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iOS 9 adds cellular Continuity feature, T-Mobile first to send home iPhone calls to office iPad & Mac

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Although Apple originally debuted Continuity in iOS 8, enabling iPhone calls and SMS messages to be received and answered on Macs or iPads, the feature only worked when the iPhone, Macs, and iPads were on the same Wi-Fi network. Today, T-Mobile announced that it is “the only mobile network operator in the world” with support for a new and previously unannounced iOS 9 feature: Continuity support has been added to T-Mobile’s cellular network, so a Mac or iPad can receive an iOS 9 iPhone’s calls even when the iPhone isn’t on the same Wi-Fi network.

This means that “T-Mobile customers will be able to answer that important text message or call on your Mac or iPad even if you left your phone at home,” explained T-Mobile, so “you can leave your phone on your desk and just take your tablet or your Mac to your meeting and never worry about missing anything.” Implicitly, the iPad or Mac would need to be connected to a Wi-Fi network for calls and SMS messages to come through. The feature is active as of the iOS 9 beta, so “customers will need the iOS 9 beta to use the new feature, and it will be available to every T-Mobile customer with an iOS device later this year when iOS 9 is publicly available.” And there’s more…

iOS 9’s Phone settings have been updated with support for the feature, which is now listed as “Calls on Other Devices,” relocating former FaceTime settings. One switch lets you enable or disable calls on other devices, while individual switches control whether calls can be received across multiple Macs, iPads, and even Apple Watches linked to your iCloud account. Additionally, higher-definition Wi-Fi Calling using the iPhone itself remains as a separate setting, and apparently can now be enabled on T-Mobile’s network without breaking Continuity support for other devices.

According to T-Mobile, “while others will get on the bandwagon” in the future, the company is “proud to be the only mobile operator in the world working with Apple to have the new Continuity feature on our network in the iOS 9 beta.” It remains to be seen whether AT&T, Verizon, and other cellular providers with Wi-Fi calling capabilities will step up to guarantee support for the feature.

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Comments

  1. Ja Car - 9 years ago

    AT&T and Verizon would first need to enable WiFi Calling on their network. They still don’t even have that part figured out.

    When it comes to next generation technology, T-Mobile is literally running circles around all these heavy weight carriers.

    • sajonara - 9 years ago

      Well it would be very much appreciated if you’d added “US” to the T-Mobile, because as a customer in other parts of the world, especially in its “home country” Germany T-Mobile is far from offering the same service. Here you pay more and get less. So please be fair and not hype T-Mobile for what it is really “not”, innovative. #barf

    • Andrew Messenger - 9 years ago

      They never even enabled HD voice.

      • bullettoothtony81 - 9 years ago

        uhmm. Yeah they both have HD Voice, actually. In May 2014 for AT&T. In September 2014 for Verizon, prior to the iPhone 6 launch.

    • Michael Caputo - 9 years ago

      One carrier’s strategy tax is another carrier’s strategy credit.

      Since T-Mobile is primarily using high band spectrum to carry it’s voice and this comes with a cost having significantly worse penetration than low band, Wi-Fi calling allows the carrier to differentiate on price while not being completely out of the consideration pool when it comes to network quality.

    • srgmac - 9 years ago

      I’m not sure I understand the reluctance here from AT&T / VZW to roll this feature out…One would think that WiFi calling would not only be better quality to the end user, but more importantly for the carrier, alleviate cell tower congestion if enough people actually used it.

    • Jason Frost - 9 years ago

      Yeah I don’t understand why AT&T hasn’t allowed wi-fi calling either. I have the technology on my phone, but can’t use it because… why?

    • roncouturier - 8 years ago

      You’re joking right??? T-Mobile has lousy coverage. They need wifi calling so their customers that can’t afford great service on a more reliable carrier don’t jump ship. Seriously think before you type!!!

  2. axmujica - 9 years ago

    Call Continuity Feature for iOS9, T-Mobile showing first signs of love.

  3. Eric Weber (@ericweber7) - 9 years ago

    I am a T-Mobile User and I have the iOS 9 Beta but I am not seeming to be able to get this to work. I have the settings all enabled but when I try to make a call from my Mac, it fails saying that the iPhone must be on the same network. I have noticed that Continuity calls work with Wi-Fi calling now which is great. Does anyone have a link to the source from T-Mobile?

    • Odys (@twittester10) - 9 years ago

      Perhaps you need OS X 10.11 also installed?

    • Eric Weber (@ericweber7) - 9 years ago

      I was just able to successfully do it with my iPad also on iOS 9. The setup for this is more like the Text Message Forwarding where you have to get a code on your iPad and enter it on your iPhone. Phone calls worked on my iPad with my iPhone on cellular, in Airplane mode and even turned completely off. I assume that this also requires 10.11 which I can test later.

    • Diego Vicioso - 9 years ago

      I think you need to have os x 10.11 for it to work

  4. smyxz - 9 years ago

    How is this possible? Done through iCloud account? I’m assuming my iPad or Mac needs to be connected to wifi?

    • PhilBoogie - 9 years ago

      Your Mac for certain, as there isn’t one that takes a SIM card. I’m guessing they mean it works over a Personal Hotspot or MiFi. Still, that’d make it a WiFi connection from the Mac.

