Mac and iPad soon to get telephony app – New anti-spam features for iMessages
Apple has expanded its system integration: tablets and computers now have fully-fledged phone apps. Thanks to AI, you should have to wait less and avoid spam.
Phone app on the Mac: Continuity makes it possible.
(Image: Screenshot Apple.com)
As part of Apple's Continuity function, content can already be transferred quickly and easily between iPhone, Mac and iPad as long as the systems use the same Apple account and are in close proximity to each other. With the next operating system updates from the fall, this will be further improved in the area of telephony: iPad and Mac will receive their own phone app for the first time as part of iPadOS 26 and macOS 26. This will allow you to make Wi-Fi calls to landlines and mobile networks as long as an iPhone is nearby. All incoming and outgoing calls, voice messages and contacts, including Apple's new overview function, are stored in the Phone app. The iPad and Mac version has the same range of functions as the telephony application on the iPhone.
Better calls thanks to AI
This means that three new features that Apple has implemented using AI are also integrated: So-called call screening, a live translation function and hold assist. Call screening means that calls from unknown contacts are automatically answered if you wish. The iPhone (or Mac or iPad) then asks for the name of the caller and the purpose of the call. This is then shown to the user in writing on the display – and they can decide whether to actually answer the call.
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Live translation combines a transcription of a foreign language (which also works in FaceTime video calls) including translation with audio: the words of both communication partners are translated with a time delay and sent to the line. However, Apple's demo at WWDC 2025 sounded rather robotic in German.
The third new function, Hold Assist, should be particularly useful: Here, the device uses AI to recognize that you are on hold and waits for the user without disturbing them. If someone does answer the phone, they are asked for a moment – and the user can pick up. Both Call Screening and Hold Assist are initially only available in English.
Spam prevention in the messaging app
The Messages app is also getting more AI and better sorting. In future, Apple will automatically sort messages from unknown contacts into a separate folder and, if desired, will not send a notification. So that no important messages are lost. For example, the Messages app will be able to automatically recognize messages from delivery services or two-factor codes from previously unknown numbers.
Time-critical messages are then sent through after all, although it is to be hoped that attackers will not take advantage of this in the future so that their message is flushed to the top. In fact, Apple Intelligence is already having problems with this, for example, promoting phishing messages by email as important.
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