Apple has added a new ‘iPhone Handoff’ feature in iOS 27 that lets you switch between two iPhones while using the same phone number on each device.
The feature was briefly shown on a slide during the WWDC 2026 keynote in June but without further details. A forum member named pdfu shared a video today that demonstrates how the feature works using two simulated iPhones running in Xcode 27’s Device Hub.
How iPhone Handoff works
‘iPhone Handoff’ is set up from the Settings app under the Cellular menu. During setup you choose which iPhone will be the main device you use most often and which will be the companion device. Apple says the user’s main eSIM will remain on the main iPhone while the companion iPhone receives a companion eSIM, enabling you to switch back and forth while keeping the same phone number. All cellular settings are managed on the main iPhone, and location sharing is based on whichever iPhone is actively using the phone number.
Requirements and availability
The feature requires two iPhones running iOS 27 and appears to need carrier support. The forum post mentions that T-Mobile in the U.S. and Deutsche Telekom in Germany might be among the first carriers to offer the capability. After three months of beta testing, iOS 27 is expected to be released later this month, so further details are likely to follow.
