'Continuity Activation Tool' Enables Handoff on Older Macs

[wolfie]

I must admit Im really happy about the negative comments and the tide turning against Apple as of late.

I am a huge Apple fan and over the past 2 years my eyes have opened up about their business plans. While they make amazing products they certainly are unethical. **** like this and the mac mini are completely unjustified.

I urge more people to have their voices heard because as long as people keep quiet, the more Apple will walk over us. Challenge the company as find ways of findings hacks around your computer to really show them up.
Stick it to the man when they pull crap like this.

 

[Traverse]

Apple does not approve.

 

[robogobo]

Yet another reason to put off my iPhone 6 upgrade a while longer. It seems that my Macs can take advantage of ever fewer features in the new hardware and iOS.

EXACTLY what I was thinking. Since I wasn't clamoring for a bigger phone, continuity was the only compelling reason for me to upgrade my and my wife's iPhones. But since only one of my five Macs supports it, Apple has taken that reason away as well. So they've just crippled their way out of two sales. Surely they don't think people are going to dump all their old equipment all at once for a new feature.

 

[PRSGuitarist]

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?

I know everyone on here wants to assume Apple is a bunch of greedy bastards who are trying to screw us all over, but did it ever occur to you that they could have found an issue that impacted user experience with those models, and that's why they pulled it? I know you and a bunch of other people are going to put me down as an "apologist", but I prefer not to automatically assume the worst in people.

 

[wolfie]

I know everyone on here wants to assume Apple is a bunch of greedy bastards who are trying to screw us all over, but did it ever occur to you that they could have found an issue that impacted user experience with those models, and that's why they pulled it? I know you and a bunch of other people are going to put me down as an "apologist", but I prefer not to automatically assume the worst in people.

Or...... they want you to spend another 1.5k

 

[Dorje Sylas]

Apple does not approve.

I've more or less gotten past the point of caring.

Something something star systems and fingers.

 

[MiamiC70]

Well played! Ran it and worked like a charm on my mid 2011 Apple Air.
A nice big F... You Apple!

----------

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)

This is complete and utter *********!

 

[Ambush083]

 

[JoEw]

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

They have just moved to crippling hardware itself. Dual core instead of quad core mini, 1gb ram in an iPhone 6, 1gb ram in the iPAD AIR, and the fact that your 2011 hardware is perfectly capable of native handoff/contiunity the switch just isn't turned on.

 

[H2SO4]

Can't believe they crippled capable older devices on purpose. Also not allowing them to function with Bluetooth 4.0 adapters... But yeah I have Bluetooth shut off all the time, yet I still get annoying phone calls on my Mac because it works through Wi-Fi instead.

Glad this hack was released for other users.

I can’t believe you can’t believe it. Apple have a history of BS like this. That’s what makes people hate them sometimes. Yours is the first post I’ve read but I’m wondering how long it’ll be before the first apologist post appears.
Probably along the lines of, ‘Well Crapple have limited it because it’s not smooth on that model and the customert experience will suffer……'

EDIT: It took precisley 37 posts.

 

[sransari]

Some how, I can send SMS messages and place calls with my 2008 Mac Pro without changing out the BT card. I didn't even run the activation too. I'm not sure how/why it is working, but it is. Although one thing is that when I place a call from my Mac, the BT headset that was connected to the Mac no longer works until I end the call and re-pair the headset.

 

[garylapointe]

This is such a horrible chart! 'No' actually means 'Yes - this device works'

(The macbook airs and mac minis mid-2011 WORK with continuity)

No, "no" means you don't need hardware modifications, those devices are not compatible and you need to run the unofficial tool. You need to read the headers on the chart column (although the chart could be titled "Continuity Activation Tool Compatibility List" to help even more).

Gary

 

[cue003]

Does anyone know of a wireless card for Early 2011 MBP that offers 802.11 ac?

Does anyone know the answer to this?? I have the 2011 early mbp and want to use 802.11ac as well.

 

[sransari]

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.

Yea I agree...I mean one of the advantages of Macs is that their hardware is ahead of its time, so a 4 y.o. Mac is really not that old, unless your profession demands the absolute top of the line.

 

[garylapointe]

Well played! Ran it and worked like a charm on my mid 2011 Apple Air.

I'm tempted to run it on my Mid 2011 Air. Which as far as I can tell has the same specs as compatible next year models(?). It was the higher 1.8 GHz Intel Core i7, so it's probably got better specs then the next few refreshes lower end models that are compatible.

I always hate to break stuff though, it always runs fine and then dies on me on vacation or something!!

Gary

 

[Themacdaddyios]

[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.

Image​

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.

