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'Continuity Activation Tool' Enables Handoff on Older Macs

Not exactly sure about this so I'll defer to you...

Ran the script and can Airdrop between my 2011 MBA and iPhone 6. Great! Strange behavior though: The phone does not ask me whether I want to accept or deny Airdropped files from my MBA. The files just send and wind up on the phone.

Is this a "feature" of Airdrop? Like if you're Airdropping yourself (same Apple ID, network, etc) you shouldn't have to approve or deny?

Can anybody replicate the behavior?
 
Only 3 years have passed since I threw well over 2000 Euros at Apple and I get treated like BT LE adapters don't exist.

Hey Apple, computers get used for more than 2 years, heck, even going by your AppleCare lifespan of 3 years for computers this should work.

Nobody's gonna pay that much for a computer prematurely, but here's a hint: You just added frustration to my experience.
There's a wonderful saying: "People won't remember you for what you said, but for how you made them feel"

There's still a lot of good coming from you, but please don't think you're treating your customers better in every way only because new versions of your mobile OS get released timely for older devices as well. (which by the way upgrades them to sluggish performance on the 2nd to 3rd major update after stock OS version, I wonder why)

Glassed Silver:mac
 
alchemistmuffin said:
There's a reason why Apple doesn't have Handoff enabled on capable macs: Encryption.

The 2011 MacBook Air and 2011 Mac Mini has Bluetooth 4.0 LE, but doesn't have the proper chip to help encrypt the handoff signals to limit it to matching devices with matching Apple ID. So while Handoff may work with the enabler, the signal is not encrypted and is very open to attacks.

Without the proper encryption authentication, there are high chance that some non-matching iOS devices nearby may be able to pick up the handoff signal. That can mean disaster in terms of privacy.

(Imagine you were searching XXX content on your mac, but you decided that you may be comfortable watching it on your phone, so you hand it off to your phone. But, since that mac is sending unencrypted handoff signal, junior using his iPad may accidentally see your XXX content if bluetooth is turned on and has the compatible iOS device)

Basically, for handoff to work safely, Bluetooth LE signal has to be encrypted, and Older Macs and USB Bluetooth Dongles don't have proper chip to encrypt to signals

(note that encryption chip I'm talking about is proprietary)
Click to expand...

Is this speculation or do you know this/have seen documentation on this? Does that mean that the proprietary encryption is built into the Apple Broadcom wireless cards found in newer Macs, which is why those need to be installed?
 
MacRumors said:
[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]


With iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, Apple introduced "Continuity," a set of features designed to allow for deeper integration between Macs and iOS devices. Unfortunately, some Continuity features are limited to Macs with Bluetooth 4.0, which leaves many older Macs unable to access the new features.

Additionally, even though the 2011 MacBook Air and 2011 Mac mini include Bluetooth 4.0, Apple has opted not to allow them to access Continuity features. Luckily, many resourceful members of the MacRumors forums have come up with solutions to allow them to enable Continuity on their older Macs, and discussion on our forums has led to the creation of a set of instructions and a Continuity Activation Tool that should get Continuity working on Macs unable to explicitly support the feature.

Created by Dokterdok (based on instructions compiled by UncleSchnitty) and available on Github, the Continuity Activation Tool is designed to activate Continuity by doing a compatibility check, creating backups of original System drivers, and disabling a Mac-model blacklist in the Bluetooth code that prevents Continuity from working on ineligible Macs. From there, it also whitelists Mac board-ids within the Wi-Fi code to get the feature working.

The tool can be downloaded as a zip file from Github and is installed by double clicking the app and following the instructions provided on the screen.

The Continuity Activation Tool will enable Continuity on the mid-2011 MacBook Air and the mid-2011 Mac mini with no additional hardware required, as both of those devices include Bluetooth 4.0. That means installing the tool should get Continuity up and running on those machines in just a few minutes.

On older Macs that do not come equipped with Bluetooth 4.0, new wireless cards will need to be installed, which makes it more difficult for casual users to get access to Continuity. USB dongles that provide Bluetooth 4.0 will not work with the Continuity Activation Tool, and a list of wireless cards that will provide Bluetooth 4.0 for each older Mac can be found on the MacRumors forums.

