iPhone Handoff works like a companion eSIM for iPhones
A revamped and conversational Siri AI assistant will be the key highlight of iOS 27
Photo Credit: Apple
Apple briefly touched on its iPhone Handoff feature at its recent WWDC 2026 developer event, where the brand showcased upcoming software features set to arrive on its devices. Now, a report claims that the feature might be coming to iOS 27. iPhone Handoff basically lets a user share one number between two iPhones. This feature can offer several benefits, reducing the need for two SIM cards or two eSIMs for two iPhones. It works like a companion eSIM profile, which has been popular with wearables. A developer has also showcased how the feature will work between iPhones in a demo video.
As reported by MacRumours, the iPhone Handoff feature, which was announced at WWDC 2026, has now been demoed by a user on its forums. It isn't clear whether the feature will make it into the release candidate set to arrive by mid-September, but it's available on the iOS 27 Developer Beta 5 for users, depending on their carrier, as spotted by some Reddit users.
The new iPhone Handoff feature needs to be set up and is switched off by default. The user on the MacRumors forum has made it clear that iPhone Handoff isn't currently available. Once it is available, the iPhone user can switch it on by going to Settings > Cellular > SIMs > Select the active carrier. In this menu, the user will see a new iPhone Handoff option. Your carrier must support the feature before you can enable it on your iPhone.
In this case, the user on the forum demoed iPhone Handoff using a developer tool called Xcode and two simulated iPhones. The source claims that once it's available, iPhone Handoff will appear between ‘My Number' and ‘Wi-Fi Calling' in the sub-menu.
During setup, as shown in the video, users will be asked to select which iPhone should be the primary. According to the descriptions shown in the software interface, Apple claims that a user's eSIM will remain on the primary device. The secondary device will receive a companion eSIM, letting the user switch between the two devices and share data and billing costs on the primary device's number.
Location sharing is also smartly based on the secondary phone. Developers will have to ensure this by working with an API called iPhone Quick Switch, which enables seamless app transition between multiple iPhones. Once iPhone Handoff is enabled, the set phone number will automatically switch between iPhones depending on which one is unlocked. The user will see a Dynamic Island notification when unlocking the secondary device to confirm the transfer.
As the details above show, carrier support is a must. The source mentioned that only T-Mobile in the US and Deutsche Telekom in Germany will initially offer this feature.
Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.