That’s the network name Boost tells you to look for. Then enter the password your phone shows.
You can connect several devices at the same time. Boost’s answer on that is a straight yes.
Why isn’t my Boost hotspot working?
Boost’s own first answer is the one people skip, and it’s genuinely the fix a surprising amount of the time.
If a restart doesn’t do it, work down this list:
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Hotspot toggle is missing or greyed out | The add-on isn’t on your account, or you’re on a plan without it. Check in the app. |
| Devices connect but nothing loads | High-speed data is exhausted. Check usage. |
| Worked yesterday, not today | Billing cycle rolled over, or you hit the data ceiling. |
| Just added it, nothing happens | Restart the phone. |
| Very slow but connected | Past your high-speed allotment, so you’re on reduced speeds. |
One thing that will not help: paying your bill early. Boost is explicit that an early payment doesn’t replenish your data allotment. It just sits on the account as a credit.
What happens when you run out of hotspot data?
You don’t get cut off, you get slowed down. And because it’s a shared pool, that slowdown hits your phone as well as your tethered devices.
Your options are to wait for the billing cycle to reset, or to buy more high-speed data. Boost’s data packs work for both hotspot and regular phone data, which is a sensible design. There are two kinds:
One-Time Data Pack, good for 30 days from the date of purchase. Recurring Data Pack, added to your monthly payment until you cancel it.
Add either with Add More Data in the app.
If you’re regularly running out, the honest answer is that a $10 hotspot add-on on a 30GB plan is not really a hotspot plan. It’s permission to tether against a phone allowance. For reference, US Mobile’s Unlimited Starter includes 20 GB of hotspot data as a separate allowance from plan data.
Try US Mobile free for 30 days
Transfer your number and get 30 days with 30GB of data, plus unlimited talk and text, before you decide anything. No contract.
Start your free 30-day trial A card is required to activate the trial and porting a number is required to qualify. You are not charged during the 30 days. The line renews on the monthly Unlimited Premium plan unless you change it before the trial ends.Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Boost Mobile hotspot cost?
The Boost Mobile Data Hotspot add-on costs $10 per month. It is already included on the Unlimited+ and Unlimited Premium plans, so you only need to buy it on the Unlimited or Global Connection plans. You can add it in your account online, in the Boost Mobile app, or by calling Customer Care.
Which Boost Mobile plans include hotspot?
Hotspot is included on Unlimited+ at $50 a month with AutoPay and Unlimited Premium at $60 a month with AutoPay. The Unlimited plan at $25 and Global Connection at $40 do not include it, so hotspot costs an extra $10 a month on those.
Does Boost Mobile hotspot have its own data allowance?
No. Boost hotspot draws from your plan’s high-speed data allotment rather than having a separate pool. That means data used by a tethered laptop or tablet comes out of the same allowance your phone uses, so heavy tethering can slow your phone down too.
Why is my Boost Mobile hotspot not working?
If you recently added the hotspot feature, restart your phone. Boost says a restart is usually required for the network change to take effect. If a restart does not fix it, check whether your high-speed data allotment is used up, because devices will still connect but nothing will load.
Can I connect more than one device to my Boost hotspot?
Yes. Boost confirms you can connect multiple devices at the same time. On each device, open Wi-Fi settings and look for your phone’s device name under available networks, then enter the password your phone displays.
What happens when I run out of Boost hotspot data?
You are not cut off, but speeds drop, and because hotspot shares your plan’s allotment the slowdown affects your phone as well. You can wait for your billing cycle to reset or buy more high-speed data. Boost data packs work for both hotspot and regular phone data, as either a One-Time pack good for 30 days or a Recurring pack added to your monthly bill.
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