Both MacRumors forum members and Redditors have confirmed that this method is able to successfully enable Continuity on a variety of Macs, including the mid-2011 MacBook Air, the early 2011 MacBook Pro, and the mid-2011 Mac mini.

The Continuity Activation Tool appears to enable all Continuity features when used successfully, allowing older Macs to access Handoff, Instant Hotspot, SMS forwarding, and Mac phone calls without an issue. Some of these Continuity features may work already on older Macs as they use a variety of different connection methods ranging from Bluetooth to Wi-Fi, but the tool is confirmed to get Handoff and AirDrop, both of which require Bluetooth, to work.

Users should exercise caution when using the Continuity Activation Tool, as it moves around low level files and there's a possibility it could cause problems. A backup is recommended before attempting to install the tool.

Article Link: 'Continuity Activation Tool' Enables Handoff on Older Macs
Click to expand...

Should have charged £5 for the tool - there's nothing wrong with being given a small reward for SUCH a useful enablement. :)
 
Planned obsolescence? Seriously? If that was Apple's plan, then why does Yosemite even run on those machines? I mean, if you want to "force" a whole lot of people to upgrade, which would turn the better result, "Can't run the OS," or "Can't use one feature of the OS?"

We can only speculate on Apple's reasons, but my speculation runs in the direction of, "We weren't able to test this extensively on that hardware, so we're not taking chances," or "We found problems on a sufficiently large subset of these machines that we're not going to warrant that it will work."

Customer satisfaction is part of the equation. Customers are generally understanding if told, "You're hardware is too old to support the new feature." They're far less understanding when they're told something ought to work, but doesn't.

Anytime someone says, "Apple's rich, they should..." they're ignoromg a basic fact. Support costs are built into product costs. It's not something that's done with "excess profits." The warranty term, the limitations of coverage, the price charged for AppleCare... are all variables in the pricing equation. Pay a higher price, get a more generous warranty. Charge a higher price, "Oh, that evil Apple tax!"
 
cornycopier said:
Not exactly sure about this so I'll defer to you...

Ran the script and can Airdrop between my 2011 MBA and iPhone 6. Great! Strange behavior though: The phone does not ask me whether I want to accept or deny Airdropped files from my MBA. The files just send and wind up on the phone.

Is this a "feature" of Airdrop? Like if you're Airdropping yourself (same Apple ID, network, etc) you shouldn't have to approve or deny?

Can anybody replicate the behavior?
Click to expand...

Update: I'm guessing it's a "feature". If I Airdrop from my iPad to my phone, I get the same behavior - no accept/deny - just a sent file. I shall carry on. Just never noticed the behavior.
 
dsaeyop said:
Is this speculation or do you know this/have seen documentation on this? Does that mean that the proprietary encryption is built into the Apple Broadcom wireless cards found in newer Macs, which is why those need to be installed?
Click to expand...

I've been testing it out for while using bunch of Macs and tinkering around. Analyzed Bluetooth signals (which is hard as hell, but again, tinkered around with wireless test set to make it work) and noticed some odd signals in the analyzer.

(we used this one)
http://www.anritsu.com/en-US/Products-Solutions/Products/MT8852B.aspx

We need to do more tests, especially on newer iMac with retina display. But we are definitive that Bluetooth LE is encrypted when used with Handoff.
 
What good is this (Continuily) thing for... If it still requires you to be connected to the internet... This whole BT4.0 LE thing is just another APPL scam to make you buy their newer hardware...Blah!
 
simonmet said:
This is such *********. I just don't know Apple any more. I'd love to hear their response as to why they disabled it on seemingly perfectly capable hardware.

I pretty much hate the company now.
Click to expand...

Count Blah said:
Really? You honestly can't understand why? The apple that encouraged people to be creative is no more. It's a company that only wants to maximize its profits at the expense of its loyal customers. Soldered ram in desktop machines, sticking with 1 gig of ram in iOS devices for at least a year too long, keeping with 16gig to milk the customers to upgrade storage, etc...

