iPhone Bluetooth Tethering Setup on macOS

Note: This article was written for an older version of macOS. In macOS Monterey and newer versions, Apple removed support for Bluetooth tethering. If you're on macOS Monterey or later, see how to tether your iPhone to your Mac using a USB cable instead.

This article explains how to tether your iPhone to your Mac over Bluetooth so Speedify can use your iPhone's 4G/5G cellular connection alongside your other internet connections. Keep in mind that Bluetooth is convenient and cable-free, but it tops out at around 1 Mbps or 2 Mbps. If your iPhone has fast LTE or 5G speeds, you may get better results with USB tethering.

What You'll Need

  • An iPhone with a data plan
  • A Mac running macOS Big Sur or earlier (macOS Monterey and newer do not support Bluetooth tethering)
  • Bluetooth turned on and your iPhone already paired with your Mac
  • Speedify installed on your Mac

Let's Get Started

Step 1

Make sure your iPhone is paired with your Mac. On your Mac, go to System Preferences > Bluetooth and confirm that your iPhone appears in the device list and that Bluetooth is turned on.

Mac Bluetooth preferences showing a paired iPhone

Step 2

On your iPhone, turn on Personal Hotspot. Open the Settings app and tap Personal Hotspot, then toggle the switch on.

Step 3

Still in the Settings app on your iPhone, tap Bluetooth from the main menu and make sure the toggle is on. You should see your Mac listed under "My Devices."

iPhone Bluetooth settings showing a paired Mac under My Devices

Step 4

Now connect your Mac to your iPhone's Bluetooth network. There are two ways to do this:

Option A: Click the Bluetooth icon in the upper-right corner of your Mac's menu bar. If the icon isn't visible, go to System Preferences > Bluetooth to enable it in the menu bar. In the menu that appears, hover over your iPhone and click Connect to Network.

Mac menu bar Bluetooth menu showing the Connect to Network option for a paired iPhone

Option B: Go to System Preferences > Network. Select Bluetooth PAN from the left-hand list. If Bluetooth PAN isn't listed, click the + button and choose Bluetooth PAN from the interface popup menu. Then select your iPhone from the Device popup menu and click Connect.

Once connected, your Mac is using your iPhone's cellular connection through Bluetooth. Open Speedify and you should see the Bluetooth PAN connection appear in your connections list, ready to be combined with your other internet connections for faster upload and download speeds.

Did you know - Speedify's Pair & Share feature lets you share your iPhone's 4G/5G cellular connection with your Mac without any cables, and without the speed limitations of Bluetooth. Learn how to use Pair & Share with Speedify.