Vratislav Holub Operating systems from Apple are most often highlighted for their simplicity and relatively pleasant user environment. However, what is the greatest strength of apple products is the overall connection of the entire ecosystem. The systems are interconnected and all the necessary data is almost always synchronized so that we have our work available regardless of whether we are on an iPhone, iPad or Mac. A function called Handoff is also closely related to this. This is an extremely cool tool that can make the daily use of our Apple devices incredibly enjoyable. But the problem is that some users still don't know about the function.
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Adam Kos For many apple growers, Handoff is an indispensable feature. Most often, people use it when combining work on an iPhone and a Mac, when it can be used for quite a lot of things. So let's shed some light together on what Handoff is actually for, why it's good to learn how to use it, and how the function can be used in the real world.
How Handoff works and what it is for
So let's move on to the essentials, what the Handoff function is actually used for. Its purpose could be described quite simply - it allows us to take over the current work/activity and immediately continue it on another device. This can best be seen with a concrete example. For example, when you browse the web on your Mac and then switch to your iPhone, you don't have to repeatedly open specific open tabs, as you only need to tap a single button to open your work from the other device. In terms of continuity, Apple is moving forward significantly, and Handoff is one of the main pillars. At the same time, it is good to mention that the function is not limited to native applications only. So, for example, if you use Chrome instead of Safari on both devices, Handoff will work normally for you.
On the other hand, it is necessary to mention that Handoff may not always work. If the feature isn't working with you, it's possible that you simply have it turned off, or you just don't qualify System Requirements (which is very unlikely, Handoff is supported by, for example, iPhones 5 and later). To activate, in the case of a Mac, just go to System Preferences > General and check the option at the very bottom Enable Handoff between Mac and iCloud devices. On the iPhone, you must then go to Settings > General > AirPlay and Handoff and activate the Handoff option.
Activating Handoff in iOS
Activating Handoff in macOS
Handoff in practice
As we mentioned above, Handoff is most often associated with the native Safari browser. Namely, it allows us to open the same website that we are working with on one device at one time on another device. Likewise, we can return to the given work at any time. It is enough to open the bar of running applications with a gesture on the iPhone, and the Handoff panel will immediately appear below, offering us the option of opening activities from the other product. On the other hand, it is the same in the case of macOS - here this option is displayed directly in the Dock.
At the same time, Handoff offers another great option that falls under this feature. It is a so-called universal box. As the name itself suggests, what we copy on one device is immediately available on the other. In practice, it works simply again. For example, on the Mac we select a part of the text, press the copy keyboard shortcut ⌘+C, move to the iPhone and just select the option Insert. At once, text or an image copied from the Mac is inserted into the specific software. Although at first glance something like this may seem like a useless accessory, believe me, once you start using it, you can no longer imagine working without it.
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Why rely on Handoff
Apple is constantly moving forward in terms of continuity, bringing new features to its systems that bring Apple products even closer together. A great example is, for example, the novelty of iOS 16 and macOS 13 Ventura, with the help of which it will be possible to use the iPhone as a webcam for Mac. As we mentioned above, Handoff is one of the main pillars of the entire continuity at Apple and it perfectly bonds the Apple operating systems together. Thanks to this ability to transfer work from one device to another, the apple picker can greatly improve his daily use and save a lot of time.