You are walking wallets, nothing more. Consumers to be dazzled and amazed? Not any more. It's the minimum amount to keep the money train rolling, nothing more. It's locking down systems to purposely enforce planned obsolescence, so you upgrade more quickly, while making eWaste at a quicker pace.

Apple's green initiative is increasing the pace of computers filling landfills.
Click to expand...

So are both of you putting your money where your mouths are and not buying Apple products anymore?

alchemistmuffin said:
There's a reason why Apple doesn't have Handoff enabled on capable macs: Encryption.

The 2011 MacBook Air and 2011 Mac Mini has Bluetooth 4.0 LE, but doesn't have the proper chip to help encrypt the handoff signals to limit it to matching devices with matching Apple ID. So while Handoff may work with the enabler, the signal is not encrypted and is very open to attacks.

Without the proper encryption authentication, there are high chance that some non-matching iOS devices nearby may be able to pick up the handoff signal. That can mean disaster in terms of privacy.

(Imagine you were searching XXX content on your mac, but you decided that you may be comfortable watching it on your phone, so you hand it off to your phone. But, since that mac is sending unencrypted handoff signal, junior using his iPad may accidentally see your XXX content if bluetooth is turned on and has the compatible iOS device)

Basically, for handoff to work safely, Bluetooth LE signal has to be encrypted, and Older Macs and USB Bluetooth Dongles don't have proper chip to encrypt to signals

(note that encryption chip I'm talking about is proprietary)
Click to expand...

As if anything is going to change the minds of those who are whining in this thread. Still, I appreciate the explanation, I figured there was some sort of technical reason for it.

ApfelKuchen said:
Planned obsolescence? Seriously? If that was Apple's plan, then why does Yosemite even run on those machines? I mean, if you want to "force" a whole lot of people to upgrade, which would turn the better result, "Can't run the OS," or "Can't use one feature of the OS?"

We can only speculate on Apple's reasons, but my speculation runs in the direction of, "We weren't able to test this extensively on that hardware, so we're not taking chances," or "We found problems on a sufficiently large subset of these machines that we're not going to warrant that it will work."

Customer satisfaction is part of the equation. Customers are generally understanding if told, "You're hardware is too old to support the new feature." They're far less understanding when they're told something ought to work, but doesn't.

Anytime someone says, "Apple's rich, they should..." they're ignoromg a basic fact. Support costs are built into product costs. It's not something that's done with "excess profits." The warranty term, the limitations of coverage, the price charged for AppleCare... are all variables in the pricing equation. Pay a higher price, get a more generous warranty. Charge a higher price, "Oh, that evil Apple tax!"
Click to expand...

Exactly. Some people think that Apple can just throw money at problems and make them go away. Those people don't have the slightest clue how products are designed, engineered, and sold.
 
alchemistmuffin said:
I've been testing it out for while using bunch of Macs and tinkering around. Analyzed Bluetooth signals (which is hard as hell, but again, tinkered around with wireless test set to make it work) and noticed some odd signals in the analyzer.

(we used this one)
http://www.anritsu.com/en-US/Products-Solutions/Products/MT8852B.aspx

We need to do more tests, especially on newer iMac with retina display. But we are definitive that Bluetooth LE is encrypted when used with Handoff.
Click to expand...

This is really interesting--please let us know what you find. What I'm wondering is whether people are actually opening themselves up to big security risks by switching out Bluetooth cards and/or changing the kext, or if in fact Apple will encrypt the data just the same regardless of whether one is on an officially supported machine.
 
MBA 2011 Works (kind of)

I've been lurking for years on this great forum. I'm compelled to share my experience with this process.

I was able to install the feature successfully (I did have to restart after I received the Kexts error some others have had). Once I reran the script from the terminal, logged out of iCloud and back in and restarted, I was able to get it working intermittently.

I may be off base here, but I think that is why Apple has restricted older devices from using this feature. Even though the hardware supports it, the performance isn't consistent.

While I get the point that they want to sell new hardware, they put a premium on user experience, so I think things like Handoff and previously AirPlay were limited to newer devices to ensure a consistent user experience. Just my two cents. All I know is when it works is super cool!
 
