iTether App Pulled From App Store

itether
Just hours after becoming the top-grossing app on the App Store, tethering app iTether has been removed by Apple. The $14.99 app, which went live on the App Store last night, allowed users to share their iPhone's internet connection with their Mac or PC computer over USB. With iTether, users could bypass a $20/month service offered by cellular providers for tethering services.

In 2008, Apple briefly approved another tethering app called Netshare but, as with iTether, quickly pulled it from the App Store. The approval of iTether may have been an oversight by Apple, but there has been no official word yet on the reason for the removal. As in the case of Netshare, it should continue to work for those who bought it before it was pulled.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
imac video apple feature

Apple Makes Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever

Tuesday February 3, 2026 12:45 pm PST by
Apple recently acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to Financial Times sources. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014. This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019....
iOS 26 Home Feature

Apple Gives Final Warning to Home App Users

Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching. In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...
maxresdefault

M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro Launch Imminent as Reseller Stock Dwindles

Tuesday February 3, 2026 12:12 pm PST by
New M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models are slated to launch in the near future, according to information shared with MacRumors by an Apple Premium Reseller. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The third-party Apple retailer said that MacBook Pro stock is very low currently because there is an imminent new product introduction. Apple typically coordinates supply with...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...

Top Rated Comments

Small White Car Avatar
185 months ago
I don't think it was a mistake. Apple seemed to understand exactly what it did before they put it in the store.

My guess is that they were pushing the limits with the carriers to see if they complained. Of course, they did, but perhaps Apple wanted to make them have to complain, just to let them know that Apple could totally allow this if they wanted to.

Perhaps some future pricing negotiations are going on right now and Apple wanted to let them know who really has the power right now.

I dunno. Far fetched? Maybe. Or maybe not.
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BMcCoy Avatar
185 months ago
In other words, someone high up in a carrier company just phoned Tim to rant..
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
reden Avatar
185 months ago
Thought they said they talked it over with Apple, and it will stay. I wonder if they said that just for the hell of it.:rolleyes:
Dude, the app's name has the word TETHER in it. I would think it would have raised some red flags at Apple.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlkFoo Avatar
185 months ago
IMO- the "tethering" fees from the carriers are a racket. Talk about double-dipping. To a degree I can understand the tethering to a PC or Mac be troublesome for carriers... but from a handheld/mobile device to another (i.e. iPhone to iPad), seems ridiculous. Excluding the under 5% (not a fact, just gestimate) of people that will run all of their interent (specifically their PC's/Desktops) through a 3G signal (who would want to) most people would just like to have access on the rare occasion they are out away from their own home wifi signal. At least, that's what I would think.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
miles01110 Avatar
185 months ago
Not really sure how you miss this in the first place.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jordanwar Avatar
185 months ago
Tether claims "We were very clear with Apple what our app did. They asked us a bunch of questions and then approved us." So it may not be getting pulled.:confused:
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)