See Handoff on OS X Yosemite and iOS 8 in Action

With iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, Apple is focusing heavily on increased integration between desktop and mobile through several new "Continuity" features, including Handoff, which allows users to start a task on one device and swap to another nearby device.

While Handoff doesn't appear to work reliably at this point in time and is listed as one of the features currently unavailable in the beta software, some users have been able to get it working, giving us a quick glimpse at how the feature works.

A video from French site Mac4Ever displays how the feature works with Maps, Safari, and Mail. A map opened on the iPhone is automatically picked up by the Mac, displayed in the lower left corner of the screen, with the process repeated for a site in Safari and an email message in Mail.


Handoff is also demonstrated in a second video from Cult of Mac, which explains how Handoff works and shows the feature being used with Safari and Mail. The video also demonstrates a second Continuity feature, which allows Macs and iPads to make and answer phone calls relayed through an iPhone.


Handoff, Mac/iPad phone calls, and the other Continuity features will continue to be refined during the iOS 8/OS X Yosemite beta testing period. Both iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite are currently available to developers and are expected to be released to the public in the fall.

Related Forums: OS X Yosemite, iOS 8

Top Rated Comments

borneo76 Avatar
124 months ago
can't wait for public release :cool:
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Trius Avatar
124 months ago
Its called Google/chrome to phone. Nice :0

We're talking about Apple software. Google is a different company completely.. Welcome to the thread.

----------

Mhmmmm, can't wait for my battery to drain even quicker having to need bluetooth on all the time if I want this to work smoothly.

"We've had a breakthrough in our battery technology (so you can use our features for just a little longer)" - Future Apple Speech.

You people and your battery lol... I have had every feature possible enabled on all of my iPhones.. I have never found the need to disable things to extend the battery. This worried obsession over battery life on these forums really confuses me.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
124 months ago
Indeed, this is truly going to change the human race forever in ways so profound that we're unable to grasp the implications.
Exactly! Out of curiosity, how tall is the monument you're constructing in commemoration of this feature? I'm currently at 7ft with no end in sight. :p
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Drunken Master Avatar
124 months ago
I've said it before, but it was around the time that Craig flung an email from an iPad to a Mac when I realized we're on the precipice of something which is going to be indispensable to future generations.

Indeed, this is truly going to change the human race forever in ways so profound that we're unable to grasp the implications.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
seble Avatar
124 months ago
If you look at 0:43 in the first video, the Bluetooth icon is in the status bar of the iPhone but not lit up - it's not connected to the Mac via Bluetooth.

Maybe Apple knows that you might use Bluetooth for multiple things and saves lighting it up for when the device is paired to a car or headphones say.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
arn Avatar
124 months ago
I don't understand why Apple chooses a solution with that much traffic overhead. Or are these notifications sent over Bluetooth / wifi?

Because otherwise they will have a lot of extra traffic, as they have with cloud tabs in safari.

Over Bluetooth apparently
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
anker new xmas 1

Anker's Cyber Week Sale Enters Final Days With Up to 60% Off Sitewide

Friday December 1, 2023 12:05 pm PST by
Anker's Black Friday/Cyber Week event is entering its final days this weekend, and it's still offering up to 60 percent off sitewide. There are also a few "mystery boxes" that can include hundreds of dollars in savings, if you're willing to risk not knowing what you're buying ahead of time. All of these sales will end on December 3. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you...
General Apps Messages

Green Bubbles on iPhone to Gain These 7 New Features Next Year

Thursday November 30, 2023 9:00 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple announced that it will finally support RCS in the Messages app on the iPhone starting later next year. This change will result in several improvements to the messaging experience between iPhones and Android devices. RCS will become the new default standard for messaging between iPhones and Android devices, but these conversations will still have green bubbles like...
top stories 2dec2023

Top Stories: iOS 17.1.2 Released, NameDrop Misinformation, and More

Saturday December 2, 2023 6:00 am PST by
Apple employees are back to work following a Thanksgiving break, and that means this week saw a number of new operating system updates for both public release and beta testing. This week also saw some misinformation about Apple's new NameDrop feature making the rounds, while Apple and Goldman Sachs appear to be on the verge of a break-up in their Apple Card and savings account partnership,...
instagram messenger

Instagram and Facebook Messenger Chats to Disconnect This Month

Tuesday December 5, 2023 1:57 am PST by
Meta has revealed plans to end Instagram users' ability to chat with Facebook accounts later this month, rolling back a feature that it introduced over three years ago. In September 2020, Meta (then Facebook) announced it was merging its Facebook Messenger service with Instagram direct messaging, allowing Instagram users to chat with Facebook users and vice versa using the same platform....
iphone 5g mmwave

Apple's Work on 6G Connectivity Already Expanding

Monday December 4, 2023 7:00 am PST by
Apple's work on implementing 6G cellular connectivity on its devices appears to be ramping up, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that Apple is increasingly turning its attention to 6G, even amid its widely reported difficulties developing a custom 5G cellular modem. In 2021, the first highly specific Apple job...