What Does USB Tethering Mean And How Does It Work?

Connecting to the internet has never been easier in today's age. Given how it's practically impossible to go through day-to-day life without a smartphone in modern society, you'd be hard-pressed to find yourself in a location that doesn't give you some way of accessing the internet, even while flying. But while phones can usually find some means of accessing the internet wirelessly, the same can't always be said for other devices, which is where a handy trick called USB tethering can prove useful. 

Simply put, USB tethering is a process in which a smartphone shares its internet connection with another device through a USB connection. For example, if you're trying to work on your laptop at school or in the library but are unable to connect to the Wi-Fi, you can plug your phone into the computer to have it feed off the phone's mobile network connection for the time being. Think of it as similar to using a mobile hotspot, but instead of connecting devices wirelessly through Bluetooth, you're using a physical USB cord. 

Of course, this method comes with some advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, it generally provides a faster and more secure connection, which can be especially important in public areas. It also provides a method of charging your phone, making it more battery efficient than using your hotspot. However, it can come with limitations as you won't be able to move about as freely, and a sudden disconnection will rob you of internet access. Additionally, this process can only be applied to one device at a time, whereas mobile hotspots allow family and friends to connect simultaneously if needed. 

USB tethering is a pretty simple concept and is similarly easy to execute among different smartphones. However, as you might imagine, there are some differences between how USB tethering works on Androids and iPhones. For the most part, the general process is the same, but it's worth mentioning the nuanced differences that come with accessing this feature on both sets of devices. 

With that said, here's how to USB tether with an Android phone, which is a process not too different from setting up its hotspot:

1. Plug your phone into the computer or other device with your USB cord. 
2. When you see the notification appear at the top of the screen, swipe down to access it.
3. Find the Hotspot symbol and hold it. 
4. Once you access this, you'll find the USB tethering setting. Turn this on.

When you're done, USB tethering should turn off on its own, as the setting will only activate when connected to another device. It's important to note that you can not tether an Android phone to a Mac natively. The only way to do this is through the use of a third-party driver such as HoRNDIS. From there, your Android device should show up as one of the Networks available to your Mac, to which you can select to get connected. 

Of course, the same Mac compatibility issue that plagues Android devices is absent in iPhones. Like Androids, USB tethering on iPhones is extremely easy. iPhones also come with the added benefit of being incredibly secure, which is especially important if you find yourself plugging your phone into a device that you're unfamiliar with. 

Here's how to USB tether with an iPhone:

1. Connect your iPhone to the device.
2. An alert reading "Trust This Computer?" will appear on your phone. If you are confident that the device you're connecting to is safe, select "Trust." 
3. A similar notification may appear on the computer asking, "Allow accessory to connect?" Select "Allow." 
4. Enter your iPhone Settings and go to Personal Hotspot. 
5. Toggle on Personal Hotspot. You can choose to either enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth or only allow USB. 

iPhones have no issue with USB tethering with Windows computers, although the steps are slightly altered. After connecting your iPhone, you'll go to your PC's Network settings and select Ethernet. After that, your iPhone should appear as a network option. Select it and enter the hotspot password if prompted.