iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe Include Phone App With Call Screening, Hold Assist and More

[MacRumors]

With iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe, Apple is expanding the Phone app to the Mac and the iPad for the first time. It might not make a lot of sense for these platforms to have a Phone app, but you can actually make phone calls from your iPad and Mac using Apple's Wi-Fi calling features.

The Phone app on iPad and Mac features all of your incoming phone calls, voicemails, contacts, and FaceTime calls, and it has all the new features that Apple announced for the iPhone's Phone app, too.

Here's what's new in the Phone app across all of your devices:

• Call Screening - Calls from unknown callers are automatically answered, and they're asked to share a name and reason for calling. Then you can decide whether or not you want to pick up the call.
• Live Translation - Live Translation automatically provides translations when you're talking to someone that speaks another language. They'll hear an AI translation of you, and you'll hear an AI translation of them.
• Hold Assist - If you need to wait on hold when you place a call, Hold Assist keeps your place in line and you don't have to stay on the phone. It'll call you when an agent is detected.

The Phone features on Mac and iPad work through Continuity, which is what Apple calls its device interoperability feature set. The Phone app is available in iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe, updates that developers can download today. Public betas are coming in July, and a launch will follow in September.

Article Link: iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe Include Phone App With Call Screening, Hold Assist and More

 

[sniffies]

I wish Screening also extended to Mail app.

 

[DonJimmy]

Will this be available in the EU? Probably not.

 

[Zdigital2015]

FINALLY!!! Preview, Journal AND the Phone app! FREAKIN’ FINALLY!!!

 

[dudeofblokes]

I wonder will iPads with celular work using a sim in it for phone calls independently or will it require iPhone connectivity

 

[gaximus]

Call screen is probably my favorite new feature, not because it's a great feature, but because the amount of scam calls I get is beyond ridiculous.

I wish apple could provide throw away phone numbers like "Hide my Email"

 

[Der Keyser]

Yet another feature set we won’t see in the EU :-(
This is getting rediculous…

 

[adrianlondon]

Call centre staff probably get paid by how quick they get people off the phone.

So you wait half an hour on hold, you get connected and they hear "the caller has placed you on hold, please wait". I reckon they'll just hang up, thinking it's a joke call.

 

[mxrider88]

Except that continuity doesn’t work properly when there are two users account logged into the Mac.
I filed bug reports for several years and it slightly improved from not working to being working but ultra buggy. They are simply incapable when it comes to writing software

 

[mxrider88]

Call screen is probably my favorite new feature, not because it's a great feature, but because the amount of scam calls I get is beyond ridiculous.

I wish apple could provide throw away phone numbers like "Hide my Email"

The google pixel had this for years though. Nothing new here. They just follow

 

[swm]

live translation? nice. but let's discuss the moral/legal side of that.
if I say something and the LLM translation gets it wrong, am I still liable for what was said?

 

[jazzwill]

I think the on hold function is IMHO one of the best features they introduced. Truly a sanity saver!

The demo of live translation had people speaking kind of slowly. I wonder what happens when a native speaker is just talking normal speed?

 

[Electroni]

I wonder will iPads with celular work using a sim in it for phone calls independently or will it require iPhone connectivity

This is what I am interested to know. Also, will you finally be able to text from a cellular iPad using the SIM’s number?

 

[HandsomeDanNZ]

Will be interesting to see how this is properly implemented as a lot of iPad Mini users have been asking for this for a long time, so they can use one device and dispense with the iPhone (using just a Mini and AirPods).

 

[Pagemakers]

I wish call screening just checked the inbound number against a spam database (like who-called.co.uk) and then simply displayed its % chance of being spam on the inbound call screen.

 

[gaximus]

The google pixel had this for years though. Nothing new here. They just follow

Ok, still a feature I'm excited about.

 

[GreaTskY_PL]

How to make menu bar transparent in MacOS Tahoe?

 

[thefrost]

The Phone app is a welcome addition to the iPad and Mac.

 

[McScooby]

Cue MacBooks with C1 chips in 3,2,1!😂

Strongest thing about the keynote was what wasn't being said, they really are building a foundation & a pipeline.

 

[lordhamster]

I wish call screening just checked the inbound number against a spam database (like who-called.co.uk) and then simply displayed its % chance of being spam on the inbound call screen.

Don’t know how it is in the UK, but here in the US 99% of my spam calls come from spoofed numbers that are just normal people’s number. Meaning having a list of “spammers” only eliminates semi-legit sales cold calls.

 

[Yigit]

The google pixel had this for years though. Nothing new here. They just follow

Does google also do the screening and translation on-device and privately? That would be the key difference

 

[Rafagon]

"It'll call you when an agent is detected."

What could possibly go wrong?

 

[ambientdaw]

i LOVE using my Mac to make calls, the sound is so much better. The iphone sound is so sharp and tinny. I hope we can now use the number pad on the keyboard to "enter your account number" instead of the on screen numbers? I have not found a way to make my keyboard work to do that presently.

 

[mxrider88]

Does google also do the screening and translation on-device and privately? That would be the key difference

Define privacy nowadays. Apple has the mouth full of that word but do we know what apps are doing in the background and what data gets sent to which server and country?

A friend of mine just bought a ubiquity router which has tons of features apparently and he said the amount of data that goes to Chinese servers is insane. And yes, also from his business iPhone not just from his Android devices.

 

[myhaksown]

What a joke…we had continuity dialer on the first instance of continuity. Sure third party but what a joke of a WWDC. Seriously? A cursor? Why make a joke about that? They screwed up by being so behind. It’s about time we got this but come on. They should be ashamed not proud they’re playing catchup.