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: iOS 8, OS X Yosemite

Popular Stories

streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Two Breakthrough Features

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
apple news banner

Apple News Loses CNN

Monday November 24, 2025 7:56 am PST by
American multinational news company CNN has abruptly pulled its content from Apple News, Semafor reports. CNN quietly removed its stories from Apple News over the weekend and there is no longer a feed from the network to subscribe to in the app. This effectively ends its distribution agreement with Apple while the two sides negotiate new terms. Discussions are apparently ongoing and CNN's...

Top Rated Comments

borneo76 Avatar
150 months ago
can't wait for public release :cool:
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Trius Avatar
149 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
150 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
150 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
150 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
150 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)