Apple briefly mentioned iPhone Handoff during the opening keynote of WWDC 2026 in June.

At the time, the feature appeared on a slide listing hundreds of changes coming to iOS 27 and related software updates, but Apple provided no further details.

A MacRumors forum member named pdfu has now posted a video demonstrating how the feature works using two simulated iPhones running through Device Hub in Xcode 27.

Users can set up iPhone Handoff through the Cellular section of the Settings app. During setup, they designate one iPhone as their primary device - typically the one they use most often - and the other as a secondary device.

According to Apple, the user’s primary eSIM remains active on the main iPhone, while the secondary iPhone is provisioned with a companion eSIM.

This arrangement allows users to move between the two devices while continuing to use the same phone number.

All cellular connectivity settings are managed from the primary iPhone. Location sharing, meanwhile, is based on whichever iPhone is actually using the phone number at the time.

In addition to requiring both devices to run iOS 27, iPhone Handoff also appears to depend on carrier support.

According to the forum post, T-Mobile in the US and Deutsche Telekom in Germany could be among the first carriers to support the feature.

After around three months of beta testing, Apple is expected to officially release iOS 27 later this month. More details about iPhone Handoff could therefore emerge in the coming weeks.

In comments beneath the MacRumors article, some readers highlighted situations in which iPhone Handoff could prove particularly useful.

Someone who owns two iPhones, for example, could use their newer device for everyday tasks while keeping an older iPhone primarily for calls or entertainment.

The secondary device would not need to be signed into accounts containing sensitive information, such as passwords, banking apps or work-related applications.

That could be particularly useful for people who do not want to take their primary iPhone to the beach, on a trip or while running. If the secondary phone were lost or damaged, they would face less risk of losing access to important accounts and data.

Du Lam