The ESP32 as a Wi-Fi Access Point

Turning the board into its own hotspot so a phone or laptop can connect directly to it.

Instead of joining a network, the ESP32 can create its own — useful for a project's first-time setup screen, or anywhere there's no existing Wi-Fi to join.

#include 

const char* ap_ssid = "ESP32-Setup";
const char* ap_password = "configure123";

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  WiFi.softAP(ap_ssid, ap_password);
  Serial.print("Access point IP: ");
  Serial.println(WiFi.softAPIP());
}

void loop() {
}

Once running, a phone or laptop can connect to "ESP32-Setup" like any other Wi-Fi network, then reach the board at the printed IP address — typically 192.168.4.1.

Access point vs station mode

A board can even run both at once, joining your home network while also broadcasting its own — handy for a device that needs a one-time setup screen before it connects to your real network for good.