Yosemite updaters will need to wait for Monday's iOS 8.1 launch for SMS relay & Instant Hotspot
Users who have updated to Apple's newly launched OS X Yosemite Mac operating system won't be able to use the highly anticipated SMS relay or Instant Hotspot features for a few more days, as support can be found in the forthcoming iOS 8.1 update for iPhone.
Two of the most anticipated features of OS X Yosemite are Instant Hotspot and SMS relay, which fall under the "Continuity" banner of additions to the update. When paired with the upcoming iOS 8.1, users will be able to send and receive standard SMS text messages or MMS picture and video messages on their Mac when connected to a nearby iPhone, or automatically connect to their iPhone for data but preserve battery life and data use.
Apple revealed this week that iOS 8.1 is set to launch on Monday, marking the debut of Apple Pay for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. OS X Yosemite launched on the Mac App Store for free on Thursday.
Once iOS 8.1 is available, users looking to use the SMS relay feature will need to have iMessage enabled on both their Mac and iPhone. Then on the iPhone, open Settings, choose Messages, and turn on Text Message Forwarding.
After this feature is switched on, a user's Mac will display a code that must be entered on the iPhone to verify the SMS and MMS function.
SMS relay isn't just limited to Yosemite either --?after updating their devices to iOS 8.1, users will be able to send and receive standard text messages on a nearby, connected iPad or iPod touch.
As for Instant Hotspot, a nearby iPhone with tethering enabled through a carrier plan must be logged into the same Apple ID account. Simply select the Wi-Fi logo in the Mac taskbar and choose the iPhone to connect, with no need to access the phone and turn on Personal Hotspot.
While connected, the Mac will display the signal strength and battery life of the paired iPhone at the top of the Wi-Fi menu. And Apple's system attempts to conserve battery life and data use by automatically deactivating once a user stops accessing the Web.
Instant Hotspot is also smart enough to automatically ask users if they want to connect to their iPhone when there is no Wi-Fi available.
In addition to Yosemite, iOS 8.1 and a carrier tethering plan, Instant Hotspot will require an iPhone 5 or newer; a mid-2012 or newer MacBook Air or MacBook Pro; an iMac or Mac mini made since late 2012; or a late 2013 Mac Pro. Instant Hotspot can also be shared from an iPhone with a fourth-generation iPad or newer, any iPad mini model, or a fifth-generation iPod touch.
iOS 8.1 is currently available to developers for testing as a beta. The Instant Hotspot and SMS relay features currently work in the latest build, but the option to toggle text forwarding on and off is not present.
Two of the most anticipated features of OS X Yosemite are Instant Hotspot and SMS relay, which fall under the "Continuity" banner of additions to the update. When paired with the upcoming iOS 8.1, users will be able to send and receive standard SMS text messages or MMS picture and video messages on their Mac when connected to a nearby iPhone, or automatically connect to their iPhone for data but preserve battery life and data use.
Apple revealed this week that iOS 8.1 is set to launch on Monday, marking the debut of Apple Pay for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. OS X Yosemite launched on the Mac App Store for free on Thursday.
Once iOS 8.1 is available, users looking to use the SMS relay feature will need to have iMessage enabled on both their Mac and iPhone. Then on the iPhone, open Settings, choose Messages, and turn on Text Message Forwarding.
After this feature is switched on, a user's Mac will display a code that must be entered on the iPhone to verify the SMS and MMS function.
SMS relay isn't just limited to Yosemite either --?after updating their devices to iOS 8.1, users will be able to send and receive standard text messages on a nearby, connected iPad or iPod touch.
As for Instant Hotspot, a nearby iPhone with tethering enabled through a carrier plan must be logged into the same Apple ID account. Simply select the Wi-Fi logo in the Mac taskbar and choose the iPhone to connect, with no need to access the phone and turn on Personal Hotspot.
While connected, the Mac will display the signal strength and battery life of the paired iPhone at the top of the Wi-Fi menu. And Apple's system attempts to conserve battery life and data use by automatically deactivating once a user stops accessing the Web.
Instant Hotspot is also smart enough to automatically ask users if they want to connect to their iPhone when there is no Wi-Fi available.
In addition to Yosemite, iOS 8.1 and a carrier tethering plan, Instant Hotspot will require an iPhone 5 or newer; a mid-2012 or newer MacBook Air or MacBook Pro; an iMac or Mac mini made since late 2012; or a late 2013 Mac Pro. Instant Hotspot can also be shared from an iPhone with a fourth-generation iPad or newer, any iPad mini model, or a fifth-generation iPod touch.
iOS 8.1 is currently available to developers for testing as a beta. The Instant Hotspot and SMS relay features currently work in the latest build, but the option to toggle text forwarding on and off is not present.
