Continuity tips: How to enable or disable iPhone cellular calls on Mac & iPad

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited April 2015
Made available with iOS 8, Continuity and Handoff on iOS and the Mac enable users to receive SMS messages, phone calls, and more across devices. First in our series of tips, here's how to turn on (or off) phone call forwarding to your Mac and iPad.




System and device requirements for Continuity differ depending on the feature in question. For iPhone Cellular Calls, any iOS device running iOS 8 or newer and any Mac that supports Yosemite will work. Your iPhone must be also be running iOS 8 or newer and have an activated carrier plan.

To begin, make sure you are signed into the same iCloud account across devices. On iOS, go to Settings > iCloud to see what account is active.




On a Mac, go to System Preferences > iCloud and be sure you are signed in with the same account as your other iOS devices.




All devices that users would like to setup for phone calling must all be on the same Wi-Fi network.

In addition to being signed into the same iCloud account, you must also check what account is associated with Facetime on iOS and the Mac. On iPhone and iPad, go to Settings > FaceTime and make sure the Apple ID here is synonymous with the iCloud account on all devices.




On a Mac, open the FaceTime application, go to FaceTime > Preferences and check to be sure your iCloud account is signed in.




Once you have confirmed that the iCloud account on all devices and Apple ID in all FaceTime settings are the same, enable iPhone Cellular Calls starting with your iPhone. Go back to Settings > FaceTime and enable iPhone Cellular Calls.




On iPad, go to Settings > FaceTime and enable iPhone Cellular Calls. You'll be required to verify the device with a four digit code sent to your iPhone.




Then on the Mac, open FaceTime, navigate to preferences and check the box for iPhone Cellular Calls. You will be asked to verify the device as with the iPad.

With iPhone Cellular Calling enabled across devices, providing all devices are on the same Wi-Fi network, an incoming call will ring every device. Users can answer or decline the call from any device as well.







To initiate a call from your Mac, click the phone icon next to a contact in the address book or click a phone number in Safari or Calendar and select Call using iPhone.







To deactivate cellular calls on Mac , return to the FaceTime application > Preference and uncheck the iPhone Cellular Calls box. On iPad, go to Settings > FaceTime and turn off iPhone Cellular Calls from there.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    red oakred oak Posts: 1,088member
    This continuity features requires your iCloud and FaceTime to use the same AppleID. Mine are different, by design. (I use the same AppleID for iTunes, FaceTime and iMessage)

    I hope this is an issue Apple addresses. It is the first time I've come across that using two IDs locks me out of a major feature
  • Reply 2 of 16
    dugbugdugbug Posts: 283member
    note also your facetime settings have a hidden requirement that you can be contacted by your email address as well as the phone #. Otherwise you get an obtuse error about not using the same id.
  • Reply 3 of 16
    stephenroblesstephenrobles Posts: 91member, moderator, editor
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Red Oak View Post



    This continuity features requires your iCloud and FaceTime to use the same AppleID. Mine are different, by design. (I use the same AppleID for iTunes, FaceTime and iMessage)



    I hope this is an issue Apple addresses. It is the first time I've come across that using two IDs locks me out of a major feature



    It is a strange requirement. Maybe a change will come in iOS 9

  • Reply 4 of 16
    donathiusdonathius Posts: 23member
    You don't have to have bluetooth on for phone->computer if they're on the same wifi network. I never turn bluetooth on and I use this all the time - just made a call like this a few minutes ago.
  • Reply 5 of 16
    stephenroblesstephenrobles Posts: 91member, moderator, editor
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Donathius View Post



    You don't have to have bluetooth on for phone->computer if they're on the same wifi network. I never turn bluetooth on and I use this all the time - just made a call like this a few minutes ago.



    Thanks for the tip, will update the article: https://support.apple.com/kb/PH18756?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

  • Reply 6 of 16
    spineyspiney Posts: 2member
    If you turn in the iPhone Cellular Calls setting it will disable WiFi calling. That's a deal breaker if you're a T-Mobile customer that's using that to overcome signal limitations.
  • Reply 7 of 16
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    I had to turn this off, first on my iPad and then on my Mac. It is a good / fun idea but just got in the way. At work the mac would keep ringing after I answered the call on my cell so I always had to turn the volume off. Sometimes it never even stopped and I'd have to hang up on the computer after the call was finished (I tend to leave my desk and walk when I answer calls). At home it got annoying when my iPad upstairs AND my iPhone were ringing at the same time. 99.99+% of times I prefer to answer my calls on the phone.

