Apple’s new iPhone Handoff feature in iOS 27 will let users share one phone number between two iPhones and switch between them automatically. However, the feature will have an unusually limited launch, with support initially restricted to T-Mobile in the U.S. and Deutsche Telekom in Germany.
iPhone Handoff is designed for people who regularly use two iPhones, allowing one to act as the main device and the other as a secondary device. The active phone changes automatically when the user unlocks it.
How iPhone Handoff Works
Both iPhones must be running iOS 27 or later, connected to Wi-Fi, and signed into the same Apple Account. FaceTime, iMessage, and Messages in iCloud must also be enabled on both devices.
Users can activate iPhone Handoff while setting up a new iPhone or later through the Settings app. The new device can be configured as the secondary iPhone while the existing phone remains the main device.
Once configured, unlocking either iPhone automatically switches the shared number to that device. The active phone displays a confirmation that the number has been switched.
Only one iPhone can have the number active at a time. Some carrier features, including Call Forwarding, Caller ID, and account management, remain tied to the main iPhone.
Apple Watch also does not switch between the two iPhones when Handoff changes the active device.
iPhone Handoff Has Several Limitations
iPhone Handoff also supports Dual SIM, provided both eSIMs come from carriers that support the feature. Each eSIM needs to be configured separately, but both can switch together when the user unlocks the other iPhone.
Some Wallet features can work across both devices, including payment cards and car keys. However, Apple warns that certain items, such as transit passes, IDs, and corporate badges, may only work on one iPhone at a time.
Once enabled, iPhone Handoff remains active until the user contacts their carrier to disable it. Carrier support is therefore essential, and having two compatible iPhones running iOS 27 is not enough on its own.
iPhone Handoff Launches With Limited Carrier Support
Apple says iPhone Handoff will initially be available only through T-Mobile in the U.S. and Deutsche Telekom in Germany. The company has not announced when additional carriers will support the feature.
T-Mobile will also charge customers $5 per month for iPhone Handoff, making the feature both carrier-dependent and subject to an additional fee in the U.S.
iOS 27 will launch on September 14, but most iPhone users will not be able to use Handoff immediately unless their carrier supports it.
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