Can I combine my Android and iPhone Internet connections on my Mac? Yes, with Speedify!

This article explains how to use both your iPhone and Android phone as tethered internet connections on your Mac, then combine them with Speedify for faster upload and download speeds and a more reliable connection.

What You'll Need

  • An iPhone with an active cellular data plan
  • An Android phone with an active cellular data plan
  • A USB cable for your iPhone and a USB cable for your Android phone
  • Speedify installed on your Mac
  • HoRNDIS, a third-party driver required for Android USB tethering on macOS

Let's Get Started

Step 1

Enable Personal Hotspot on your iPhone. A Personal Hotspot lets you share your iPhone's cellular data connection with other devices over Wi-Fi, USB, or Bluetooth.

On your iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Personal Hotspot, or Settings > Personal Hotspot, and toggle it on.

Note: If you don't see Personal Hotspot in Settings, contact your carrier to confirm it's included in your plan.

Need help with this step? Visit Apple's support page for more details.

Step 2

Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB cable. If a prompt appears on your iPhone asking "Trust This Computer?", tap Trust.

Next, open System Settings > Network (or System Preferences > Network on older macOS versions) and select iPhone USB from the list on the left. In the right pane, make sure the "Disable unless needed" checkbox is deselected.

Deselect 'Disable unless needed' in macOS Network settings

Need help with this step? Visit Apple's support page for more details.

Step 3

Install the HoRNDIS driver so your Mac can use your Android phone's USB tethering. HoRNDIS is a macOS driver that enables Android USB tethering.

Download HoRNDIS here and follow the installation instructions on that page.

Note: HoRNDIS doesn't have support for Apple Silicon macOS (M chip series).

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

Note: If your Android phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network, USB tethering will share that Wi-Fi connection, not your 4G/5G cellular connection. To share your cellular connection, make sure Wi-Fi is turned off and mobile data is enabled on your Android phone.

Back on your Mac, open System Settings > Network and select your Android phone from the list on the left. Make sure the "Disable unless needed" checkbox is deselected.

Note: Some carriers limit or charge extra for tethering. Check with your carrier before getting started. These steps require Android 9 or higher. You can check your Android version under Settings > About phone.

Need help with this step? Visit Google's support page for more details.

Step 4

Download and install Speedify on your Mac from speedify.com/download. Once Speedify is running, it will automatically detect your iPhone USB connection and your Android USB connection and begin combining them for faster upload and download speeds.

Speedify's Pair & Share Feature

If you'd prefer a wireless option for combining 4G/5G cellular connections, Speedify's Pair & Share feature lets you do this without any cables or extra drivers.

  1. Install Speedify on all your devices.
  2. Connect all devices to the same Wi-Fi network or local network.
  3. Open Speedify on one device, go to Pair & Share settings, and tap the device you want to pair with to send an invitation.
  4. Tap Accept on the other device.

Once paired, devices can share and receive each other's connections at the same time. All internet traffic between paired devices is fully encrypted, and you can set permissions, apply limits, or unpair devices at any time.

Did you know - Speedify can combine more than two internet connections at once? If you have a Wi-Fi connection available in addition to your two tethered phones, Speedify will use all three together for even faster upload and download speeds. Learn more about how Speedify works.