Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Want to use Handoff without buying a new Mac? Check out the ‘Continuity Activation Tool’

By

OS X Yosemite continuity 3
Image used with permission by copyright holder
The release of OS X 10.10, also know as Yosemite, brought innovative cross-device text, call and application sharing features to people who own a Mac and an iPhone or iPad. Well, some people; the feature doesn’t work with older systems that lack compatibility with Bluetooth 4.0.

That caused some ruckus, as you might expect, and enterprising Apple fans began to explore ways the feature might be unofficially brought to unsupported devices. After a bit of research a post on the MacRumors forums put together a guide for getting Continuity features to work on old Macs.

Recommended Videos

Related: Check out our full review of OS X Yosemite

Related

Not ready to stop there, other fans further bolstered support by putting together the “Continuity Activation Tool,” which has the ability to add Handoff, Instant Hotspot and the latest version of Airdrop to some unsupported Macs. It works with Bluetooth 4.0 USB dongles, which means “many Macs from 2008 and later” can now use Continuity.

The oldest Macs supported are in fact from mid-2007; the iMacs released that year will work alongside an AirPort Extreme. Remaining models supported by the software mostly work in conjunction with a Bluetooth 4.0 dongle, an AirPort Extreme, or both (whichever you choose). The 2011 MacBook Air and Mac Mini work simply by running the tool, no additional hardware required.

The Continuity Activation Tool is not official software and developed by enterprising fans in their spare time, so it’s not guaranteed to work and comes with the typical recommendation that user back up files before installing. From what users who’ve tried it say, though, it appears to be quite stable. And it’s free, so there’s no reason you shouldn’t give it a whirl – after you’ve backed up your files, of course.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Matthew S. Smith
Matthew S. Smith
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Matthew S. Smith is the former Lead Editor, Reviews at Digital Trends. He previously guided the Products Team, which dives…
The biggest threat to the MacBook this year might come from Apple itself
The MacBook Air on a white table.

MacBooks have held a dominant position in the laptop world for the past few years. Though there have been meaningful rivals from the Windows side of the aisle, the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro still feel like they hold an unshakeable lead at the moment.

But according to the latest reports, the most serious challenger to the MacBook's reign won't come from Windows -- it'll come from within Apple in the form of some very advanced new iPads.
What's a computer?

Read more
The case for buying the M2 MacBook Air over the M3 model
The screen of the MacBook Air M2.

Apple's MacBook Air M2 recently stood at the top of our list of best laptops, and for good reason. It's incredibly well-built, exuding an elegance that few laptops can match. It's also plenty fast for productivity users, and its GPU is optimized for creators. Its keyboard, touchpad, and display are all top-notch.

Enter the MacBook Air M3, which (hint) took over the MacBook Air's place on that list. The upgraded chipset offers even faster performance, particularly in GPU-intensive apps, and the M3 model supports an additional external display (with the display closed). It's $100 more, but is that uptick in price justified? Let's dig in.
Specs and configurations

Read more
Why you should buy a MacBook Pro instead of a MacBook Air
The 14-inch MacBook Pro on a window sill.

There are plenty of reasons to buy a MacBook Air instead of a MacBook Pro. If you want a MacBook on a budget, you don't necessarily need the goodies that come with upgrading to the MacBook Pro.

That being said, I'm going to argue for spending a little more. In my experience, the MacBook Pro offers several distinct advantages that help justify a higher price, especially with the introduction of the more affordable MacBook Pro 14 with the base M3. If you can stretch your budget a bit, here's why I think you should buy a MacBook Pro instead of a MacBook Air.
Setting the stage: pricing

Read more