Whatever you're doing on your phone, you should be able to do on your computer, and vice versa. The process of moving between your devices should be simple and smooth. That's the concept behind the "unified experience" that's happening with operating systems, including Apple's Yosemite, and iOS 8.
Let's say you start typing a text message on your iPhone and you realize that what you have to say is quite long. You'd rather write the message on your MacBook. With Continuity, you could lock your phone, open your MacBook, and have your drafted message waiting for you to complete it.
Continuity makes life more convenient, and it can increase your efficiency, too. You're no longer beholden to one device or another for a variety of things.
In this article, I'll first summarize what Continuity is and why you might want to use it. Then I'll list the devices that are supported and provide directions for how to enable it. Lastly, I explain how to test Continuity to make sure it's working, as there's no other way to know if you've set it up correctly.
What is Continuity?
Continuity is a feature, or really a suite of features, in the latest version of Apple's operating system Yosemite and iOS 8 (specifically, iOS 8.1 and later).
Continuity comprises four features: Handoff, Phone Calling, Instant Hotspot, and SMS.
Handoff lets you hand off a task from one device to the other. It works with Apple apps such as Messages, Reminders, Mail, and Safari, as well as some apps by other developers, such as Wunderlist and Pocket. Here's an example: You start a new email message on your mobile Mail app, then you switch to your MacBook where you finish typing it (without having to save it as a draft first) and send it.
Phone Calling allows your iPhone to make and receive calls while your Mac acts as a connected interface. If your phone rings while you're at your computer (and the phone is physically nearby), the call can come in through the computer, and you can answer it there. It's very similar to FaceTime, with two differences. First, you can take and make phone calls to any phone number. Second, your iPhone needs to be physically near your Mac during the call. If the call is coming from someone on a supported Apple device, you'll have the option to turn the phone call into a video call.
Instant Hotspot is a great feature for people who work remotely in spaces that don't always have reliable Wi-Fi. It works like any other hotspot, in that it lets your Mac use your iPhone's cell connection for Internet, but it's made simpler. From the Wi-Fi menu on your Mac, you'll see an option to connect to your phone, no need to enter passwords or even wake up your phone. Instant Hotspot only works if you have a data plan with Personal Hotspot included. Go to Settings > Cellular and select Set Up Personal Hotspot. It'll either help you set it up, or you'll see a message saying you need to contact your carrier.
SMS lets you get text messages on your Mac from people who are texting you from any phone number. Without Continuity, you can get text messages in the Messages Mac app as long as those messages come from another Apple device using the Messages app. Continuity, however, opens it up to all text messages from any device.
Which Devices Work?
To use Continuity, and especially the Handoff feature, you'll need a Mac of some kind and an iOS device with an active cellular plan. Here are the devices that will work:
- MacBook Air or MacBook Pro from mid 2012 or later
- iMac or Mac mini from late 2012 or later
- Mac Pro from late 2013
- iPhone 5 or later
- iPhone 4s (supports sharing iPhone calls only)
- iPad (4th generation, iPad Air, iPad Air 2
- iPad mini, iPad mini with Retina display, iPad mini 3
- iPod touch (5th generation)
How to Set Up Continuity
1. First, you'll need at least two devices on hand (one Mac and one iOS device) updated to Yosemite and iOS 8.1 or later. You're best off with the latest operating systems for both.
2. Make sure you're signed into the same iCloud account on both devices.
3. Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network.
4. Turn on Bluetooth for both devices. Do not worry about pairing them. Just turn it on.
5. Check that Handoff is enabled on your iOS device. Go to Settings > General > Handoff & Suggested Apps.
And that's it. It's so simple, but you won't see any verification message that it's working. The only way to tell is to try it.
How to Tell It's Working
First, let's test Handoff from Mac to iOS. Open Messages on your Mac. Create a new message and type a few letters into the body. Don't send it, though. Now, with your iPhone locked, look for an icon in the lower left corner. You should see the Message app icon. Swipe up, unlock the phone, and you should be dropped right into the Messages app with your draft loaded.
Next, try Handoff from iOS to Mac. This time we'll use Safari. Open Safari on your iPhone and wait a few seconds. Now look on the dock in your Mac. On the very far left side, you should see an icon appear. In my case, I was using Safari on my iPhone, but my default Web browser on the Mac is Google Chrome, so my Web activity was made available in the browser of my choice. That's pretty smart. I assumed it would default to Safari.
Finally, get someone with a non-Apple phone to call your iPhone. I called myself using a VoIP phone, but you could also get a friend with an Android phone or a landline to ring you. When the call comes in, don't answer. Let it ring a few times, and hopefully by the third ring or so, you'll see a FaceTime alert in the upper right corner of your Mac. Bingo.
If you answer the call, it might look like this:
More Mac Tips
For more Mac tips, see 6 Things Every Mac User Needs to Know and 20 Cool New Things in OS X Yosemite.