iOS 8 was released in September and brought a lot of really cool features, with Continuity probably being at the top of the list of enhancements. It allows you to make and receive calls and send and receive text messages using your iPad or Mac, as long as they are connected to the same Wi-Fi network and Apple ID. This is very convenient if you’re working on your Mac and don’t want to switch back to your iPhone just to check text messages or answer calls.
(See also: How to make and receive calls, send and receive text messages from iPad, Mac)
This is a great feature if you’re using a Mac and iPhone, but Android users don’t have to feel left out. AirDroid brings most of Continuity’s features to Android users, and allows for some features that would make Apple users jealous.
Continuity also has a feature called Switch, which allows you to pick up where you left off with an app. Whether you’re completing an incomplete email in Mail or completing a document in Pages, they’ll automatically sync across Apple devices with Handoff. Third-party apps like Google Chrome also support this feature, but it’s only available if the developer chooses to add it.
(See also: How to enable and use continuity and switching features on iPhone, iPad and Mac)
AirDroid does not have features like Handoff and does not allow you to answer calls. If your phone is rooted, it can mirror the screen of your Android device to your computer. This feature is useful if you want to use a mobile app on your computer. If your phone is not rooted, you will only receive notifications from text messages, phone calls, and other system apps.
Airdroid 3 lets you send and receive text messages, make and reject calls, receive notifications, and transfer files from your computer. You control your phone using the web client, so you don’t need to install any software, just visit a web page on your PC or Mac to use the app.
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Download AirDroid on your Android phone.
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Open the app on your Android phone.
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The app will ask you to create an account, but this is not required. Just tap the tiny Log in later The button is at the bottom.
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Now, AirDroid will ask for your permission to display notifications on your computer in real time. tap enable.
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This will take you to system settings to access notifications. tap AirDroid notification mirroring service.
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A confirmation pop-up will appear. tap OK.
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Now tap the back button on your phone to return to AirDroid. The app will now display a URL on the phone – http://web.airdroid.com.
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Open the URL in any web browser on your computer. You will see a QR code in your browser window.
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On AirDroid on your Android phone, tap the QR code image next to the URL. This will open the camera.
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Point your camera at the QR code in your computer’s browser window. The Android app vibrates after scanning the code.
That’s it, now you can get all your Android notifications in that browser window. This is very similar to how you connect WhatsApp Web to your phone. In the browser window you’ll see apps for Screenshot, Camera, Music, Photos, Videos, and more – all of which are self-explanatory. You can access your phone’s camera, take screenshots, view and transfer photos and videos, and listen to and transfer songs from your computer. AirDroid makes it easy for you to manage your Android phone from PC as you can also view recent calls by clicking on “Call History” and backup apk files by clicking on “Apps”.
You can also use AirDroid to perform other simple operations, such as sending text messages directly from your PC.
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In the browser window, click message app.
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All text messages on your phone will appear here.
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Click new news New text can be written in the upper right corner. Click send Send it over.
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When you receive any text message, you will receive a notification in your browser. Click the notification to view the text. Alternatively, you can click message The application views all incoming messages.
You can also make calls using AirDroid on your PC, but the calls are not shared with your computer. The PC is only used as a phone dialer.
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Click the phone icon next to the search bar at the top of the web.airdroid.com page.
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Dial the number on the keypad. When you start entering a number, a list of contacts with similar numbers will appear on the right. Therefore, you can also click on the contact you want to call.
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click blue call button. Now you have to switch to an Android phone to talk to this person. This is an unfortunate limitation, and we recommend using Bluetooth headphones paired with your phone as a workaround.
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AirDroid also doesn’t let you answer calls from your computer, but you can reject calls via text message. When someone calls, you’ll see a pop-up in your browser window. Click reject disconnect the call or Decline and leave a message Send a text message to the caller.
AirDroid isn’t perfect for things like continuity, but it’s pretty close. If you use any other Android apps that allow you to make calls or send text messages from your computer, please let us know in the comments. For more tutorials, head to our how-to section.