Ethernet and tethering

Connect a Mac to an iPhone hotspot with a USB cable

Q: Does the Mac treat USB tethering as expensive?

Find out with nettop -P -l 1 -t expensive while apps use the network. If no process appears, pause sync and updates by hand. See Make a Mac treat a network as metered.

Q: Can I add the service from Terminal?

Yes. sudo networksetup -detectnewhardware finds new network hardware and creates a default service for it. It needs an administrator password.

A USB cable gives a Mac the iPhone's internet connection and charges the iPhone. The Mac shows the connection as the iPhone USB network service.

Applies to: macOS 13 Ventura and later for the System Settings steps. Earlier versions use System Preferences > Network.Checked: 29 October 2026

Symptoms

The iPhone is connected with a cable, but the Mac has no internet.
iPhone USB does not appear in Network settings.
iPhone USB appears, but it is not connected.

Likely causes

The Mac is not trusted. The iPhone asks “Trust This Computer?” the first time. Without Trust, the Mac cannot use the connection.
The service is missing or inactive. The iPhone USB network service can be missing or turned off in Network settings.
Personal Hotspot is not available. The carrier plan must include Personal Hotspot, and Cellular Data must be on.
Out-of-date software. Apple recommends that you update macOS first.

How to check

Connect the iPhone to the Mac with a USB cable.
If the iPhone asks to trust the computer, tap Trust. Enter the passcode if it asks.
Make sure that the iPhone appears in the Finder sidebar.
Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Network. Look for iPhone USB.
List the network services from Terminal. An asterisk means that a service is inactive.
```
networksetup -listnetworkserviceorder
```

How to fix it

Update macOS. Choose Apple menu > System Settings > General > Software Update.
If iPhone USB is in the list, click it. Click Make Inactive, then click Make Active.
If iPhone USB is not in the list, add it. In Network settings, click the Action pop-up menu, then choose Add Service.
Choose iPhone USB from the Interface pop-up menu. Click Create.
Restart the iPhone and the Mac if the connection still does not work.

With Kilobat

If macOS does not mark the tethered connection as metered, mark it in Kilobat.
```
kilobat networks cost metered
```
Then see which apps use the data, and set a budget. See See which app uses data on a hotspot and Set a monthly data budget that resets on renewal day.

Questions

Does the Mac treat USB tethering as expensive?

Find out with nettop -P -l 1 -t expensive while apps use the network. If no process appears, pause sync and updates by hand. See Make a Mac treat a network as metered.

Can I add the service from Terminal?

Yes. sudo networksetup -detectnewhardware finds new network hardware and creates a default service for it. It needs an administrator password.

Sources

Apple Support: If Personal Hotspot is not working on your iPhone or iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular)
Apple Support: Share the internet connection from your iPhone or iPad with your Mac
Apple Support: Set up a network service on Mac
networksetup(8), man page installed with macOS 27.2

Sources checked on 29 October 2026. Man pages are the ones installed with macOS; open one with man <name> in Terminal.