Google Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL Spotted With Wi-Fi Sharing Feature

Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL may not be your choice due to some early issues that are affecting their memory management and audio quality in video recordings. However, both new Pixel phones are now found to have the option to let you transform them into a Wi-Fi repeater and share their Wi-Fi connection with other devices. The new feature is a beyond the traditional Wi-Fi hotspot functionality that is designed to share your data network with other devices. While the ability to share a Wi-Fi network is something entirely new in the Pixel family, some flagships from LG and Samsung are also found to have the same feature.

As spotted by Artem Russakovskii of Android Police, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have the ability to split its Wi-Fi connection with other devices. Russakovskii has found that the latest Pixel models let users connect to a Wi-Fi network and use the hotspot feature simultaneously. This essentially makes the new Pixel devices perform as a Wi-Fi repeater.

To share the Wi-Fi connection of your Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL, you just need to enable the Hotspot option by going through the Settings menu or pressing the Hotspot toggle from the notification panel. The feature looks entirely new for the Pixel family as it's not a part of the Android Pie-based Pixel 2 devices.

Having said that, folks at Android Police point out, the ability to share a Wi-Fi network is available on all the recent Samsung flagships as well as some LG flagships. It is also a part of some Xiaomi and Huawei models as well as the Essential Phone.

The feature to let you share your Wi-Fi connection with other devices directly through your smartphone is quite useful if you want to share a paid hotspot network with more than one device. You can also use the newly revealed ability on your smartphone to extend the Wi-Fi range in your home, just as what you could do with a Wi-Fi repeater.

Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL Review

Moreover, the ability to share a Wi-Fi connection could give customers a reason to buy the Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL over last year's Pixel model that is currently on sale in India under Rs. 45,000. The fresh feature is also likely to give some relief to the early buyers of the Pixel 3 models who are facing issues such as 'buzzing' sound, poor memory management, or inferior audio quality while recording videos.