Galaxy S4: The Missing Manual

Chapter 8. Getting Online: WiFi, 3G/4G, and Mobile Hotspots

You’ll learn to:

• Connect to a WiFi network

• Turn your S4 into a WiFi hotspot

• Configure WiFi Direct

• Use Airplane Mode

THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 is filled with plenty of cool features, but it really comes to life when you take it online. With it, you’ve got the whole Internet in your hand—and on a screen larger and more vivid than on other smartphones, along with a blazing fast 4G Internet connection. Whether you need to search, get maps and directions, watch YouTube videos, or do pretty much anything else on the Internet, the Galaxy S4 lets you do it.

But first, of course, you need to get connected. You’ll get the rundown on how to do that in this chapter, along with learning about one of the Galaxy S4’s more amazing capabilities—the ability to turn into a WiFi hotspot to give computers and other devices an Internet connection.

How the Galaxy S4 Gets Online

WHENEVER IT’S POWERED ON, the Galaxy S4 is ready to hop onto the Internet. Whenever your carrier’s high-speed third-generation (3G) network or even faster, state-of-the-art 4G network is available, the phone uses it—you can tell by the symbol in the status bar. The 3G and 4G networks were built for data and the Internet, so you can quickly send and receive good-sized email attachments, ...