How can I see what someone is doing when connected to my Android hotspot?

To monitor and understand the activities of devices connected to your Android hotspot, you have a few options, each with its own limitations and requirements.

Using Android Settings

You can view the number of connected devices and their MAC addresses through the Android settings:

• Go to Settings > Tethering & portable hotspot > Wi-Fi hotspot.
• Here, you can see the number of connected users and their MAC addresses under "Connected Users"15.

However, this method does not provide detailed information about the activities or browsing history of the connected devices.

Logcat Event Context

For more advanced monitoring, you can use the Logcat Event context within an app like Tasker. Logcat logs can show connection and disconnection events of devices to your hotspot. This method requires some technical expertise to set up and interpret the logs1.

Using DNS Servers

You can set up a custom DNS server, such as OpenDNS, to track the browsing history of connected devices. Here’s how:

• Configure your hotspot to use the OpenDNS server IP addresses (e.g., 208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220).
• Create an account on OpenDNS and set up your hotspot network details.
• OpenDNS will log the domain requests from your network, showing which websites are being visited, though it won't provide detailed user-specific information or HTTPS content3.

Google Account Tracking

If users are logging in with a Google account on the devices connected to your hotspot, you can track their browsing history by enabling web and app activity for that account. However, this method won't work if users are using incognito mode or other privacy features3.

App Development

For a more customized solution, you could develop an app using Android's Wi-Fi hotspot APIs. These APIs allow you to register callbacks to get information about connected clients, including their MAC addresses and IP information. However, this requires significant development effort and technical knowledge5.

In summary, while you can see which devices are connected and monitor some aspects of their activity, detailed tracking of browsing history or specific user actions is more complex and may require additional setup and tools.