Android USB tethering on a Mac: what works, and what to use instead

Android USB tethering does not work with a Mac. Google's help page says so in one line: "Mac computers can't tether with Android by USB." To share your Android phone's internet with a MacBook, turn on the phone's Wi-Fi hotspot and join it from the Mac's Wi-Fi menu. Bluetooth tethering is the other option Google documents, but Google's Pixel help page rules it out for current Macs as well. The one-click Instant Hotspot that Mac owners hear about is an Apple feature for iPhones and iPads, and Android's own version is for other Android devices.

What does Google say about tethering to a Mac?

Google's page, Share a mobile connection by hotspot or tethering on Android, describes three ways to share a phone's mobile data: Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth tethering, and USB tethering. Under USB it carries this note: "Important: Mac computers can't tether with Android by USB."

Google gives no reason and no workaround. The page also says that some of its steps only work on Android 14 and up, and warns that some mobile carriers limit or charge extra for tethering. Check your plan before you lean on this for a working day.

How do I use my Android phone's hotspot on a MacBook?

On the phone, following Google's steps:

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen.
2. Touch and hold the Hotspot icon. If it is not there, Google says to edit your Quick Settings and add it.
3. Turn on Wi-Fi hotspot.
4. Tap the hotspot's name or password to see or change it.

On a Samsung, OnePlus, or other non-Pixel phone the labels may differ. Look in Settings for a section about hotspot and tethering.

On the Mac, following Apple's Wi-Fi guide:

1. Click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar.
2. Choose the phone's hotspot name. If you do not see it, click Other Networks.
3. Enter the hotspot password and click Join.

That is the whole procedure. To the Mac, the phone is an ordinary Wi-Fi network. Google says a Wi-Fi hotspot can share the phone's mobile data with up to 10 other devices.

Can I tether over Bluetooth?

Not on a current Mac. Google's Pixel version of the same page says: "Mac computers that runs macOS Monterey and up can't tether with Android through Bluetooth." macOS Monterey came out in 2021, so that covers every Mac that can run The Relay or any recent software.

Google's general Android page still lists Bluetooth tethering as a method and gives the steps: pair your phone with the other device, set up the other device's network connection with Bluetooth, then touch and hold the Hotspot icon on the phone and turn on Bluetooth tethering. Those steps are for other kinds of computers. Pairing the phone with the Mac still works, as Apple's page on connecting a Bluetooth device describes, but the pairing will not carry the phone's internet connection.

So for a Mac the answer is the Wi-Fi hotspot. If that is the part giving you trouble, see Android hotspot not working on a Mac.

Is there an Instant Hotspot for Android and Mac?

No. There are two features with nearly the same name, and neither covers this pair.

Apple's Instant Hotspot. Apple's Mac guide, Share the internet connection from your iPhone or iPad with your Mac, describes it as using the iPhone's Personal Hotspot when the Mac has no Wi-Fi network. Apple's Continuity page puts it this way: "Your Mac can remotely activate the Personal Hotspot on your iPhone when they are near each other." It is tied to Apple devices. The guide does not mention any other kind of phone.

Google's instant hotspot. Google's page, Connect personal devices automatically to Wi-Fi and instant hotspots, describes a feature that is part of cross-device services. Both devices have to be signed in to the same Google Account with cross-device services turned on, and the page talks about Android devices throughout. It does not mention a Mac.

So with an Android phone and a Mac you turn the hotspot on by hand, each time. You can make that quicker by keeping the Hotspot tile in the first row of the phone's Quick Settings.

How do I stop the hotspot draining my battery?

Google's page has three suggestions:

• Plug your devices in while tethering.
• Turn tethering off when you are done.
• If your phone offers it, turn on the setting that switches the hotspot off automatically when no devices are connected.

The first one is where a USB cable is still useful. USB will not carry the internet connection to a Mac, but plugging the phone into the Mac charges it while the hotspot runs over Wi-Fi.

Keep an eye on data use as well. If your plan has a data limit, pause large downloads and cloud sync apps on the Mac before you connect.

Why is the Mac not connecting to my Android hotspot?

Does The Relay help with tethering?

No. The Relay does not share the phone's internet connection and does not control the hotspot. It will not turn your hotspot on from the Mac the way Instant Hotspot does with an iPhone. If hotspot control is the only thing you are missing, there is nothing to buy from us.

What The Relay does is the rest of the list Apple gives iPhone owners: a clipboard shared both ways, incoming texts and login codes on the Mac, the phone's notifications, incoming calls, link handoff, file browsing, and the phone's camera as a webcam. It works over your own Wi-Fi network, with Bluetooth as a fallback. The full picture of what does and does not work between the two devices is in does a MacBook work with Android.

Questions people ask

Why does Android USB tethering not work on my Mac?

Google's tethering help page states that Mac computers cannot tether with Android by USB. It does not give a reason. Use the phone's Wi-Fi hotspot, which a Mac joins like any other Wi-Fi network.

Can I connect a MacBook to an Android hotspot?

Yes. Turn on Wi-Fi hotspot on the phone, then choose its name in the Mac's Wi-Fi menu and enter the password. This is the method both Google's and Apple's pages support.

Is there an Instant Hotspot for Android phones and Macs?

No. Apple's Instant Hotspot works with an iPhone or a cellular iPad. Google's instant hotspot works between devices signed in to the same Google Account with cross-device services, and its page does not mention Macs.

Does tethering cost extra?

It can. Google's page warns that some mobile carriers limit or charge extra for tethering. Your carrier's plan details are the only reliable answer.