Level 1

30 points

Macbook Air (mid-2012) won't pair with iPhone 6

I didn't see anyone ask this so far.

I checked the criteria for Continuity between devices. My Macbook Air and my iPhone 6 (obviously) meet the criteria. (By the way, I wasn't able to AirDrop ever because my devices wouldn't pair).

1) I make sure both the Macbook and iPhone has Hand-Off checked. I am running OS X Yosemite & iOS 8.

2) I turn Bluetooth on for both devices

3) Macbook shows up on iPhone list on Bluetooth and vice versa.

4) Try to connect on Macbook, clicked "Pair" the iPhone. The message comes up to check the code and pair if the code matches.

5) I check iPhone. Code matches.

6) I pair and it would say the connection was unsuccessful because the MacBook isn't within range. Ok. I did all suggestions Apple gave on the help page like moving the device closer or finding the interference. I cannot see any interference. Both the iPhone and Macbook connect to my same Bluetooth speaker perfectly fine (just for the record). And the phone is literally a few inches away from the Macbook.

That doesn't work, then I tried again and at one point, the popup message changed to "not connected because Macbook Air not supported".

Clearly, this doesn't just "work" for me and it's really annoying me. Is anyone else having this problem? I was looking forward to this feature for months.

MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2012), OS X Yosemite (10.10)

Posted on Oct 16, 2014 9:29 PM

192 replies

Oct 17, 2014 3:17 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

Setting up a personal hotspot requires you have a data plan from your carrier to do so. There's a Handoff function under Settings > General, but by default, that appears to be turned on.

Oct 17, 2014 3:34 PM in response to pippoapple

I tried the suggestion about switching "on" iPhone Cellular Calls as you suggested, but it still did not work. It was always checked as "on" for me, so I switched it "off" then back "on" then tried to repeat all of the OP's prescribed steps with no luck...

I'm getting the additional annoying message of: "Connection Unsuccessful: "[Macbook Pro]" is not supported." with the only option at the bottom being "Forget Device"

Seems like a deeper issue than I'm prepared to deal with...

iPhone 6 iOS 8.0.2

MacBook Pro - Early 2013 OS X Yosemite

everything up to date

Oct 17, 2014 3:43 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

In OS X Yosemite both Airdrop and Handoff both supposedly require Bluetooth

Oct 17, 2014 4:02 PM in response to Arestine93

Ugh!

Hello Apple - can you not see all of us incredibly frustrated with your new 'feature'. At least reply to us and say SOMETHING. I think I wasted a third of my day today trying to research and figure this out. I purchased my new MacBook two weeks ago, and this costs WAY too much money to have anything not work the way it should.

MacBook Pro Retina / Iphone 5s.

Oct 17, 2014 4:02 PM in response to Arestine93

I've also tried all the options but still not working properly. Keeps connecting and reconnecting with both Macbook Air and Pro. Something wrong with iOS 8.0.2

Oct 17, 2014 4:53 PM in response to Curiophile

Correct. But they don't require pairing. They use a connectionless mode.

Oct 17, 2014 4:59 PM in response to a-s-h-r-a-f

It is working properly. It is DESIGNED NOT TO CONNECT between a computer and an iPhone, except for allowing a computer to share an iPhone's Internet data connection. I'll post the list of supported connection modes again: iOS: Supported Bluetooth profiles. If you are trying to connect for any purpose other than those in this Knowledge Base article it will fail, because Apple designed it to fail (or actually, they designed it not to succeed). You are focusing on the method of data sharing rather than the objective. iPhones don't do Bluetooth for data sharing. They never have. That hasn't changed. You can share data by the built-in methods USB, WiFi, and iCloud. Also through iMessage and email. You cannot share data by Bluetooth. Because that's the way Apple designed it. It is working the way it was designed.

mkpac

Level 1

0 points

Oct 17, 2014 5:11 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

I'm having the same problem. I'm not trying to transfer files, I'm trying to use the new handoff feature. If I look in my system report on my 2012 MacBook Pro Bluetooth it states it supports handoff. There is a definite bug here

Oct 17, 2014 5:19 PM in response to Arestine93

I have the same kind of problem, macbook air is mid 2011, and iphone 5s with a ios 8, they cannot share with each other through air drop.

Oct 17, 2014 5:20 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

Completely agree with you..!

But to make work the " continuity " you need to have both Bluetooth on ..! On the Mac and on the iPhone. They will not showed connected but for some reason if the two devices are in the same WI-Fi and have both the Bluetooth activated will communicate..! I tested with the e-mail and the phone calls..!

They works fine to me..! When i try to create an email on the iPhone automatically on the side of the Finder icon another small icon appear with the symbol of the iPhone..! If I turn the Bluetooth off on any of the two devices they will stop to comunicate. I repeat, will not show on the Mac or on the iPhone that there is pairing..!

Regards,

Oct 17, 2014 5:20 PM in response to mkpac

Handoff does not require pairing. It uses a connectionless Bluetooth mode. See this for troubleshooting Handoff: Get help using Continuity with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite. Note that some of the Continuity features require iOS 8.1 (but apparently Handoff doesn't). It DOES require a bunch of settings to be correct, however.

Oct 17, 2014 5:21 PM in response to xufromrugao

See: Get help using Continuity with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite. Sharing works only with mid 2012 and later Macs.

Oct 17, 2014 5:23 PM in response to saraspoons

saraspoons wrote:

Ugh!

Hello Apple - can you not see all of us incredibly frustrated with your new 'feature'. At least reply to us and say SOMETHING.

Apple does not read or respond in this user-to-user forum. Here are the instructions for using the Continuity features: Get help using Continuity with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite

Oct 17, 2014 5:52 PM in response to pippoapple

Mine is now only half-working--the icon pops up if I start a text message on the iPhone, but when I click it, I get a message that "Handoff could not be completed." It also does not show any text

I think it's pretty clear that this feature is still buggy in a lot of ways, and will likely not be fixed until iOS8.1 rolls out Monday.

Oct 17, 2014 5:56 PM in response to bgluckman

Do you have Bluetooth turned on for both devices (but not paired) and both devices on the same WiFi network?

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Macbook Air (mid-2012) won't pair with iPhone 6