What iPhone USB and the other network entries on your Mac mean
Last checked: 20 Oct 2026 · macOS 26 & 27 · Source: Apple Support
Quick answer
These entries are normal: your Mac lists every connection it could use, such as iPhone USB or Thunderbolt Bridge, and marks the unused ones Not Connected. You can leave them as they are.
Why it happens
macOS adds a network entry for each way it can get online: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Thunderbolt Bridge for linking two Macs with a cable, and iPhone USB once you've connected an iPhone by cable. A USB or Thunderbolt adapter with a network port gets its own entry too. A red dot with Not Connected only means nothing is using that connection right now.
How to fix it
Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, and click Network in the sidebar.
Network
Look for the entry marked Connected. That's the one you're using, usually Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
Leave the rest alone. iPhone USB, Thunderbolt Bridge and the others do nothing until something is plugged in, and they don't slow down your Mac or your internet.
Still not fixed?
Prefer a tidier list? Control-click an entry you never use and choose Make Service Inactive. It stays in the list switched off, and Make Service Active turns it back on.
Network
Internet stopped working after you plugged in an iPhone or an adapter? The new entry may have jumped to the top. Click the three-dot button in Network settings, choose Set Service Order…, and drag Wi-Fi or Ethernet back to the top.
Network›⋯ (action menu)›Set Service Order…
Seeing a VPN you don't remember setting up? Click VPN in the sidebar to see its name. Work and school Macs often get one from their IT team, and VPN apps add their own entry.
VPN
If entries keep appearing that match nothing you own, or Network settings won't open, contact Apple Support. They can look through your Mac's network setup with you.
Questions people ask
What is iPhone USB in my Mac's network settings?
It's the connection your Mac uses to share an iPhone's mobile data over a cable, through Personal Hotspot. It appears after you've connected an iPhone and shows Not Connected the rest of the time.
What is Thunderbolt Bridge on a Mac?
It lets two Macs connected by a Thunderbolt cable talk to each other directly, for example to copy files fast. If you never do that, it simply sits there unused.
Why do the items in my Mac's network list have red dots?
Red with Not Connected means nothing is using that connection at the moment. It isn't an error. Only the connection you actually use needs to say Connected.
Can I delete network services I don't use?
You can, by Control-clicking one and choosing Delete Service, but there's no need. Make Service Inactive is the gentler choice because you can switch it back on the same way.
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