Have you missed calls on your iPhone while you’re busy working on your laptop or PC?
If so, a new Mac app called Dialogue comes to the rescue.
Dialogue alerts you when you get a call on your iPhone. It also allows you to answer and make calls right from your Mac. And if that isn’t enough, it also lets you record the conversation, something which is not possible using your iPhone currently (note it may not be legal to record conversations in some countries).
So how does it work?
It kind of turns your Mac into a headset for your iPhone, and connects to it over Bluetooth.
The set up process is quite simple. Follow these simple steps after you’ve installed Dialogue:
- You first need to pair your Mac with your iPhone using Bluetooth. You can do this using the Dialogue app or by pairing it from your iPhone (Settings -> Bluetooth -> Your Mac).
- After you’ve started Dialogue, you will be able to access it from the menubar.
- Ensure that Bluetooth is enabled on your iPhone and Mac, and click on the Connect button.
- Select your iPhone from the list of devices.
- You will be prompted to confirm whether the number shown on your Mac and iPhone is the same. If it matches, click on the Yes button to pair them successfully.
That’s it. You can now start making and receiving calls right from your Mac. The app will also prompt you if it can access the Contacts on your Mac, click “Yes” if you want to be able to use the contacts from your OS X Contacts app.
Zebraa, developers of Dialogue recommend using headphones with a built-in microphone for the best and stable audio quality.
There are some issues with the initial update:
- The receiver of the call may hear an echo of their voice when they speak.
- It uses your contacts from the OS X Contacts app, so it may not be syncronized with your iPhone. This shouldn’t be an issue if you use iCloud. The developers are evaluating the possibility of synchronizing contacts over Bluetooth.
- If you get a call from a number not in your Contacts then Dialogue displays the number as “Unknown” caller. You will be able to still check the number on your iPhone.
According to The Verge, the developers are aware of the issues and should be fixing them in an upcoming update. They also plan to add some interesting new features in the future such as better contact support, URL schemes to allow it to integrate with tools like Alfred, built-in keyboard shortcuts, browser integration etc.
Dialogue doesn’t come cheap, you have to pay $6.99 for the convenience. I really liked the Apple-esque design of the app, integration with menubar and it solves a real problem in my case, so I found it worth the price. It is one of those apps where you wonder why someone didn’t think of making it earlier.
What do you think? Is it something that you’ve been waiting for? Tell us in the comments below.
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