Handoff is the futurity , as far as Apple is concerned . It ’s a way of link apps across all your Apple computer hardware in club to speedily and easily part labor .
However , allow ’s clear up some confusion first of all . What ’s the difference between Continuity and Handoff?Continuityis the name of theall - encompassing technologyintroduced withiOS 8andOS X Yosemitethat lets you share things between devices , whether that ’s phone calls , or text messages , or your phone ’s Personal Hotspot connection . Read : What is Continuity on the Mac .
The power to answer a phone call on your Mac is part of Continuity but not Handoff !
Handoff isone partof Continuity . It countenance you to pluck - up a undertaking started in an app on another equipment or Mac . Most core Apple apps like Safari , Maps , Calendar , Mail , Reminders and so on are Handoff - ready , as are some other Apple ’s other apps like the iWork retinue ( although not iMovie or GarageBand or at least not right now ) . An increasing number of third - party apps are compatible too .
Handoff: Basic setup
woefully , Handoff does n’t work on all Macs and iOS gadget . You ’ll need an iPhone 5 or later on , iPad ( fourth generation ) , iPad Air , iPad mini , iPad mini with Retina display or iPod touch ( fifth generation ) . It ’ll postulate to be up to particular date with the latest iOS 8 version ( open preferences , tap General , and then Software Update ) .
With Macs the site is a niggling more complicated due to the vaporous number of model out there . For starters , you ’ll postulate to be execute OS X Yosemite , which you ’ll find in the Mac App Store , if you have n’t already elevate . One way of subsequently checking if Handoff is available on your Mac is to open System Preferences , chatter the General icon , and then look for a checkbox near the bottom that ’s labelled Allow Handoff Between This Mac and Your iCloud Devices . If this ai n’t there , then you ai n’t stick Handoff !
If there ’s no option for Handoff in System Preferences then your Mac is n’t compatible !
Pro tip : You might be able tohack Handoff so it works on older Macs , hold up back as far as 2008 fashion model .
You ’ll also need to enable Handoff on all your iOS devices . Open theSettings app , beg the General heading , and then Handoff & Suggested Apps . assure the electrical switch alongside Handoff is toggled .
Handoff need both devices to be signed in with same Apple ID . you could signalise in via the iCloud entry in System Preferences on a Mac , and via the iCloud entry in options on an iOS equipment . You ’ll demand to enable iCloud support for apps like Reminders and Messages if you need Handoff to work with them , and iCloud Drive must be enable if you want handoff to work with apps that create documents , such as Pages , Numbers and Keynote .
finally , because Bluetooth is central to Handoff , do n’t blank out to enable it . On a Mac this can be done via System Preferences and the Bluetooth icon , while on an iOS equipment it can be done by rend - up Control Center and ensuring the Bluetooth ikon is selected .
Note that Handoff requires the machine to be within 33 foot of each other – sure as shooting not an issue unless you last in a house ! – and may take a few minutes or even hours to begin working fully once enable . Just be patient !
All your apps will postulate to be bang up - to - date too , so tap / click the Updates button in the App Store app .
Handoff on a Mac
get ’s essay Handoff in a really simple way . On your iPhone , iPad or iPod Touch , openSafariand browse to any web page ( and this is important – it ’s not enough to just start Safari and exit it on a clean Sir Frederick Handley Page ) . Then jump on your Mac and face to the left of the Dock . See a new icon there ? flick that will open that web page in Safari on your Mac . you could also habituate Cmd+Tab to bring up the task switcher , in which case an icon for the iOS equipment ’s Safari seance will be visible at the very left .
Macs can accept Handoffs via the Dock , or via the task manager that look when you tap Cmd+Tab
Crucially , you do n’t have to do anything to make Handoff share the site . It ’s all automatic in the background .
Perhaps surprisingly , there ’s no way within an app itself to be aware of a Handoff from elsewhere . However , apps like Safari permit you viewiCloudTabs , while apps like Reminders and Notes sync rapidly so any edits made elsewhere should be excogitate nearly instantly .
Handoff on iOS
On your Mac clear Safari and visit a web page . If your iOS twist is locked , awaken it up will show a Safari icon at the bottom left of the screen near the Slide to Unlock substance . slew this ikon upward , and then entering your Apple ID ( or using Touch ID ) will take you flat to the relevant app and the give - off site , link or text file .
If your iOS gimmick is already in utilisation , double - cluck the rest home button to start the multitasking leaning will show the Handoff app in the thumbnail itemisation of apps , to the left of the thumbnail interpret the app catapult . Selecting it will again take you flat to that app .
Handoff appears on iOS devices on the whorl covert at the bottom left , or in the task switcher
Third party support for Handoff
Handoff is n’t only Mac - to - Io , or vice versa . crop a site in Safari on an iPad and a Handoff icon will appear on your iPhone ’s lock screen or task director . In fact , an image will come out on all iOS devices you own – provided all the devices are compatible with Handoff , signed in with the same Apple ID , and within reach . The same is unfeigned should you own more than one Mac – you could start a Mail message on your MacBook and then continue it instantly on your iMac courtesy of Handoff .
However , Handoff is n’t necessarily about specific apps . This is where it gets a bit complicated .
Let ’s take an example of a Mac on whichOperais set as the default option web internet browser . opera house is compatible with Handoff and open up a web page in Safari on an iOS gadget will show theOpera iconto the left of the Dock , and in the task switcher . take the ikon will launch the page in Opera .
In other Christian Bible , Handoff from Safari on iOS just passes through a URL to whatever browser app is do as the Mac ’s system of rules default .
Conversely , give a varlet in Opera on your Mac will show a Handoff icon for Safari on your iOS devices .
It ’s still very early days for third - party support of Handoff and it ’s yet to be go through how app developers will make full use of it . For exemplar , whether the above situation will be true of email clients remain to be see because no third - political party electronic mail node yet supports Handoff .
There are more tutorials for using the fresh features in Io and OS X Yosemite here :
iCloud Drive : How to use iCloud Drive for Mac , iPhone & iPad
AirDrop : Use AirDrop to transfer data file from iPhone to a Mac and Mac to iPhone in Yosemite
Plus we haveadvanced Yosemite tipsandbeginners Yosemite tips
