The new Handoff feature that debuted with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite provides a great way to answer incoming iPhone calls using your Mac, but it’s a little bit more complicated for those who want to use their Mac to handle all of their iPhone calling needs, including placing outgoing speakerphone calls from their desk. Raffael Hannemann’s DockPhone ($1) provides an answer in the form of an inexpensive little OS X app that makes better use of the Handoff feature, providing a Mac-based dialer that allows you to place calls through your iPhone while sitting at your Mac.
Billed as a “real phone app” for the Mac, DockPhone allows you to search your contacts, dial arbitrary phone numbers, or even dial by voice by speaking a number or name. You even get a Today widget included that provides easy one-click redial for your most recent contacts.
The app does require that you already have a Handoff compatible configuration – meaning iOS 8 on your iPhone and OS X Yosemite running on a recent enough Mac – and both devices have to share the same iCloud account and Wi-Fi network, but it’s a great way to expand Handoff capabilities if you’re somebody who would rather handle calls right at your desk without having to always pull out your iPhone.