Can I combine Wi-Fi and my iPhone's Internet connection on Ubuntu Linux? Yes, with Speedify!

This article explains how to combine your Wi-Fi connection and your iPhone's 4G/5G cellular connection on Ubuntu Linux using Speedify, so you get faster upload and download speeds and a more reliable internet connection.

What You'll Need

  • An Ubuntu Linux computer connected to a Wi-Fi network
  • An iPhone with an active cellular data plan that supports Personal Hotspot
  • A USB cable to connect your iPhone to your Ubuntu computer
  • Speedify installed on your Ubuntu computer

Let's Get Started

Step 1

Connect your Ubuntu computer to a Wi-Fi network. Click the arrow in the top-right corner of your screen (the System Menu), then select Wi-Fi > Select Network and choose your network. Private networks will ask you to enter a password before connecting.

Need help with this step? Visit the Ubuntu knowledge base to learn more.

Step 2

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

On your iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Personal Hotspot (or Settings > Personal Hotspot) and turn the switch on.

From this screen you can also check the name of your iPhone (which acts as the hotspot name) and set or confirm the hotspot password.

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

Need help with this step? Visit Apple's knowledge base to learn more.

Step 3

Connect your iPhone to your Ubuntu computer using a USB cable. If your iPhone shows an alert that says "Trust This Computer?", tap Trust.

Once connected, your Ubuntu computer will recognize the tethered connection. You can confirm it worked by opening the System Menu in the top-right corner of your screen, where it should appear as a Wired Connection.

Note: There is a known issue where USB tethering from an iPhone to Ubuntu may not work on iOS 14. If you're running iOS 14 and run into trouble, see this Apple community thread for more details.

Step 4

Download and install Speedify on your Ubuntu computer if you haven't already. Once Speedify is running, it will automatically detect both your Wi-Fi connection and your tethered iPhone connection and start combining them.

You can manage each connection individually, view real-time statistics, and set per-connection speed limits by clicking on any connection from the Speedify dashboard or navigating to it through the main Settings menu.

Alternative: Share Your iPhone's Connection Wirelessly with Pair & Share

If you'd prefer a wireless approach, Speedify's Pair & Share feature lets you combine a 4G/5G cellular connection from one device with the internet connection on another, without a USB cable.

  1. Install Speedify on all devices you want to pair.
  2. Make sure all devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network or local network.
  3. Open Speedify's Pair & Share settings and tap the device you want to pair with to send an invitation.
  4. Accept the invitation on the other device.

Once paired, both devices can share and receive each other's internet 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 just two internet connections at once? Add a USB network adapter, a second phone, or any other available connection to get even faster upload and download speeds. Learn how to combine multiple internet connections with Speedify.