Comments
Just hope it fixes some of the iPhone 6 issues, though I notice I haven't had the wifi disconnect/lockup issue in the past few days. I want my consistant multi-finger gestures back as well, they only work half the time on my iPad.
Not sure I understand - to be able to handoff iPhone calls I would need to enable the carrier tethering plan?
Tethering isn't involved, that's for using the Mac over cellular when away from Wifi. You can make phone calls from the Mac now with Yosemite. Simply make sure your iPhone is logged into FaceTime with your same Apple ID as your Mac. The iPhone has to be in close proximity to the Mac. Right click a phone number on your Mac and select Call using phone. That's it. Doesn't require iOS 8.1, just Yosemite on the Mac. I have not tried hand off yet, that may require 8.1.
Given that this was preinstalled on the new iPads I don't expect it to be very bug free.
Just hope it fixes some of the iPhone 6 issues, though I notice I haven't had the wifi disconnect/lockup issue in the past few days. I want my consistant multi-finger gestures back as well, they only work half the time on my iPad.
I've had some crazy odd issues with iOS 8 (and now 8.0.2) with my iPhone 6. Copy/Paste is hella screwed up. I can copy an item in Safari, then go to paste it and it pastes something from 2 or 3 "copies" ago. For example, in the past 30 minutes, I could have copied
1) Corvette
2) http://www.apple.com
3) Apple Insider
Apple Insider would be the most recent item that I have copied to paste into a field, but it will actually paste #1 or #2
Yeah, I have a lot of issues selecting text in Safari, as well as getting the copy/paste menu to stay on the screen more than one microsecond.
It sounds like a pain but whenever I get an iPhone doing things it shouldn't I have always found that a backup (not the apps, I simply re download them from 'purchased'), wipe to factory default (as if selling) then a re-installation from scratch, cures all and usually frees up a lot of space.
It sounds like a pain but whenever I get an iPhone doing things it shouldn't I have always found that a backup (not the apps, I simply re download them from 'purchased'), wipe to factory default (as if selling) then a re-installation from scratch, cures all and usually frees up a lot of space.
I did that after going to 8.0 on my iPad, didn't seem to help. My iPhone isn't even a month old, so...
It is a pain, and I sure hope 8.1 fixes this.
That indeed does take care of all 'pear-shaped bits' from earlier versions, but you'll lose your SMS history (as iMessage only restores what's in iCloud)
http://9to5mac.com/2014/10/17/icloud-photos-app/comment-page-1/#comment-218740
I just read it is 2015 ... but I don't know what to believe. Meanwhile my paid for 500 GIGs in iCloud Drive still isn't available ... I hit dead ends every time I try to get through to Apple Support on this. All iCloud Drive related paths are flagged as not yet available.
I will tell you why I like it ... because if I am using both hands on the Mac (mouse and keys) while talking someone through a procedure I have to put the phone on speaker anyway, so it is a lot easier to use the Mac. Kind of like driving a car with the hands free mode I guess. Plus i want to click and say "Mrs. Moneypenny, come in now please."
That procedure has been true since the first iPhone. Often issues are caused by data corruption in the directories just like a Mac. Wiping and starting over is the nearest thing there is to running Disk Warrior on a Mac drive, something I do weekly. Come to think of it the makers of DW should add the ability to check an iPhone and iPad attached to the Mac.
Wait, I don't really know why I would want to make a call with my Mac when my phone is sitting in close proximity. However, is this also supposed to work on an iPad? That I could actually see using.
I can think of numerous scenarios where this has come in handy:
1) I've forgotten my iPhone downstairs, but I'm upstairs on my MacBook Pro
2) iPhone is in my pocket, while I'm sitting at my desk on my MacBook Pro. Why bother pulling my iPhone out and when I can use two hands and keep working on my MacBook while using speakerphone
3) I'm working on my MacBook Pro and want to make a call... just pull up the contact on the computer and dial instead of using my iPhone directly
The Photos app for the Mac is indeed 'early 2015' but the viewing of your Photos in iCloud is supposedly coming this Monday:
That's awful. I'm guessing this is the result of such gargantuan HW & SW releases all directly after a keynote. I think I have downloaded over 16 gigs today from Apple alone.
What I never seem to read in any of these threads is that many of these new features will not work for a lot of people. Handoff requires bluetooth 4.0 LE. Dongles and adapters will not work. If you do not have this newer bluetooth, forgot about many of the cool new features.
Totally agree. More options are always better. The .... "I don't know where the iPhone is and by the time I run Find my iPhone, ping it and walk around and look under the sofa, I could have called from the Mac" ... is probably top of my list