iPhone to iPad Handoff

[twerppoet]

As some of you may have noticed, if you have an app open on your iPhone, then the last item in your iPad’s dock will show that app with a little iPhone icon in the top right corner. Tapping it opens the same app, and current app content that your iPhone is displaying.

Well, not all apps show up. Which got me curious about which of my apps support Handoff. So, I went through almost all my iPhone apps and wrote down the results. Your experience may vary.

Native Apps

• Messages
• Mail
• Safari
• Contacts
• Clock
• Maps
• Photos
• Calendar
• Notes (if a note is open)
• Pages (if a document is open)
• Numbers (if a spreadsheet is open)
• Keynote (if a presentation is open)

Third Party Apps

• Fantastical
• Overcast
• PCalc
• Carrot Weather
• Khan Academy

Note. This happens in the recent app section of the dock; the last three apps seperated from the rest by a subtle vertical line.

 

[Wing rider]

Seems like it only works if both devices share the same iCloud account which my iPhone (Corporate AT&T Account) and personal iPad don’t.

Still, thanks for posting what is probably a very underused feature on these devices.

 

[twerppoet]

Yep. Same iCloud account, and Bluetooth has to be enabled as well.

It’s to make sure the iPhone/iPad don’t share things with strangers, and even then only when you are within reasonable distance of the other device. There is no way (outside of Family Sharing) to link devices on seperate iCloud accounts; and that does not apply here.

I don’t normally use the feature. Mostly bercause I never think to look for in on the rare occations I want/need to switch working on the iPhone to the iPad mid task.

It’s cool, but I don’t think you are missing much.

 

[LannyC]

A form of this also works with many Apple TV apps and their corresponding iOS apps. If I start playing a YouTube video or a podcast on the iPad, I can pause it, switch to Apple TV, and resume where I left off. Usually.

 

[twerppoet]

I didn’t know about the Apple TV.

Handoff also works with Macs. But my Mac is gathering dust in storage, and my Apple TV’s in a box (no wi-fi here); so I can’t play with those.

 

[PrismStudios]

Well, I know how I might be wasting my Sunday afternoon.....L