appleinsideruser

aieeee said:

Why do articles like this keep pretending “the ability to place calls from their Macs using their nearby iPhones” is a new feature? We all had it for probably a decade now. You only had to do it through the FaceTime app, invoked from there or in Contacts. The same way we've been answering or placing mobile calls on iPads through a nearby iPhone.

Yeah, there’s some dim dislikable troll baiting us:
https://forums.appleinsider.com/discussion/comment/3480614/#Comment_3480614

Why are people in denial about this feature and dislike it when I point out it's an existing feature!?

To make a phone call via your Mac using your iPhone's cellular connection, follow these steps:

1. Ensure Prerequisites:
   • Your Mac and iPhone must be signed in to the same Apple ID for iCloud and FaceTime.

   • Both devices should have Wi-Fi enabled and be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

   • Your iPhone must be nearby.

2. Enable Calls on Other Devices on iPhone:

   • On your iPhone, go to Settings > Phone > Calls on Other Devices.

   • Turn on Allow Calls on Other Devices.

   • Enable the switch for your Mac.

3. Enable Calls from iPhone on Mac:

   • Open the FaceTime app on your Mac.

   • From the menu bar, select FaceTime > Preferences (or Settings).

   • Check the box for Calls from iPhone.

4. Make a Call:

   • You can make calls directly from the FaceTime app by entering a phone number and clicking the audio call button.

   • Alternatively, click on phone numbers in apps like Contacts, Calendar, or Safari to initiate a call.

   • You can also use Spotlight search: press Command + Space, type the phone number or contact name, hover over the number, and click the phone icon to call.

5. Receive Calls:

   • When your iPhone receives a call, a notification will appear on your Mac. You can answer, send to voicemail, or respond with a message from there.

This setup allows you to make and receive calls on your Mac using your iPhone's cellular service without needing to pick up your phone, and you can use your Mac's audio devices for the call

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/how-to-make-a-phone-call-via-y-4wEobLI2TW6qIodcr0aw.g
https://support.apple.com/en-us/102405 — Make and receive phone calls on Mac or iPad

You could always (well not literally always) make calls my hovering over a number or right clicking it. But the phone app does sound like an improvement.

They have an uphill battle to keep content providers onboard. Like Herding cats. All with their own idea of which way to go is best. The likes of the BBC seem to have completely abandoned any interest in AppleTV (tellingly, so does iPadOS predictive text. Instead only suggesting ApplePay and two empty slots).

if Apple doesn’t really love it, how’d they expect content providers to embrace it?

My 9.7-inch iPad Pro is stuck on 16.7.4 with no update offered.