Chromebook users know that internet connection is a must when it comes to Chrome OS, but Google has been working on ways to improve this situation.
For starters, it has launched Instant Tethering in 2017, which automatically connects a Chromebook to a phone's mobile data when there's no Wi-Fi connection around.
There's a catch, though. Since its launch, the Instant Tethering feature only works with select Android devices: Google's Pixel and Nexus phones.
However, things are starting to change. It seems that other non-Google Android phones are now eligible for Instant Tethering, at least according to some users who revealed the "update" to Android Police.
Instant Tethering With Non-Google Android Phones
The users who first noticed this have OnePlus and Samsung phones, although it looks like it's only being tested on Chrome OS Dev and Beta versions.
The user with the OnePlus phone got a notification that his device is connected to his Chromebook — running on beta v71.0.3578.94 — via Instant Tethering whenever he's not around any Wi-Fi network.
On the other hand, the Samsung phone user was able to access Instant Tethering through manually connecting his Galaxy Note 9 to his Chromebook, which runs on Chrome OS Dev v73.0.3669.0. He enabled a flag (chrome://flags/#instant-tethering), added his device in Chrome OS' device setting, and then accepted the Instant Tethering prompt.
Android Police tried testing it on their Chrome OS Dev version but wasn't successful, so there's a possibility that this feature is slowly rolling out only to a few users for now.
Still, it's a step to further expand Instant Tethering's support to more Android devices.
Other Requirements For Instant Tethering
According to Google Support Page, to connect a Chrome OS device, users should have at least Chrome OS 70 or a newer version, a mobile data plan, and a phone connected to the same Google account. As the roll out is not yet official nor the expansion support confirmed, most users are still required to have supported devices, which are Google phones, namely, the Pixel and Nexus.
