diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/network/wifi_manager.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/network/wifi_manager.cc
index ddf13d26b7ff60..fd9ee17078c86c 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/network/wifi_manager.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/network/wifi_manager.cc
@@ -448,6 +448,7 @@ void WifiManager::tetheringActivated(QDBusPendingCallWatcher *call) {
     });
   }
   call->deleteLater();
+  tethering_on = true;
 }
 
 void WifiManager::setTetheringEnabled(bool enabled) {
@@ -465,6 +466,7 @@ void WifiManager::setTetheringEnabled(bool enabled) {
 
   } else {
     deactivateConnectionBySsid(tethering_ssid);
+    tethering_on = false;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/network/wifi_manager.h b/selfdrive/ui/qt/network/wifi_manager.h
index 5d18b87d861b32..e5f79c5149bf3c 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/network/wifi_manager.h
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/network/wifi_manager.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ class WifiManager : public QObject {
   QMap<QString, Network> seenNetworks;
   QMap<QDBusObjectPath, QString> knownConnections;
   QString ipv4_address;
+  bool tethering_on = false;
   bool ipv4_forward = false;
 
   explicit WifiManager(QObject* parent);
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.cc
index 7a93534da9b289..966396edc23aa1 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.cc
@@ -74,9 +74,11 @@ void Sidebar::updateState(const UIState &s) {
 
   auto &sm = *(s.sm);
 
+  networking = networking ? networking : window()->findChild<Networking *>("");
+  bool tethering_on = networking && networking->wifi->tethering_on;
   auto deviceState = sm["deviceState"].getDeviceState();
-  setProperty("netType", network_type[deviceState.getNetworkType()]);
-  int strength = (int)deviceState.getNetworkStrength();
+  setProperty("netType", tethering_on ? "Hotspot": network_type[deviceState.getNetworkType()]);
+  int strength = tethering_on ? 4 : (int)deviceState.getNetworkStrength();
   setProperty("netStrength", strength > 0 ? strength + 1 : 0);
 
   ItemStatus connectStatus;
@@ -131,8 +133,8 @@ void Sidebar::paintEvent(QPaintEvent *event) {
 
   p.setFont(InterFont(35));
   p.setPen(QColor(0xff, 0xff, 0xff));
-  const QRect r = QRect(50, 247, 100, 50);
-  p.drawText(r, Qt::AlignCenter, net_type);
+  const QRect r = QRect(58, 247, width() - 100, 50);
+  p.drawText(r, Qt::AlignLeft | Qt::AlignVCenter, net_type);
 
   // metrics
   drawMetric(p, temp_status.first, temp_status.second, 338);
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.h b/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.h
index f627aac810ec3d..2091418e528675 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.h
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <QMap>
 
 #include "selfdrive/ui/ui.h"
+#include "selfdrive/ui/qt/network/networking.h"
 
 typedef QPair<QPair<QString, QString>, QColor> ItemStatus;
 Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(ItemStatus);
@@ -59,4 +60,5 @@ public slots:
 
 private:
   std::unique_ptr<PubMaster> pm;
+  Networking *networking = nullptr;
 };