Learn how to use Handoff on your Apple Watch to move what you’re doing on your wrist to the bigger screen of your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
What is Handoff?
Handoff is a Continuity feature on Apple devices that lets you start working on one device and pick up from that same spot on your other Apple devices.
For instance, you can start drafting an email on your Apple Watch and continue writing it on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
The icon for the Mail app will appear in the App Switcher on your iPhone and Dock on your iPad and Mac. It will have a tiny watch icon informing you that you’re picking up a task ongoing on your Apple Watch.
Handoff is turned on by default. However, if you aren’t a big fan of Handoff, or if you just don’t see yourself ever using it, you can easily disable it. On a separate note, if you find that Handoff isn’t working, it may be because you have it disabled.
In this post, we’ll show you how to enable or disable Handoff on Apple Watch in just a few steps.
Notes:
- I found that you can Handoff tasks from your Apple Watch to your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, but you can’t pick up a task going on your other devices to your Apple Watch.
- Handoff only works for the Apple Watch you have set for yourself and not those Apple Watches you set up for your family members using your iPhone.
- Your Apple Watch must be connected to your iPhone for Handoff to work.
Supported apps
Not all apps support Handoff on Apple Watch. Per Apple:
Handoff works with Activity, Alarm, Calendar, Home, Mail, Maps, Messages, Music, News, Phone, Podcasts, Reminders, Settings, Siri, Stocks, Stopwatch, Timers, Wallet, Weather, and World Clock.
Enable or disable Handoff on Apple Watch
You can do it from the iOS Watch app or straight from your wrist.
From the Watch app
- Open the Watch app on your paired iPhone.
- From the My Watch tab, tap General.
- Scroll down and toggle on or off the switch next to Enable Handoff.
From your Apple Watch
- Press the Digital Crown and open Settings.
- Tap General.
- Scroll down and tap Handoff.
- Turn on or off the switch for Enable Handoff.
Ensure Handoff is enabled on your other Apple devices
If you don’t want to use Handoff on your Apple Watch, then the steps below don’t matter to you. However, if you want to continue an Apple Watch task on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you must ensure Handoff is turned on even on these devices. Here are the quick steps for that:
- iPhone and iPad: Settings > General > AirPlay & Handoff and make sure Handoff is switched on.
- Mac: System Settings > General > AirDrop & Handoff and turn on the switch for “Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices.”
Do you use Handoff between your Apple Watch and iPhone? Sound off down below in the comments.
On the same note: