Find Nearby Wi-Fi Hotspots Easily with Siri

The next time you need to quickly find a nearby hotspot with wireless internet access, grab your iPhone (or iPad) and just ask Siri. Try phrasing questions like the following:

• “Where are the closest Wi-Fi hotspots” – finds locations with wireless internet nearest to current location
• “Where are wi-fi hotspots in City Name, State” – finds wifi in the given city, very helpful for traveling

Siri’s wifi search has a strong preference for coffee shops, which is generally fine since coffee shops tend to be fairly comfortable and accustomed to people plopping down for a while with a laptop.

For those who don’t like working in coffee shops and cafes, you can also ask Siri to find nearby public libraries. Virtually all public libraries have free wi-fi to connect to, and they also tend to be much quieter than an average cafe hotspot. Note that Siri will sometimes find university libraries as well, and those typically require a university login to use making them inaccessible to the public.

• “Where is the closest library” or “where is the closest public library” – each will find nearby libraries

This is an excellent trick for anyone who telecommutes, travels, or just needs to get online while out on the road.

Don’t forget that iPhones can also create their own Wi-Fi hotspot on the fly, though most carriers charge extra for the service and it quickly eats into your standard data usage as well if you’re not careful.