Increase Throughput and Reduce Latency on Mac by Combining Two Tethered Smartphones
You can tether an Android phone and an iPhone to a Mac at the same time and use both 4G/5G cellular connections together, for faster upload and download speeds and more reliable internet when there is no Wi-Fi or Ethernet around.
Speedify is an app that combines two or more internet connections at once, such as a tethered Android phone and a tethered iPhone, so you get faster downloads and uploads and stay online if one connection drops out. With one phone alone, Speedify works as an encrypted VPN and cannot make that connection faster. One thing to know first: many Android phones USB-tether to a current Mac with no extra driver, but not all, so try yours first. If it does not show up on your Mac, tether the iPhone over USB and join the Android phone’s Wi-Fi hotspot over the Mac’s Wi-Fi, or use the alternative at the end of this post.
Speedify uses every internet connection your device has, at the same time
Speedify is the only app available for all major platforms - Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android and OpenWrt - that combines your Wi-Fi, 4G / 5G cellular, wired, and even your friend’s phone signals – and turns them into one ultra-fast and super secure link that keeps you all connected for the best possible live streaming, video calling, or just posting to your favorite app.
Speedify can bond any number or combination of Internet connections and will intelligently distribute your online traffic among them for optimal performance. Plus, if you get disconnected from one of your connections in the middle of an important video call or file transfer, Speedify will seamlessly failover to your other working Internet connection(s) without skipping a beat.
NOTE: For best results, use Internet connections from different sources. In general, joining the same upstream network multiple times (such as the same router via Ethernet and Wi-Fi) will not improve performance.
How do I use WiFi and 4G/5G cellular at the same time with Speedify?
Pick your two internet connections and your device below and we'll take you to the step-by-step setup guide.
4 Steps to use 2 Tethered Smartphones on Your Mac: an Android and an iPhone
Step 1: Enable Personal Hotspot on your iOS device
Personal Hotspot shares the 4G/5G cellular connection of your iPhone or iPad with other devices over Wi-Fi, USB, or Bluetooth.
Open Settings, then tap Personal Hotspot (or Cellular > Personal Hotspot), and turn on Allow Others to Join. This screen also shows the Wi-Fi password. The Wi-Fi network name is the name of your iPhone or iPad.
Note: If you don't see Personal Hotspot, contact your carrier to make sure your plan includes it.
Step 2: Connect your iPhone to your Mac via USB
Connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac with a USB cable. If your iPhone or iPad asks "Trust This Computer?", tap Trust.
On your Mac, open System Settings > Network, click iPhone USB (or iPad USB), then click Details and turn off Disable Unless Needed. This keeps your Mac connected through your iPhone or iPad while it also uses your other internet connection.
On macOS 12 Monterey or earlier, open System Preferences > Network, select iPhone USB in the list on the left, and uncheck Disable unless needed.
Step 3: Connect your Android device to your Mac and enable USB tethering
Plug your Android phone into your Mac with a USB cable. macOS can use USB tethering from many Android phones without installing anything, but it does not work with every phone: it depends on the phone's maker and Android version. The quickest way to find out is to try it.
TURN ON USB TETHERING
- If your Mac asks whether to allow the accessory to connect, click Allow.
- On your Android phone, swipe down from the top of the screen, touch and hold Hotspot, and turn on USB tethering.
- On your Mac, open System Settings (System Preferences on older macOS) and click Network. Select your Android phone in the list and click Details. Uncheck Disable unless needed, then click OK. Do not skip this step: without it, your Mac only uses the phone when it has no other internet connection.
- Turn off Wi-Fi on your phone. A tethered Android phone shares the internet connection it is using, so with Wi-Fi on it shares that Wi-Fi instead of its 4G/5G cellular.
IF YOUR PHONE DOES NOT SHOW UP ON YOUR MAC
If your phone is not in your Mac's Network list after you turn on USB tethering, your phone's USB tethering does not work with macOS. Share its 4G/5G cellular over Wi-Fi instead: turn on your phone's Wi-Fi hotspot and join it from the Wi-Fi icon in your Mac's menu bar. If your Mac's Wi-Fi is already in use, for example on your Starlink Wi-Fi, install Speedify on your phone too and connect it to the same Wi-Fi network. Speedify's cellular sharing then shares your phone's 4G/5G cellular with your Mac over that network.
Step 4: Download and Install Speedify
Last but certainly not least, download and install Speedify. Once running, Speedify will automatically detect any available Internet connections and combine them for increased speed, security, and stability.
Need to keep several devices connected in areas with limited or spotty network coverage, like event venues, remote locations or when traveling? Get consistent and uninterrupted online activity for all your devices using Speedify's cellular sharing functionality, which allows you to share cellular data between multiple devices wirelessly.
By pairing devices, you can effectively distribute your cellular connection across them, improving overall performance, especially when other network options like Wi-Fi may be slow or unstable.
You can manage settings, view statistics, and even apply limits to individual connections by either clicking/tapping on them from the Dashboard or by navigating to the desired connection through the main Settings menu.
Speedify will work quietly in the background to optimize performance including prioritizing streaming web traffic to avoid stuttering, buffering and disconnects.
Whether at home, work, or on-the-go, Speedify is the only VPN that makes your online experiences faster, more reliable, and more secure.
Alternative: Combine Tethered iPhone and Tethered Android on Mac Easier
Want an even easier (and wireless) way of bonding 4G / 5G cellular connections? Use the Speedify's cellular sharing feature!
- Install Speedify on all devices
- Join the same Wi-Fi or local network
- Pull up the Pair & Share cellular sharing settings in Speedify and tap on the desired device to send an invitation to pair
- Tap accept on the other device
Once paired, both devices can share AND receive each other’s connections simultaneously. The more devices you pair with, the more connections you’ll have access to!
Traffic between devices is fully encrypted, and you always maintain full control over which devices can do what - set permissions, limits, or unpair from other devices at any time.
Speedify
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Speedify combines Wi-Fi, 4G/5G cellular, Ethernet, Starlink and satellite into one faster, more reliable internet connection. Free to try: 5 GB a month with a free account. No credit card required.
🚀 Speed
Faster uploads and downloads, because Speedify uses all your internet connections at once.
📶 Stability
If one internet connection drops, Speedify moves your traffic to the others in milliseconds.
🔒 Security
AES-256 encryption on every internet connection, on any network you join.
15M+ downloads worldwide. 75K+ five-star reviews on iOS and Android.