Continuity is a feature that links OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, letting you start an action on one device (like writing an email) and then completing it on the other. Continuity syncs things you do between the different operating systems.
Requirements for Continuity
Unfortunately Continuity is a feature that’s only supported in OS X Yosemite and iOS 8. You will need to make sure your Apple devices support the new operating systems. Continuity also requires Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy (LE), which connects devices without impacting battery life.
Continuity requires you to log onto the same account and connect to the same Wi-Fi network on each Apple device in your home.
Use Handoff to answer calls on your Mac
One of the uses of Continuity is to answer phone calls on your Mac. Apple calls it Handoff. Your phone will ring like normal, but you’ll see a notification on your Mac and you can answer or reject a call. You can answer and talk normally using the Mac’s microphone and speakers.
Handoff in Continuity
Send SMS from your Mac
Apple now allows messages to show in the Messages app for Mac. Previously, Messages only supported iMessages sent from Apple devices but now it supports SMS from your friends who aren’t using Apple products. Continuity solves that problem by extending the ability to send SMS and MMS messages from any Apple device.
Send SMS from your Mac
While syncing all SMS through Messages isn’t really revolutionary, it makes it easier to continue conversations on any of your Apple devices.
Start a document on your Mac and finish on iOS
Perhaps the most useful feature of Continuity is the ability to start documents on one platform and continue to work on them on the other.
Apple’s iWork suite fully supports this function, letting you start a document in Pages on your Mac and have it sync automatically to your iOS device. An icon will show up on your iOS device that you can drag upward to continue working, without losing any changes.
Unfortunately, the iWork suite isn’t as popular like the Google Docs suite or Microsoft Office, but this new feature may bring more users to use the apps.
Unifying OS X and iOS 8
Continuity is not a huge revolution in communication between platforms, but does add more functionality to Apple’s ecosystem.
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Originally published in French on Softonic FR.
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