Image​

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

Hi my MBP late 2011 already has handoff,calls and sms but doesn't have airdrop and hotspot feature,would i need to still modify the hardware with the card?

 

[RMo]

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)

Umm ... you're going to need to cite a (reliable) source or two to support this claim. I don't know the details of how Bluetooth works, but you do need the Mac and iOS device to be paired, which ordinarily might require typing a code on one or the other, but for this, I believe Apple handles it automatically via iCloud (or perhaps just the knowledge that they are both connected to the same iCloud account). Is there encryption on top of this? (EDIT: I do see your follow up where you hinted at how you arrived at this conclusion.)

Aren't Apple's chips just run of the mill Broadcoms? Did they do something special? I don't believe the protocol has changed.

 

[B2k1977]

I have an Early 2011 13 inch MBP....I don't even see it on the list. Does this mean I'm dead in the water?

 

[oeyvind]

Anyone installed the BCM94331PCIEBT4CAX on their Mid 2010 15" MBP?

I just checked that it has connectors for 4 antennas? Where as the mid 2010 MBP has only 3?

Can someone confirm for me this will fit?

Thanks!

 

[kenniegee]

USB Wi-Fi

Great work guys, just a quick question. My system the mac mini 2010, is inculdd in the work-around. Just wondering would a USB 4.0 Bluetooth dongle work?
Newegg has a few of them... if it does work, which ones are compatable?


Thanks
kenniegee

Apple Community = Adaptability

 

[dsaeyop]

Umm ... you're going to need to cite a (reliable) source or two to support this claim. I don't know the details of how Bluetooth works, but you do need the Mac and iOS device to be paired, which ordinarily might require typing a code on one or the other, but for this, I believe Apple handles it automatically via iCloud (or perhaps just the knowledge that they are both connected to the same iCloud account). Is there encryption on top of this? (EDIT: I do see your follow up where you hinted at how you arrived at this conclusion.)

Aren't Apple's chips just run of the mill Broadcoms? Did they do something special? I don't believe the protocol has changed.

More on the encryption issue, which seems to confirm that encryption has NOTHING to do with which computers Apple enabled Handoff on. The Apple iOS Security Guide indicates that Handoff uses standard Bluetooth and AES encryption (and the same type of encryption used in iMessages), not stuff that would involve any proprietary chips or hardware or be different from what the computers are already certainly capable of handling as long as they have Bluetooth 4.0 hardware:

When a user signs in to iCloud on a second Handoff capable device, the two devices establish a Bluetooth Low Energy 4.0 pairing out-of-band using the Apple Push Notification service (APNs). The individual messages are encrypted in a similar fashion to iMessage.

Once the devices are paired, each will generate a symmetric 256-bit AES key that gets stored in the device’s keychain. This key is used to encrypt and authenticate the Bluetooth Low Energy advertisements that communicate the device’s current activity to other iCloud paired devices using AES-256 in GCM mode, with replay protection measures. The first time a device receives an advertisement from a new key, it will establish a Bluetooth Low Energy connection to the originating device and perform an advertisement encryption key exchange. This connection is secured using standard Bluetooth Low Energy 4.0 encryption as well as encryption of the individual messages, which is similar to how iMessage is encrypted. In some situations, these messages will go via the Apple Push Notification service instead of Bluetooth Low Energy. The activity payload is protected and transferred in the same way as an iMessage.

 

[Management]

Handoff & WiFi

Question, why does Handoff require Bluetooth? Why can't these features just work with WiFi? Seems like WiFi would be better since there would be more bandwidth vs. requiring another radio activated on your mobile device.

From what I understand, the following features only need WiFi. Is this correct?
1) SMS Relay
2) Phone Relay
3) Instant Hotspot

 

[Tech198]

Question, why does Handoff require Bluetooth? Why can't these features just work with WiFi? Seems like WiFi would be better since there would be more bandwidth vs. requiring another radio activated on your mobile device.

RF interference ?? Even thought Bluetooth is shorter range, it's also much less to interfere with anything (if at all)..

Don't forget battery will also add to this too, but if you've already been using a headset on iPhone, u already knew that.

 

[CausticPuppy]

Worked fine on my 2011 Mac Mini! Had to reboot twice, the first time to fix a permission issue, but the script already took that into account.

Handoff itself is a bit finicky, it works 100% from my Mac Mini to my iPhone but only about 25% of the time does the handoff icon show up when it's supposed to on my Mac dock. Maybe 10.10.1 will fix it.

 

[Renzatic]

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

God forbid one of the wealthiest corporations in the world take the minimum amount of effort required to support three years worth of oh so slightly different hardware with a nice, new software feature.

It's not their fault for dropping support. It's our fault for not buying a Mac every other year.