Chromebook Instant Tethering extends beyond Google devices and phones

Google opens a small feature of its Chrome OS devices: Instant Tethering, which allows you to activate your hot phone and get online directly from Chromebook. The feature will work quickly with more than 30 Android phones and an additional 15 Chromebook, on top of the small selection already available – namely Chromebooks and Google Pixel phones.

As it tends to have Chrome OS features, the new option is being introduced to more devices beyond the current set of devices "over the next few months."

To operate the feature, you will need to bar your Android phone to your Chromebook in settings. After that, you should have the option to enable Instant Tethering in the "Associated Devices" section of locations. That's also where you'll find a "Smart Lock" that allows you to unlock your Chromebook with your phone fingerprint sensor.

Once Instant Tether has enabled it, you should be able to connect it to the Quick Settings panel on the right side of your app shelf. Chrome OS should also show the strength of your phone and battery life signal, exchanging the Wi-Fi indicator for the triangular network indicator. If you are connected to the hot spot of your phone and you have not done anything for 10 minutes, it should automatically disconnect.

I've been using Instant Tether with Pixelbook and Pixel 3 for now, and it's definitely more convenient than digging your phone out of your pocket, but it's not more convenient than having LTE on the device itself. Some animals were also early, but they seemed to have been eliminated in recent months.

Here's a full list of supported phones and Chromebooks: