Can I combine Ethernet and my Android phone's Internet connection on my Mac? Yes, Speedify can help!

This article explains how to use Speedify on your Mac to combine your wired Ethernet connection with your Android phone's cellular connection, so you get faster speeds and stay online even if one connection drops.

What You'll Need

• A Mac connected to the internet with an Ethernet cable
• An Android phone with a data plan
• A way to tether the phone to your Mac (see the note below)

Important: Tethering your Android over USB needs a driver called HoRNDIS. That driver only works on macOS Mojave (10.14) and older, and it does not work at all on Apple Silicon Macs. If your Mac is newer, use one of these instead:

• Connect your Mac to your Android's Wi-Fi hotspot. Since Ethernet is your wired connection, your Mac's Wi-Fi is free for this. This is the easiest option.
• Tether your Android over Bluetooth. It works on current versions of macOS.
• Use Speedify's Pair & Share feature to add your phone's cellular connection wirelessly. See the section at the end of this article.

Step 1: Connect your Ethernet cable to your Mac

Connect an Ethernet cable between your router or modem and the Ethernet port on your Mac. In most cases, you'll be online right away. If your Mac doesn't have a built-in Ethernet port, use a USB to Ethernet adapter or a Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet adapter.

Step 2: Connect your Android device to your Mac and enable USB tethering

(This step only works on macOS Mojave and older. On newer Macs, use one of the options in the note above.)

Your Mac needs extra software to talk to your Android's USB tethering mode.

INSTALL THIRD-PARTY DRIVER

HoRNDIS is a macOS driver that lets your Mac use your Android's USB tethering. Download and installation instructions are here.

ENABLE USB TETHERING

Once the driver is installed, connect your Android to your Mac with a USB cable. On your phone, swipe down from the top of the screen, touch and hold Hotspot, then turn on USB tethering.

Next, on your Mac, open System Preferences and click Network. Select your Android device in the list on the left. In the right pane, uncheck "Disable unless needed" under Status.

Note: If your Android phone is connected to Wi-Fi while tethering, it will share that Wi-Fi connection instead of its cellular data. To add the phone's cellular connection, turn on mobile data and turn off Wi-Fi on the phone.

Note: Some mobile carriers limit tethering or charge extra for it. Check with your carrier first. Some of these steps only work on Android 9 and up.

Step 3: Download and Install Speedify

Download and install Speedify. Once it's running, Speedify finds your Ethernet and your tethered Android connection on its own and combines them. You don't need to set anything up. If one connection slows down or drops, Speedify keeps you online with the other.

Alternative: Combine Ethernet and Tethered Android on Mac Easier

Speedify's Pair & Share feature lets your Mac borrow your Android's cellular connection with no cable and no driver. It works on any Mac that runs Speedify, including the newest ones.

1. Install Speedify on all devices
2. Join the same Wi-Fi or local network
3. Pull up the Pair & Share settings in Speedify and tap on the desired device to send an invitation to pair
4. Tap accept on the other device

Once paired, both devices can share and receive each other's connections at the same time. The more devices you pair with, the more connections you have. Traffic between paired devices is fully encrypted, and you stay in control: set permissions, set limits, or unpair at any time.