    I like the feature and can see a use - but not for me.
  • Reply 8 of 16
    yasmin galeayasmin galea Posts: 2member
    Thank you for the guide but no matter how many times I try it still won't work appropriately. I can answer calls on my Mac and iPad but i can't phone form my mac or iPad whilst my iPhone is nearby. Mysteries that drive me nuts.
  • Reply 9 of 16
    stephenroblesstephenrobles Posts: 91member, moderator, editor
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by paxman View Post



    I had to turn this off, first on my iPad and then on my Mac. It is a good / fun idea but just got in the way. At work the mac would keep ringing after I answered the call on my cell so I always had to turn the volume off. Sometimes it never even stopped and I'd have to hang up on the computer after the call was finished (I tend to leave my desk and walk when I answer calls). At home it got annoying when my iPad upstairs AND my iPhone were ringing at the same time. 99.99+% of times I prefer to answer my calls on the phone.



    I like the feature and can see a use - but not for me.



    I find it very delayed when my Mac is ringing and I've already answered on my iPhone. For some reason, when I attempt to call from my Mac, people on the other end can't hear me. I have various audio peripherals connected and can't tell what audio device the call is using.

  • Reply 10 of 16
    flam1111flam1111 Posts: 10member
    The one big thing I didn't like about using Continuity to make a call is that you can not access the dial-pad once the call started (e.g., once you dial to an 800 number, you can't hit "0" to speak to an operator). Or at least I can't figure out.
  • Reply 11 of 16
    john galtjohn galt Posts: 960member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by flam1111 View Post



    The one big thing I didn't like about using Continuity to make a call is that you can not access the dial-pad once the call started (e.g., once you dial to an 800 number, you can't hit "0" to speak to an operator). Or at least I can't figure out.



    You can do that. The FaceTime app has to be frontmost, otherwise your keyboard input will either be ignored or directed to whatever app has focus.

     

    You can't change the duration of the keypress though. It is momentary and fixed.

  • Reply 12 of 16
    solipsismysolipsismy Posts: 5,099member
    red oak wrote: »
    This continuity features requires your iCloud and FaceTime to use the same AppleID. Mine are different, by design. (I use the same AppleID for iTunes, FaceTime and iMessage)

    I hope this is an issue Apple addresses. It is the first time I've come across that using two IDs locks me out of a major feature

    As much as I love Handoff/Continuity (not really sure which is which), it feels very un-Apple-like in how it's seemingly bolted-on on the Mac OS X side.

    A few of my niggling issues are:

    • When I pick up my phone from one or the the other device it doesn't end the ringing on the other fast enough.
    • Having calls go through FaceTime feels wonky.
    • Some phone numbers I can't simply call from my Mac, but have to create a temporary address book contact so I can have it call that number.
    • No dialer pad seems like an odd omission.

    (There were some others but I can't recall them off the top of my head.
  • Reply 13 of 16
    boredumbboredumb Posts: 1,418member

    Totally surprised me the first time a call came thru my iMac, as I'd forgotten setting it up, and hadn't brought the phone into the den with me...now I usually just pick up the phone out of habit anyway (agree with SY about the stops-too-slowly ringing).

     

    But it was cool telling the caller (my wife) how we were talking (I ceased to surprise her years ago...).

    Reminded me of the first time I called her on an airplane (seatback) phone...interesting times.

  • Reply 14 of 16
    jimawjimaw Posts: 1member

    After reading the comments above I'm not sure I want to activate this service, but that may be irrelevant because I can't. I go through all the steps above but seem to be stymied by FaceTime activation on my iPhone.  In settings > FaceTime under the first slider I get a very patient message saying "Waiting for activation ...." I'm not sure when I last tried this but it has been waiting all that time. About an hour ago I went through all the rigamarole again and it has resumed its very patient waiting.  

     

    Does anyone know why I can't get FaceTime activated?

  • Reply 15 of 16
    morganrmorganr Posts: 1member
    You said: "For iPhone Cellular Calls, any iOS device running iOS 8 or newer and any Mac that supports Yosemite will work"

    In addition to supporting Yosemite, Apple originally required that the Mac must be recent (my previous generation Mac Pro tower was not going to be able to handle calls, but could do SMS messages). Apple was quite clear on this.

    Has this changed? I can't get phone calls to work, but SMS messages work fine (and yes, I followed the instructions above).
  • Reply 16 of 16
    stephenroblesstephenrobles Posts: 91member, moderator, editor
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by morganr View Post



    You said: "For iPhone Cellular Calls, any iOS device running iOS 8 or newer and any Mac that supports Yosemite will work"



    In addition to supporting Yosemite, Apple originally required that the Mac must be recent (my previous generation Mac Pro tower was not going to be able to handle calls, but could do SMS messages). Apple was quite clear on this.



    Has this changed? I can't get phone calls to work, but SMS messages work fine (and yes, I followed the instructions above).



    To quote Apple, "any Mac that runs Yosemite" should be able to make calls. Did you make sure the same iCloud account is signed into the FaceTime app on your Mac and iPhone? What year is your Mac Pro? https://support.apple.com/en-is/HT204689

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