Get Higher Bandwidth and Minimize Latency by Combining Starlink with Tethered Android on macOS
On a Mac, an Android phone’s 4G/5G cellular can run alongside Starlink at the same time, so the phone covers for Starlink when it slows down or drops.
Speedify is an app that combines two or more internet connections at once, such as Starlink and an Android phone’s 4G/5G cellular connection, so you get faster uploads and downloads and stay online if one connection drops. The phone is what makes that work: on Starlink alone, Speedify works as an encrypted VPN and cannot stop Starlink itself from dropping.
This guide shows how to combine Starlink with a tethered Android phone on macOS using Speedify. Many Android phones USB-tether to a current Mac with no extra driver, but not all: it depends on the phone’s maker and Android version, so try yours first. If your phone does not show up on your Mac, step 2 shows how to share its 4G/5G cellular another way.
Note: Combine internet connections from different sources. Connecting to the same router over both Wi-Fi and Ethernet does not add speed, because both share one internet connection.
3 Steps to Combine Starlink Internet and Tethered Android on a Mac
Step 1: Connect to Your Starlink Wi-Fi Hotspot
First, set up your Starlink with the instructions that came in the box. This includes your Starlink Wi-Fi network name and password.
On your Mac, click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar and turn Wi-Fi on if it is off. Choose your Starlink Wi-Fi network and enter its password to connect.
Step 2: Connect the 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 3: Download and Install Speedify
Download and install Speedify. Speedify is an app that combines your Starlink with the other internet connections on your device, so your internet is faster, more reliable, and more secure.
Once running, Speedify finds your internet connections on its own and splits your traffic across them. If Starlink drops, Speedify moves your traffic to the internet connections that still work. Video calls and live streams get priority over background downloads and updates.
To see how each internet connection is doing, or to set a data limit on one, click or tap it in Speedify.
Speedify's cellular sharing adds more 4G/5G cellular: phones and computers running Speedify on the same local network share their 4G/5G cellular with each other.
Speedify
Get started with Speedify today.
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.