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How to make your iPhone ring on multiple devices (and then make it stop)
Leaving your iPhone in another room can be a huge inconvenience. After a long day, you’re sitting on the couch, trying to relax and the phone rings. Now you need to get up just to see if you even want to answer the call or respond to the text. (PssT! Click or tap here to learn how to find your lost Apple device.)
This happens all the time and ruins the few relaxing moments you have to yourself at the end of the day. However, this isn’t the only time the problem presents itself. This could happen when you’re in a meeting at work or running the kids around.
Fortunately, there’s a simple solution that solves this problem. Let’s talk about how you can make life easier with this awesome Apple feature.
Let Apple Continuity work for you
It’s called Apple Continuity and it allows you to wirelessly connect your iPhone and almost all of your other Apple devices. This feature doesn’t just work for phone calls, it also allows you to answer text messages, FaceTime calls and offers a universal clipboard. You can also use the Handoff tool in Continuity to start work on one device and pick it up on another.
Apple Continuity is excellent for anyone who is always on the go, or consistently forgets their phone in the other room. Connecting your devices is a simple process that can be done in a few simple steps.
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Connecting your devices
The first step is to make sure all devices you want connected are signed in to the same Apple ID account. If you haven’t already done so, you will be prompted to sign in to FaceTime and the iMessage app on your iMac, iPad or desktop.
By completing this step, you are giving the computer permission to send and receive iMessages and FaceTime calls when they are sent to your phone. However, this will only work with other Apple users who are using an Apple ID because it is solely connected through the internet.
Once signed in, you need to enable the account by checking the box to the left.
The process for receiving and making calls on other devices is a bit different because the setting changes are completed on your phone. This process is still simple. From the home screen, select the settings button and go into the ‘phone‘ section. From here, select ‘calls on other devices‘ and enable the option.
This screen will provide you with all of the different devices you can receive calls on; typically devices that are close by.
It’s important that you pay attention to which devices you connect to. If you have other family members in your network and share an Apple ID, you must make sure you’re connecting to the correct computer or tablet. Unless you want family members to receive the same calls and messages you do, and who wants that?
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Disable device connections
As great of a feature Apple Continuity is, it can cause texts and calls to come through at the wrong time in the wrong place. For example, if your laptop is connected to an HDMI on your TV and you’re watching a movie with your kids, you probably don’t want them to see things that are coming through to the device.
Disconnecting devices from your phone is as easy as it is to connect them.
In order to temporarily block your laptop or tablet from receiving iMessages, open the iMessage app and navigate to the messages tab in the top left corner. When the dropdown menu is presented, select preferences and you can either select the signet button to the right of your ID or uncheck the enable box.
The process of temporarily blocking FaceTime calls is exactly the same, however, you need to open FaceTime rather than iMessage.
Blocking phone calls to other devices
Stopping incoming calls to other devices is a bit different than iMessage and FaceTime. Similarly to turning on the phone call continuity feature, turning it off is performed on the iPhone.
Go back to the same ‘phone‘ tab in the settings icon and turn off the option that says, “Allow Calls on Other Devices.”
Whenever you want to turn the connection back on, all you need to do is retrace your steps. And don’t forget your Apple ID/iCloud password!
Continuity is an excellent feature offered by Apple. No longer do you need to have all of your devices in one place and hooked up to wires to stay in touch with friends and family.
Tags: Apple, Apple iPhone, internet, network
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