  5. Robert Stukenbroeker - 9 years ago

    I am on Verizon and my texts already go home to my Mac when I am not at home.

  6. Ryan Janak (@RyanJanak) - 9 years ago

    “It remains to be seen whether AT&T, Verizon, and other cellular providers with Wi-Fi calling capabilities will step up to guarantee support for the feature.”

    AT&T and Verizon haven’t even added Wifi calling yet, have they?

  7. gigglybeast - 9 years ago

    Why is it implicit that the iPad would need to be on wifi? Would it not work with a cellular connected iPad?

    • Gerardo Quintanar - 9 years ago

      Well, you have a point, I think the author wrote WiFi but he/she was talking about having internet connection (like a cellullar 3G or 4G).

      • gigglybeast - 9 years ago

        I hope so. That would certainly make it more useful.

  8. Mike Gorman - 9 years ago

    T-mobile has been doing more than just this and has been doing it since iOS 8. Though this only applies to text messages (not necessarily iMessages, but SMS), I was able to get my text messages using continuity on my iPad over the T-mobile network. It was cool. I tried to make a continuity phone call… that on the other hand, did not work.

  9. darrenoia - 9 years ago

    This is the kind of thing that prevents me from leaving TMobile. My house is in a really bad reception spot, and the frustration of having to choose between WiFi calling and Continuity has had me pondering going back to Verizon just for the reception, but you just have to love how TMobile keeps pushing the envelope. Well done. Looking forward to this.

    • jpatel330 - 9 years ago

      ask for the Asus CellSpot from t-mobile (I heard they were giving this away for free to their customers). It will drastically improving calling from your home if you have poor reception.

      • krustykracker - 9 years ago

        Yes, true story. I asked the T-mobile rep and they gave me one. Basically, I could get reception standing upstairs at my bedroom window. So, I placed one unit there and the other unit in our family room and now we get LTE with no issues.

      • fofer - 9 years ago

        Glad it’s working for you, but to be clear, the CellSpot is a WiFi router, with traffic shaping that prioritized T-Mobile’s VoIP. In other words, it’s not a microcell and it’s not increasing your LTE signal at all. What it’s actually doing is strengthening your home’s WiFi signal, over which T-Mobile’s WiFi Calling might work better. It’s great kit and wonderful that T-Mobile loans it for free, but it’s a WiFi router. Just saying.

        http://www.androidcentral.com/what-t-mobile-cellspot

    • roncouturier - 8 years ago

      Pushing the envelope??? You mean desperately seeking new ways for their customers to get any kind of coverage??

  10. srgmac - 9 years ago

    Awesome but why is it T-Mo only? It doesn’t sound like they purposely have a contract with Apple for exclusivity on this feature…Hrm :\

    • Ja Car - 9 years ago

      Because T-Mobile is the only carrier that has it’s infrastructure upgraded to support this.

      AT&T, Verizon and Sprint are busy obsessing about their profit margins, while T-Mobile is pushing the limits when it comes to cutting edge features.

  11. manbodh - 9 years ago

    Great to see it on more products, I did use it on a 5K iMac a few times during my work.

  12. Ronny Moz - 9 years ago

    i work for t-mobile and i have iOS 9 beta this is great. just wish they didn’t both need to be on a wifi network for it to work…

    • fofer - 9 years ago

      Yes, and according to the article you are replying to, they DON’T both need to be on a WiFi network for it to work. The iPhone can be on T-Mobile only. That’s exactly what this article is explaining.

  13. llekyamer - 9 years ago

    I don’t like this feature as I get my wife’s calls and messages and she gets mine, also my moms and brothers and everyone else. I have like 10 people using my Apple ID for their phones that way the my can use everything I have purchased, but I hate getting all of their messages and calls. We all have to turn of iMessage and continuity or else we would all go crazy.

    • Jarrah Whitford - 9 years ago

      If you set your devices up correctly everything will work fine. Try each of you having your own apple ID and then sharing content and apps via the “Family Sharing” feature, then each person has their own digital identity and can use all the features as features not problems… (The real issue here is the user not knowing how to use iOS.)

      https://www.apple.com/au/ios/whats-new/family-sharing/

      • llekyamer - 9 years ago

        Don’t want to deal with setting up different apple ids for everyone when we have been using this same iD for over 13 years for everyone in our family.

      • Roger Enamorado - 9 years ago

        So you can’t be bothered to create an apple ID for each person but you’re here complaining about the problems because you’re having to use one apple id?

      • iJonni - 9 years ago

        Apple IDs are like Social security numbers. Everyone has their own. It identifies you as an individual on Apples services. If you’re all using the same one apple sees you as one person. So you would want all the calls everywhere.
        Hand each person their device and tell them to setup their own. It takes like 3 minutes. Instead your sharing content illegally amongst 8 different people…smh

      • fofer - 9 years ago

        You’re doing it wrong. For what it’s worth, even if you continue to insist on doing it wrong, sharing one AppleID for sharing purchases purchases, you can still use different/distinct AppleID’s for iCloud, Messages, and FaceTime.

        So, you’re doing it wrong.

  14. Hey @horwitz I just started blogging and I really found this article helpful in some of my research. I really appreciate the style and information you have provided. I would appreciate it if you could write an updated on the current status of “Continuity.” Thanks for your work.