John.B said:
Wasn't 2011 when the first BTLE products came to market? Is it possible that the BTLE radio they used in the 2011 MBA had problems that software alone couldn't solve?
Click to expand...

How did 3rd party software hacks solve this hardware problem Apple couldn't?

----------
ApfelKuchen said:
Planned obsolescence? Seriously? If that was Apple's plan, then why does Yosemite even run on those machines? I mean, if you want to "force" a whole lot of people to upgrade, which would turn the better result, "Can't run the OS," or "Can't use one feature of the OS?"
Click to expand...

Not really. If you can't upgrade at all, you don't know what you're missing. If you can upgrade but not take full advantage, you do know what you're missing. I don't know about you, but I tend to upgrade when I know there's something missing.
 
SBlue1 said:
What is 3 and a half years for a computer??? A Mac is not an iPhone getting replaced every 2 years.

My Mac Cube was in use for 6 years, same with my white MacBook which I used for seven years. I expect my new MacBook Pro to last me at least 6 to 7 years.
Click to expand...

What's funny is these same nuts who think you should replace a perfectly good computer after a few years are the ones who go on and on about high resale values. But when Apple shortens the life of their computers, they kill the resale value too.

----------
grandchester said:
While I get the point that they want to sell new hardware, they put a premium on user experience, so I think things like Handoff and previously AirPlay were limited to newer devices to ensure a consistent user experience. Just my two cents. All I know is when it works is super cool!
Click to expand...

If they put a premium on user experience, they wouldn't be making their computers slow and slower.
 
ApfelKuchen said:
Planned obsolescence? Seriously? If that was Apple's plan, then why does Yosemite even run on those machines? I mean, if you want to "force" a whole lot of people to upgrade, which would turn the better result, "Can't run the OS," or "Can't use one feature of the OS?"
Click to expand...

The truth is that Apple has a Department of Evil Department with people sitting in chairs with their backs turned to each other, cackling evilly as they devise a plan to make perfectly good Macs completely obsolete (obsolete like lacking a new feature they never had in the first place). The problem is, they aren't very good at their jobs, so while they succeed in being evil techno-terrorists by leaving out a feature, they sometimes let the rest of the entire OS get by them so it still has the other 99% of its functionality on old Macs.
 
Okay, ran the tool on my 2011 mini. Seems to work okay, except I can only AirDrop Mac to iPhone or iPad and not vice versa. My iPad and iPhone show up fine in AirDrop in Finder but when I try to transfer a file from my iPhone I don't see my Mac. Now one thing the instructions said was that I should logout of iCloud on my Mac and then back on. But I didn't want all my existing data erased. Any suggestions?
 
Dilster3k said:
Can't believe they crippled capable older devices on purpose.
Click to expand...

I agree it is a bummer (I have a 2011 MBP)

I have been surprised by Apple lately in that they offer as much backward compatibility as they do.

For example, all the features in iOS 8 are supported by the iPhone 5/5s/5c if they have the hardware (no NFC for example).

Heck, I am amazed that Yosemite will even be "allowed" to run on my 2011 Macbook Pro.

2 years ago, planned obsolesce was much more prevalent at apple
 
InfoTime said:
Please stop with all the crying about it not working on older Macs and that Apple's doing it on purpose to make more money. Duh - they're a business and the objective is to make money.

There's a reason we all love our Macs - they simply work better than Windows PCs. And its decisions like these, to only support recent generations of hardware with a limited set of cards and drivers, that make our computers work better. Trying to make Continuity work on that much wider range of systems would have added to the development and testing costs, made it take longer, bloated the code and jammed the support phone lines. Plus I'd bet the feature would have not worked as well for everyone including those with the officially supported machines.

Both of my Macs don't aren't supported but I'm OK with it. It's not going to stop me from trying these hacks though :D
Click to expand...

Get over yourself and stop defending a multi-billion dollar business that has over $150b in cash. They purposefully blacklisted 2011 Mac minis and MBA even though their hardware is capable of BTLE( no difference from 2012 models that got these features). The 2011 models even had these features in developer preview and public beta. It was in the final release they removed it. What defense do you have for that?
 
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