Access your iPhone call list, make cellular phone calls, and listen to voicemails from your Mac or iPad using the new Apple Phone app in macOS Tahoe 26 and iPadOS 26. We’ll also explain what to do if the calls fail to connect.
The ability to make and receive cellular phone calls through your iPhone using the FaceTime app on Mac and iPad has been available for a while now. This process, however, isn’t as smooth as a dedicated calling app.
To improve things, the latest versions of macOS and iPadOS introduce a dedicated Phone app that offers a similar experience to the corresponding Phone app on iOS. You can use it to make calls, listen to iPhone voicemails, access call history, and more.
What you need
- Mac/iPad and iPhone running macOS 26/iPadOS 26 and iOS 26
- The same Apple Account on all devices
- All devices must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network
- Make sure your iPhone is near your iPad or Mac
If you still can’t make calls, check out the troubleshooting tips at the end for some important pointers.
Get the Phone app on Mac and iPad
Simply update your Mac to macOS 26 or iPad to iPadOS 26 to get the new Phone app. While you’re at it, make sure to install iOS 26 on your iPhone so everything works properly.
Call a contact from the Phone app
When you open the Phone app on your Mac or iPad, you’ll find all your favorite contacts and recent call logs from your iPhone appear here.
Simply click a favorite contact card from the top row to begin calling them immediately. You can also click the tiny phone or FaceTime icons next to a person, mobile number, or email address in the Recents section to call them.
The app doesn’t yet show all your saved contacts. To call someone from your address book, use the old Contacts app on your computer or tablet.
Call a new number
If you want to dial a new number, click the number pad icon and then type the phone number using the on-screen buttons or the keyboard. If you use two SIM lines on your iPhone, you have the option to select one by clicking the SIM icon.
See the call history with a person
Select a person’s name in the Recents section and then click Call History to see your recent communication with that person or phone number.
Access your iPhone voicemail
You can view, listen to, see the transcript, share, and delete your iPhone voicemails from the comfort of your Mac’s or iPad’s Phone apps. Click the three-line icon from the top left and select Voicemail. Then, click a voicemail to take the necessary action.
Click the same icon and choose Calls to return to your recent call logs.
Save a new phone number or edit a contact
Unlike the Keypad section of your iPhone’s Phone app, you can’t type a new number in your Mac’s Phone app and save it to contacts. However, if you get a call from an unknown number, click it in your Recents list and then use the “Create New Contact” or “Add to Existing Contact” options to save it without leaving the Phone app.
Delete call logs
Swipe left on a recent entry and then hit the red trash icon.
To delete multiple entries:
- On iPad: Tap Edit from the top left, followed by Select. Now, select multiple call logs and tap the Delete button at the bottom.
- On Mac: Hold the Command key and select several call logs under the Recents section. Then, right-click or Control-click and choose the Delete option. You can also clear your entire call log by clicking Phone > Remove All Recents from the top menu bar.
The changes you make will also sync to your iPhone.
Manage Favorites
Hit the Edit icon from the top left and select Edit Favorites. Then, click the plus icon (+) to add new favorites or hit the red minus sign (-) to remove an existing one.
Turn on call screening
Just like your iPhone, the Phone app on Mac and iPad can automatically silence calls from unknown callers to reduce distraction. Simply click the three-line icon from the top left, select Call Filtering, and then click “Turn On Screening” to activate this feature.
If you can’t make calls using the Phone app on your Mac and iPad
- Make sure your iPhone, iPad, and Mac are on the same Wi-Fi network.
- Turn on Bluetooth on both your iPhone and your iPad or Mac.
- Go to iOS Settings and Mac’s System Settings to ensure you’re using the same Apple Account on all devices.
- Head to iPhone Settings > Apps > Phone > Calls on Other Devices and enable Allow Calls on Other Devices. Then, turn on the switches next to Mac and iPad where you want to allow calls.
- Open the Phone app on your Mac and click Phone > Settings from the top menu bar. Then, go to the Calls tab and check the box for “Calls from iPhone.”
- Restart all devices.
- Update your iPhone, iPad, and Mac to the most recent version of OS 26.
- Open the Phone app on your iPhone and make sure you can call the person from here. If the call goes through, try calling them again from the Phone app on your Mac or iPad.
Also, check out: How to record a phone call on iPhone