How to Make Phone Calls from a Mac: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you have an iPhone, you can make and receive calls on your Mac without using your phone. Yes, you heard it right! By setting up your Mac to make and receive calls, you can answer your iPhone calls when your phone is in another room or in your bag. Moreover, you can make calls directly from your Mac. All you need is to follow this tutorial to learn how to set up your Mac to make and receive calls, and you’re good to go.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Make Calls from Your Mac

Making a call from your Mac is easy, as long as you follow these simple steps:

1. Make sure that your iPhone is running iOS 8 or a later version, and your Mac is running macOS Yosemite or later.
2. Sign in to the same Wi-Fi network on both your iPhone and Mac.
3. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Phone > Calls on Other Devices, and select the devices on which you want to enable calls.
4. On your Mac, open FaceTime, and go to Preferences. Make sure that “Calls from iPhone” is selected.
5. You can make a call through contacts by searching for Contacts in Spotlight (press Command + Spacebar, then type Contacts), and then click the Call button to place the call.
6. You can also make a call from Spotlight by typing the name of the person you want to call, and then click on the phone icon.
7. To make a call with FaceTime, open FaceTime, click on Audio, and click on the phone icon to place the call.
8. Calling from Safari is also an option. When you find a number on the web, click on the link to place a call, or if you hover over the number, you will see a down arrow. Click on it to place the call.
9. You can also make calls using Mail, Cards, and Messages. In Messages, click on Details, and select the phone icon to call your contact.

How to Answer a Phone Call on Your Mac

Once your Mac is set up to make and receive calls, you can answer calls on your Mac too.

1. When a call comes in on your iPhone, you will receive a notification on your Mac.
2. To answer the call, click on the answer icon.
3. Click on the hang-up icon to end the call.

Additional Tips for Making Calls on Your Mac

• If you need to enter data like you would on your phone’s keyboard, you can type the numbers on your Mac keyboard, and they will sound like standard DTMF tones. But, make sure you click the conversation window on the top right of the desktop first.
• You can easily turn the floating dialog window into a regular window by dragging it out of the corner.
• You can change the ringtone of calls on your Mac by going to FaceTime Preferences and selecting your favorite ringtone from the drop-down list at the bottom.
• You can make free video calls on your Mac using the FaceTime app.
• Finally, you can make free calls on your iPhone using FaceTime.

If you’re looking for more Mac tips, we have plenty of helpful tips in our article, “The Best macOS Tips.”

Make Calls on a Mac with VOIP

If you prefer to use Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) to make calls on your Mac, you can download and install a VOIP app for your MacOS. Skype is a leading VOIP service provider, and there are other options available as well. With VOIP, you can make free calls over the internet, but you may have to pay a small fee to call a landline. To learn more, check out our article, “Make and Record Phone Calls with Skype.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I make calls from my Mac without an iPhone?

No, you cannot make calls from your Mac without an iPhone. You need to have a paired iPhone to make and receive calls on your Mac.

Can I call any phone number from my Mac?

Yes, you can call any phone number from your Mac if you have set it up to make and receive calls through your iPhone. However, keep in mind that the minutes will be deducted from your usual phone plan, and standard call rates may apply if you call someone outside your country or region.