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Guide

How to answer Android calls on a Mac

Install Synqed on your Mac and your Android phone and pair them on the same network. When the phone rings, a banner grows out of the Mac's notch with the caller's name, and you can answer, decline or mute from there. The call audio stays on the phone: Synqed controls the call, it does not carry the sound to your Mac.

Before you start

  • A Mac running macOS 14 Sonoma or later · Apple silicon and Intel.
  • An Android phone running Android 13 or later.
  • Both on the same local network: the same Wi-Fi, or the Mac joined to the phone's hotspot. Synqed has no relay server, so it does not work across the internet.
  • On the phone, allow Synqed's phone, call log and contacts permissions when it asks. Contacts are used to show the caller's name.

Steps

  1. Pair the phone and the Mac. Open Synqed on both devices, compare the numeric code on the two screens and confirm. They reconnect automatically after that.
  2. Grant the call permissions on the phone. Synqed asks for each permission when you turn the feature on. Each feature works on its own, so skipping these turns off only calls.
  3. Answer or decline from the notch. When a call comes in, a banner opens from the top of the Mac's screen with the caller's name and buttons to accept or decline.
  4. Talk on the phone. Accepting answers the call on the phone. Speak through the phone, its speaker, or a headset connected to it. You can mute the phone's microphone from the Mac.
  5. Redial or dial from the Calls section. The Calls section of the Mac app shows the phone's call log, filtered by missed, incoming and outgoing. Click a number to call it back, or use the dial pad. The call is placed by the phone.

First time? Install the Mac app and the Android app, open both, and confirm that the numeric code matches on the two screens. That pairs them, and they reconnect on their own after that. If they can't find each other, see support.

What it does not do

  • No call audio on the Mac. You cannot hear or speak through the Mac's speakers and microphone; that would need a VoIP bridge, which Synqed does not have.
  • Phone calls only. Calls in WhatsApp, Telegram and similar apps are not handled as calls, though their notifications can still be mirrored.
  • Same network only. With no relay server, calls reach the Mac only while both devices share a local network.

Questions

Can I hear an Android call through my Mac's speakers?

No. Synqed lets you answer, decline, mute and redial from the Mac, but the audio stays on the phone or whatever headset is connected to it.

Does it work with two SIMs?

Yes. When the phone reports more than one SIM, the Mac shows a SIM picker for outgoing calls.

Does Synqed need to be my default phone app?

No. It uses Android's permission for answering calls, so your usual dialer stays the default.

Cost

The Mac app is free. The Android app has a 7-day free trial, then Synqed Pro is $20 once, plus tax. No account. Details on Synqed Pro.

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