What is tethering? How it works & privacy tips

How to tether on common devices

Before we talk about protecting privacy, let’s quickly cover how to tether on the most common platforms. The process is simple but varies slightly across devices.

Tethering makes it easy to get online anywhere — but once you’re connected, you’ll want to ensure your traffic is safe from prying eyes.

Why tethering creates privacy risks

When you tether, your phone acts like a router. This means all connected devices rely on it for DNS lookups, IP addressing, and traffic routing. Without protection:

• Your mobile carrier can log browsing history, metadata, and DNS queries.
• Tethered traffic is easier for surveillance systems to monitor than encrypted Wi-Fi.
• Hotspots with weak passwords can be hijacked, allowing strangers to use — or spy on — your data.

Even if you regularly clear your browsing history or flush your DNS cache, your real-time tethered traffic is still exposed. That’s why tethering should always be paired with strong privacy defenses.

How a VPN protects tethered connections

Using a VPN while tethering ensures that all your traffic is encrypted before it leaves your device. Your mobile carrier will still see that data is flowing, but it won’t know which sites you’re visiting or what you’re doing.

The challenge with most VPNs, however, is that they still leak metadata. Observers can analyze connection patterns to infer who you’re communicating with. That’s where NymVPN is different: its mixnet technology not only encrypts your data but also obscures metadata, making it nearly impossible to track your tethered activity.

If you’re deciding between VPNs, Tor, I2P, or mixnets, our comparison guide makes the trade-offs clear.

Other tools that improve tethering privacy

While a VPN is the foundation of tethering security, you can add layers for stronger protection:

• Private browsers: Switch to options highlighted in our guide to the most private browsers. These block trackers that can follow you across sites.
• **Search without logging: Use alternatives to Google from our list of private search engines.
• Encrypted messaging: Apps like Signal prevent surveillance of communications sent over tethered hotspots.
• Metadata protection: Learn why hiding “who you talk to and when” matters in our guide to metadata.
• Censorship resistance: If you’re tethering in restrictive environments, review our explainer on global censorship technologies.

Together, these tools create a privacy stack that keeps tethering both secure and reliable.

DNS leaks: A hidden risk of tethering

Even with a VPN, tethered devices can sometimes bypass the secure tunnel and send DNS queries directly to your carrier — a problem known as a DNS leak. This is especially common with mobile hotspots where multiple devices are connected.

To understand how this happens and how to fix it, read our in-depth article on DNS leaks. With NymVPN, DNS leak protection is built in, ensuring your tethered devices stay protected.

When to use tethering safely

Tethering works best as a backup or temporary solution: traveling, working remotely, or when Wi-Fi is down. But without privacy safeguards, it exposes your traffic to unnecessary risk. If tethering is part of your digital life, make sure it’s paired with a VPN and layered privacy tools.

Tethering doesn’t have to compromise privacy

Tethering is practical, but without privacy safeguards it creates a clear point of surveillance. A VPN closes part of that gap, while NymVPN’s mixnet eliminates metadata leaks, ensuring your hotspot traffic remains private even under sophisticated analysis.