One mobile number, two phones: what is iPhone transfer and which carriers support it?

If you use two iPhones, you no longer need to create separate carrier accounts for each of them, thanks to a new iOS 27 feature: iPhone Handoff.

Mentioned briefly at WWDC and in more detail at Apple’s Surprise and Shine event on September 9, iPhone Handoff lets you use the same phone number on two iPhones; In typical Apple fashion, the functionality is so simple that it’s almost invisible. Once you have it set up, all you have to do is unlock the iPhone you want to use and you are good to go.

Handoff lets you take and make calls and messages on both phones using the same number, add payment cards on one device to work on both, and interact seamlessly with most apps and iCloud. There are certain limitations; For example, your carrier must support iPhone Handoff, it won’t switch your paired Apple Watch between devices, and some wallet items like IDs and Passes won’t work, but most features work seamlessly. In this article you will learn how to set up iPhone Handoff, how to use it and which carriers support it.

You can set up iPhone Handoff on two devices running iOS 27 or later. Both must be on the same Wi-Fi network and signed into the same Apple account for iCloud, FaceTime, and iMessage. One phone will be the primary phone and the other will be your secondary phone. The primary device contains the primary eSIM and manages carrier settings, but you can also use each phone’s eSIM, as long as both are from supported carriers.

While we expect others to do so, only T-Mobile in the US and Telekom in Germany have confirmed support so far, with T-Mobile charging an additional $5 monthly fee. Here’s how to set it up on your iPhones.

• Place your two iPhones next to each other and unlock one.
• Go to Settings > Cellularand press Configure Cellular/Add eSIMOr iPhone Transfer if a number is already configured on the device.
• Choose Use the number on this iPhone and another, faucet Continue and follow the on-screen prompts to assign a device as the primary iPhone.

It’s worth noting that once it’s time to replace one iPhone with another, you need to transfer the eSIM to the new device. If you want to disable Handoff completely, Apple says you’ll need to contact your carrier.

Apple designed the iPhone Handoff to be as easy to use as picking up your iPhone and unlocking it, which is literally all you need to do. A small notification will appear on your Dynamic Island just below the Wi-Fi indicator to let you know that your device is enabled for iPhone Handoff.

While it’s nice to have, iPhone Handoff is also a niche feature. However, it might be useful to you when migrating between an old and new iPhone, to easily carry an older, less valuable device when traveling, or to use a more portable or less expensive iPhone with a $2,000 iPhone Duo. Professionals using different devices for their work and personal lives may also find use for this feature.