This is how you make your iPhone work together with your MacBook

On multiple Apple devices, you can seamlessly have them work together. For example, you can start reading an interesting article on your iPhone, but halfway through, you might decide that a bigger screen is necessary. Without having to search for the article again, you can continue reading it on your MacBook. Here's how to do that and four other ways your iPhone and MacBook can work together through the Apple Ecosystem.

Universal Clipboard

It's never been easier to transfer things like text, passwords, or phone numbers from one device to another. With the universal clipboard, you can copy what you need on your MacBook, then grab your iPhone and paste it wherever you want. Of course, this works the other way around as well.

Automatic Internet Connection

No more hassle with WiFi passwords! Once you've connected one device, all your other devices within the same Apple Ecosystem are automatically connected to that WiFi network. There's nothing more you need to do.

You can also share WiFi passwords with devices that aren't connected to the same Apple ID. To do this, unlock the device that's already connected and go to WiFi settings. Click on the WiFi network you'd like to share. A pop-up will appear asking if you'd like to share the WiFi password with a nearby contact. When you click share, the device you've shared with will automatically connect to the WiFi network.

AirDrop

Transferring files from an iPhone to a MacBook is easy with AirDrop. Make sure both WiFi and Bluetooth are turned on, and share your files with other devices. You can even share files with devices that aren't yours. For example, you can share photos with friends who also have an iPhone, without losing the quality of the photos. The devices you want to share with must, of course, be within range.

Handoff

Started something on your iPhone but want to finish it on your MacBook? It's super simple with Handoff. Apps that support this feature include Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Pages, and Safari. iPhone apps from other developers, like Spotify or Facebook, can be opened on your MacBook using your preferred browser, like Safari or Chrome. The icon of the app you want to continue working with will appear separately in the dock. This may cause two of the same icons to show up in your dock. However, in the top-right corner of this app icon, you'll see a symbol of an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook, indicating that you're opening the app that you were already working on from another device.

Answering Phone Calls

You can not only answer FaceTime calls on your MacBook but also regular phone calls. You've probably seen this notification pop up on your MacBook. To actually take the call, you'll first need to enable this feature. You can do this by going to Settings > Phone > Calls on Other Devices.

Requirements

To use all these methods of collaboration between your iPhone and MacBook, there are a few requirements you need to meet. The most important is that both devices must be linked to the same Apple ID. Otherwise, data can't be exchanged, and most features won't work. Additionally, Bluetooth must be enabled on both your iPhone and MacBook. It's also crucial that your devices are running the latest updates. If one of them isn't, they won't be able to connect with each other.

If you also have an iPad, these features will also work on your iPad! All Apple devices you own can work together in this way, as long as they are using the same Apple ID. The Apple Ecosystem also includes the Apple Watch and the HomePod.