How to change your Mac's Call Relay ringtone

One of OS X Yosemite's new Continuity features is the ability to accept (and make) phone calls when your iPhone is nearby. Call Relay is an incredibly useful feature, but when all of your devices ring with the same ringtone, it can get distracting. Here's how to give your Mac a distinct ringtone.

When it's activated, Call Relay makes your Mac an extension of your iPhone. You can take and make calls using the FaceTime application on your Mac, saving you from having to dive for your phone every time it rings.

By default, the Mac uses the "Opening" ringtone whenever you get an incoming call. But you can change that, just like you can change the ringtone on your phone.

To change the Mac's ringtone

  1. Click the Finder icon in the Dock.
  2. Open the Applications folder.
  3. Double-click on the FaceTime application.
  4. Click on the FaceTime menu.
  5. Select Preferences... (or alternately type command ,).
  6. Click on the Ringtone menu.
  7. Select a ringtone you'd prefer to use. Each one you select will play so you can hear it.
  8. Close Preferences when you're done.

That's about all there is to it. You can choose from over four dozen different distinct ringtones.

Have any trouble? Let me know.

Peter Cohen