How to Start macOS Recovery and Connect to the Internet Without Wi-Fi

A step-by-step guide to entering macOS Recovery and three ways to get internet access even when Wi-Fi is missing.

Mar 20, 2026 mac, macos 6 min read

Previously, I wrote about how to restore the missing Wi-Fi icon in macOS Recovery. That solution works just fine for most Mac users.

But recently, in March 2026, Apple released the new MacBook Air M5 and MacBook Pro M5. They look like great machines, but I’ve received a lot of reports from people who are unable to activate their M5 Macs.

You see, some people use Migration Assistant to set up their new MacBook M5. They want to transfer data from their old Mac to the new one. From what I gathered, everything goes smoothly until they reach the Activation screen in macOS Recovery.

Activate Mac

Select a Wi-Fi network from the menu or attach a network cable to proceed

The Wi-Fi icon is missing from the menu bar. They try restarting the Mac. They try re-entering macOS Recovery. But nothing works.

In that case, the only solution I can think of is using wired internet access.

There are multiple ways to do that—you can choose whichever is the most convenient for you.

Not in the mood for reading? Watch the video instead.

How to Enter macOS Recovery

First things first, let’s get into macOS Recovery mode the correct way.

Turn off your Mac by clicking Shut Down
Wait until your Mac is completely off
Press and hold the Power button
Your Mac will show: Continue holding for startup options… — keep holding
Keep holding until you see Loading startup options…
Release the power button once you see a spinning wheel
You’ll now see two options: Macintosh HD and Options
Click Options, then click Continue

If you’ve already set up a user account, it may sometimes ask for your password. Just enter your Mac password and click Continue.

And that’s it—you’re now inside macOS Recovery.

Normally, to access the internet from macOS Recovery, you would use the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar.

But in our case, the Wi-Fi icon is missing. If even after restarting and re-entering macOS Recovery (or rage-clicking everything in the menu bar) you still don’t see the Wi-Fi icon, then the only solution is wired internet access.

So here are a few workarounds that actually work. Let’s go through them one by one.

Method 1: Direct Ethernet Connection (Simplest)

This is the easiest and most reliable method. Chances are you’re using a home or office internet connection, so you probably have access to your router directly from your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

If you’re a power user or a system administrator, you probably already know what to do. But for anyone who isn’t familiar, here’s what you need:

A network router with internet access and an RJ45 / Ethernet port
1x USB-C to Ethernet adapter
1x Ethernet cable

Once you have those items, here’s what to do:

Plug the Ethernet cable into your router
Connect the other end to the USB-C Ethernet adapter
Plug the adapter into your Mac
Wait a few seconds—it takes time to establish a connection
Open a web browser from macOS Recovery to check if you’re online
If it’s still not connected, try unplugging and plugging it back in

MacBook connected with router using USB-C to Ethernet Adapter

That’s it. No additional setup needed. If you can browse the internet from macOS Recovery, you can activate your Mac.

Method 2: Ethernet Tethering from Android

This method is suitable for anyone who doesn’t have direct access to a router. Maybe you’re living in an apartment or staying in a hotel.

In that case, the only way to get wired internet access is from a smartphone.

Unfortunately, you can’t use an iPhone because macOS Recovery doesn’t support USB tethering. What you need is Ethernet tethering.

Currently, only Android 11 or later supports Ethernet tethering.

So here’s what you need:

Now follow these steps to get your Mac online using the Android phone:

Connect your Android phone to the internet (Wi-Fi or LTE/5G mobile data)
Connect both adapters using the Ethernet cable
Plug one adapter into your Mac
Plug the other adapter into your Android phone

Now let’s configure your Android phone to activate the Ethernet tethering. I’m using Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite to test this. If you’re using different device, the terms might be slightly different.

Open Settings
Go to Connections

Tap Mobile Hotspot and Tethering

You’ll see Ethernet Tethering, usually grayed out by default
Wait until it becomes available, then enable it

Once you enable Ethernet Tethering from your Android phone, go back to your Mac. Your Mac should now be online, and you can activate it.

If you have a second Mac nearby, you can share its internet. This method is very similar to the Ethernet tethering method explained earlier.

But instead of using an Android phone, you’ll use another Mac.

Here’s what you need:

Another Mac with internet access
1x Thunderbolt / USB4 cable

If you don’t have a Thunderbolt cable, you can also use:

2x USB-C Ethernet adapters
1x Ethernet cable

Now enable Internet Sharing on the other Mac:

Make sure your Mac is connected to the internet via Wi-Fi
Open System Settings
Go to General > Sharing

Scroll until you see Internet Sharing
Click the (i) button—an Internet Sharing window will appear

Choose Wi-Fi as Share your connection from
Select Thunderbolt Bridge (or other interface you plan to use) under To devices using
Enable the toggle next to Internet Sharing

A confirmation dialog will show up, just click Turn On button.

Now connect both Macs using:

Ethernet adapters + cable or
Thunderbolt / USB4 cable

Your Mac in Recovery mode will use the internet from the other Mac.

I couldn’t test this one myself recently because I don’t have another Mac nearby. But some users reported that this method works. The concept is the same as the Android method.

If you decided to use this method, let me know in the comments below how it went.