Mac Dropping Calls When Switching From iPhone (macOS Big Sur 11.1)

Mac dropping calls from iPhone

Mac dropping calls from iPhone.


Is your Mac dropping calls when switching audio from iPhone? Are you picking up or dialing a call on your iOS device, but when you want to transfer it to a MacBook, the call unexpectedly hangs up? This seems to be a common macOS Big Sur 11.1 issue, that happens most often while switching audio for conference calls, but not only!

We’ve managed to replicate it on an Intel-based MacBook Air. The initial report involved a new M1 MacBook Air! This means that the bug might surface on any macOS Big Sur 11.1 compatible machine.

How To Fix macOS Big Sur Call Dropping Bug

1. Restart Devices

We’ve managed to fix this issue by rebooting both devices involved in this process:
– iPhone: use the force restart trick to reset any minor glitches. (Briefly click & release Volume Up, Volume Down followed by a press & hold of the Side Button until the Apple logo is displayed on the screen.)
– Mac: Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner and use the Restart… option.

2. Initiate The Call On Mac

We’ve noticed that macOS Big Sur won’t drop calls if you start them from your Mac. All that you have to do is click on Contacts (available in the Dock) and search for the desired contact. Click on the Call icon and macOS will connect to your iPhone and dial the call.
Tip: The same goes for answering. If your iPhone rings, go next to your Mac and pick up the call using macOS Big Sur!

3. Mac & iPhone On Same Wi-Fi?

Are your devices connected to the same WiFi network? If you’re using a dual band hotspot you might find out that one of them is using the 2.4 GHz one, wile the other the 5 GHz band. Try to bring them on the same band and see if calls continue to drop!

4. Update To iOS 14.4

Both iOS 14.4 and macOS Big Sur 11.2 are currently available for beta testing. If the call dropping bug is too annoying for you, you can opt to install the betas and see if they fix the problem. I would suggest you to download iOS 14.4 beta first, as the issue might be iOS 14.3 related and not a macOS Big Sur 11.1 glitch.

Fact: The Mac dropping calls when routing audio from iPhone issue has been also reported on Apple’s discussion forums. An iMac Pro (2017) model and an iPhone XS Max are involved!

Did you manage to fix the Mac dropping calls issue? Did one of the above tips help? Are we missing something? Use the comments section and share your feedback. Don’t forget to mention your Mac and iPhone model.

Related: If you’re an iPhone 12 / 12 Pro owner you might experience dropped calls even without a Mac involved in the process. Apparently, the 2020 flagships are unexpectedly entering No Service mode and experiencing sudden cellular signal loss.