How to Make and Receive Phone Calls with your Mac

Did you know you can make phone calls using your Mac? By enabling this feature you can make calls to another person and the calls look like they’re coming from your iPhone. Here we give you some tips on how to configure this feature on both your Mac and iPhone.

Using the “Continuity” feature, you can connect your iPhone, Mac, and iPad so that you can switch between devices effortlessly. This includes making and receiving cell phone calls from your Mac when your iPhone is on the same Wi-Fi network. First, go to your iPhone “Settings,” and then go to “FaceTime” to enable the “iPhone Cellular Calls” option. This will allow you to make and receive calls on devices through your iCloud account.

In the “preferences” section of your Mac, there is an option that says “You can be reached for FaceTime At.” Make sure your iPhone number is listed. Now, on your Mac, click on the FaceTime App, open its “preferences,” and enable the “iPhone Cellular Calls” option.  Also, make sure that your Apple ID matches the same ID your iPhone is using.

When you receive a call it will be transferred from your iPhone to your Mac. You still have the option to answer on your iPhone if you want, but if you let it ring through to the Mac, a notification will appear where you can choose to accept or reject the call. When you answer the call your conversation will be held via your Mac’s microphone and speakers.

You can also place calls from your Mac. To do this, launch FaceTime, select the “Audio” tab, and enter a name, email address or phone number of the person you want to call. As long as the person has a phone number in their contact info, you will see a small phone icon next to their name that you can click on. One of the options will say “Call Using iPhone” followed by their contact phone number.

The key prerequisites for the call relay to work are your iPhone must be running iOS 8.1 or later and OS X Yosemite or later on your Mac. Also, both the iPhone and Mac must be logged into the same Apple ID (or iCloud account). Despite what you may have read, your Bluetooth does not need to be turned on but both devices must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Unfortunately this means that you can’t use this feature if your iPhone is at home and you’re at a café.  However, as soon as these requirements are met, you can easily make or answer a call on your Mac. It’s simple and easy to configure!