keypad during FaceTime call?

Hey Dj Smooth,

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities!

I’m sorry I didn’t grasp your situation earlier but now I do understand. Once the call is initiated you would use the number keys on your keyboard to make selections in an automated system. Make sure that you have the phone call notification on your computer selected and your physical keyboard numbers will let you make selections.

Use your Mac to make and receive phone calls - Mac Help

Answer automated phone system prompts: Click the phone call notification and enter numbers.

Cheers,

Joe

First of all, this is a completely new system and KUDOS for Apple making this cutting edge feature available. For me on Yosemite on my Mac Mini this has worked flawlessly.

That said, I too was trying to use the keys on the Mac keyboard for prompts response on a phone call using the Mac. I could not hear anything. Did not work.

I even tried the iPhone's keypad and of course that then took the call off the Mac lol! (Anyone that knows how to pick that call back up on the Mac please share)

No reason for peoples heads to fall off bc they can't figure out a new feature like this. Patience.

After reading the Apple documentation which I admit is not perfectly clear (again realizing this is all so NEW) I noticed they said use MUTE....

Guess What? Problem solved!!! Just hit the mute button on the call window and then hit the number key on the keyboard and it worked perfectly!

Simple.

Edit: I might add there is something really COOL about your WIFI only iPad now ringing just like your iPhone and answering a call on it or your Mac!!!!!

It's AWESOME!!

Where's the keypad? Right in front of you! Use the Mac keyboard's number keys. Couldn't be simpler.

I totally agree... love the new feature... and PLEASED to get the answer... Hit MUTE, then numbers.

It's been really frustrating to get automated instructions on some of my calls which require a number from the keypad... but now I've got the answer.

THANKS

Ken

Hey DJ - I completely agree that it looks like a missing feature (no ability to 'pop up' the keypad the way you can on an iPhone) as well as being a documentation bug (not explaining how to do something as common as using "phone keys" to navigate during a call).

You can use the normal number keys above the main keyboard instead of the number pad. The number pad (on my keyboard at least) is terrible for making phone calls because it numbers form the bottom upwards. Phones are numbered from the top downwards.

Clicking on the call window in order to transfer keyboard input focus to the FaceTime call is... understandable after-the-fact for me as a programmer, but I definitely didn't guess it was necessary when I was making my call.

So to be able to use the Mac keyboard number keys and for any input into the call the facetime app needs to be in focus meaning at the top menu bar you see FaceTime menu bar. That being said after FaceTime is in focus you can use the Number keys on the Mac to enter numbers, if you want to enter a " # " or " * " just hold the "Shift" key and then the 3 key which has the " # ".

Hope this helps, I had the same question and after reading your question tried it out and worked just fine.

answered already, but just type the number keys on your keypad. Don't need to hit mute. There's no traditional phone keypad.

Wow, thank you. I was beginning to wonder. This is so unintuitive but this works. Press the mute key and then press the digits 🙂

Sorry for the yelling here but really Apple ➖! Here is the issue, you make a call and then try to use the keypad, I did just this. NOTHING BLOODY HAPPENS!!! Of course reading the smarty pants on this forum who say it's obvious NO IT'S NOT as the window that pops is not in focus UNTIL YOU CLICK ON IT.

So in summary to use the keypad click on call window first and then you can use the keypad. This seems like a major fail UI wise, Apple trying to be minimalist but confusing the sh*^( out of the majority of users. I'm pretty savvy user with but this stumped me so the vast majority of users will indeed think there is no keypad. Heck apple just hide it by default but add a little button that forces us to get the window in to focus so we can use our physical keyboards or better still the trackpad / mouse and a virtual one.

I agree that being able to make calls from mac is a very convenient feature but Apple really forgot to add a keypad which would be more intuitive

Hey Dj Smooth,

Thank you for using the Apple Support Community. Due to the nature of your issue or question you may find more information by using another one of Apple's support resources - https://getsupport.apple.com/GetproductgroupList.action.

Have a great day,

Joe

Hi Dj Smooth,

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities!

It sounds like you would like to make an outgoing call from your iMac using your iPhone’s cellular connection. To make an outbound call you would not use FaceTime, you would tap or click on a phone number in Contacts, Calendar, or Safari. Please use the attached article for more information.

Connect your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac using Continuity

Have a great day,

Joe

You do not have to press Mute - anywhere within the call window will do. I will admit that a button to reveal the keyboard on screen would have been nice and having users realize this feature much easier.

And if anyone knows how to automatically mute e.g. iTunes when receiving/making calls, they´ll make my day 🙂