Stop incoming iPhone calls from ringing all your other Apple devices

Every time my iPhone rings with an incoming call, the rest of my Apple devices ring in unison, turning my kitchen into a cacophonous digital orchestra. Making matters worse, my iPad and Mac often continue ringing for a few seconds after I've answered the call, leaving both the caller and me startled and confused. Sound familiar? 

The problem is compounded by the fact that we're all stuck in our homes, with roommates, spouses and kids, each of whom has multiple devices that might also ring. It doesn't take too many calls to drive you crazy. Trust me, I know the frustration. 

Thankfully, there's a single switch that will limit incoming calls to just your iPhone. If you're in the habit of placing or answering calls on another Apple device, you can, at the very least, limit the number of Apple devices that ring when an incoming call comes in. I'll walk you through everything you need to know. 

Don't allow incoming calls to your iPad and Mac

There's a master switch that will route calls to all of your Apple devices, or keep them only on your iPhone. With it turned off, your other Apple devices will stop ringing when you receive a call, and you'll no longer be able to place or answer calls on your Mac or iPad.  Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

2. Scroll down and tap Phone. 

3. Select Calls on Other Devices.

4. Slide the switch labeled Allow Calls on Other Devices to the Off position. 

That should take care of any Apple devices other than your iPhone ringing when you get a call. Pass those instructions along to your spouse, roommate or kids. 

Allow calls on just some of your devices

It's also possible to stop calls from ringing on just one device, your Mac for example, but not your iPad. You'll need to visit the Phone section of the settings app just like in the steps above and turn off the device(s) you want to stop receiving calls on. 

You'll also need to follow these steps on each device you want to turn off:

Stop your Mac from ringing

1. Open the FaceTime app on your Mac

2. Click on FaceTime > Preferences in the menu bar at the top of your screen. 

3. Make sure the box next to Calls from iPhone isn't checked. 

4. If it does have a checkmark, click the box to remove it. 

Stop your iPad from ringing

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Scroll down and tap on FaceTime.

3. Slide the switch labeled Allow Calls on Other Devices to the Off position

After you've tweaked which devices will and won't ring, or turned the feature off altogether, your next phone call should be a little less startling. For more cool tips, be sure to read up on Apple's new iCloud folder sharing for all of your devices, making it a contender for replacing Dropbox. Also, get started with trackpad support for your iPad, and then master all of the key features in iOS 13 and iPadOS 13.