Last month we spotted that Instant Tethering — a feature which allows your Chromebook to easily ride your phone's data connection when Wi-Fi isn't available — was appearing on at least a handful of non-Pixel/Nexus phones. It would appear that was an early test, as today Google is formally announcing that Instant Tethering is rolling out to 15 new Chromebooks and 30 new phones.

Previously Instant Tethering was limited to Pixelbooks and Pixel Slates connected to either Pixel or Nexus phones — a limiting combination. At the time of writing, Google hasn't named the newly-compatible sets of devices, though the list in this support document should be updated to include them sometime soon.

The process will be the same as before. After connecting your phone to your Chromebook, the latter will ask if it can use the former when data-deprived (and so long as your plan supports tethering). Once the stars and bars align, your Chromebook is off and running through the glamorous internet streets via nothing more than the phone in your pocket.

We'll be sure to update our post with the full list of new devices, once it's available. Based on previous reports, odds are the OnePlus 6 and Galaxy Note9 are included.

Accessing the web on Chromebooks without a Wi-Fi access point URL: 

Chromebooks are built to deliver a consistently fast, easy-to-use and secure experience. And when you’re using a Chromebook, you should be able to access the internet quickly and effortlessly, no matter where you are. But the availability of a internet-enabled Wi-Fi access point isn’t always a guarantee. Starting today, Instant Tethering is available on Chromebooks—this means that you can connect to the internet via a paired Android phone’s cellular network connection, as long as tethering is enabled on your mobile data plan.

Normally,connecting to your phone’s hotspot is a multistep process—one that involves switching on the hotspot on your phone, specifying a network SSID and password, opening the other device's settings to connect to the hotspot, and then disabling the hotspot manually when it is no longer needed. Phew! But with Instant Tethering, you can pair your Android phone with your Chromebook during an initial set-up process, after which accessing the internet takes a single click.

When your Chromebook detects that it has no Wi-Fi access point, it provides a notification that a data connection is available through your mobile device. Instant Tethering is enabled once you click the ‘Connect’ button on that notification. Additionally, Instant Tethering will automatically disconnect if it detects 10 minutes of no activity to save you power and data.

Before today, Instant Tethering was available only on a small range of devices, namely Pixelbooks and Pixel Slates paired with either Pixel or Nexus phones. But now, Instant Tethering is available on 15 additional Chromebook models and over 30 cell phone models. And we’ll be bringing Instant Tethering to even more Chromebook and phones in the coming months.

This is our latest feature that allows Chromebooks to work better together with Android devices. You can read more about Instant Tethering, how to enable it, and find out if it works with your devices here.