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How to Use Handoff on the Apple Watch to Continue Tasks on Your iPhone

By Neil Gonzalez

Apple Watch

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Continuity, introduced back when iOS 8 and Mac OS X 10.10 were released, lets users seamlessly connect all of their Apple devices together. With it came a feature known as Handoff that "hands off" an app or task from one Apple device to another, like starting an email on your iPhone and completing it on your Mac.

The Apple Watch also has Handoff built-in, which means you don't have to strain your eyes on a super small display attempting to read a long email—you can just pass it off to your iPhone instead.

Initially, you'll want to open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone to ensure that "Enable Handoff" is toggled on under the General settings.

Enable Handoff feature description for Apple devices.

Now just start using an app like Messages or Twitter on the Watch—you can even view notifications.

Twitter interface displaying timeline and top trends.

You will now see a small icon on the lower left-hand corner of your iPhone's lock screen corresponding to the app running on the Watch. Unlocking the phone will open to the same screen the Watch was on.

How to Use Handoff on the Apple Watch to Continue Tasks on Your iPhone

There's no denying the efficiency of the Apple Watch, but for certain tasks, you should still use your more-neglected-than-ever iPhone.

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Apple's iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 updates are packed with new features, and you can try them before almost everyone else. First, check our list of supported iPhone and iPad models, then follow our step-by-step guide to install the iOS/iPadOS 26 beta — no paid developer account required.