"calls on other devices"?

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Level 1

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"calls on other devices"?

iPhone allows you to shunt your calls either to the iPhone earpiece, the iPhone speaker OR "other devices", in my case a couple of Mac desktops and laptops that I have. You give it permission to do that in Settings/Phone. Doing the call on another device works very nicely. The other device handles not only the speaker but the microphone as well. My question is a simple one. How does my iPhone KNOW about those other devices? Where did I tell it that those other devices exist? If I want to add another device, how do I do that? Is this linkage with the other device over Bluetooth, or over the LAN?

iPhone SE

Posted on Nov 3, 2022 7:11 PM

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Answer 1

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MrHoffman

Community+ 2024

Level 10

118,387 points

Nov 3, 2022 7:26 PM in response to Dannymac22

For an overview: macOS - Continuity - Apple

Here’s part of the introduction of Handoff and Continuity in 2014: https://developers.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2014/219/

Bluetooth (Bluetooth Low Energy), Wi-Fi, and wired network connections can all be used, yes.

The other devices are all associated with your Apple ID, and all are tied together.

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Answer 2

Nov 3, 2022 7:49 PM in response to Dannymac22

Dannymac22 wrote:

Thank you. So registering these eternal devices on your AppleID (as in,with iCloud) makes your iPhone aware of them. That's useful to know. But how does the iPhone decide how to communicate with the other devices, if Bluetooth and the LAN are both possibilities? Is there some default, as in, use Bluetooth, unless it isn't available, in which case use the LAN?

Presumably, based on whichever network path is available, and has lowest path and probably lowest energy costs, same as most routing decisions. Apple does not document those details, however.

Use Continuity to connect your Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch - Apple Support

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Answer 3

Dannymac22 Author

Level 1

41 points

Nov 3, 2022 7:39 PM in response to MrHoffman

Thank you. So registering these eternal devices on your AppleID (as in,with iCloud) makes your iPhone aware of them. That's useful to know. But how does the iPhone decide how to communicate with the other devices, if Bluetooth and the LAN are both possibilities? Is there some default, as in, use Bluetooth, unless it isn't available, in which case use the LAN?

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Answer 4

deggie

Level 10

167,219 points

Nov 3, 2022 7:24 PM in response to Dannymac22

If you bought another device that can be used for calls and login with your Apple ID your iPhone will become aware of it.

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"calls on other devices"?

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