Has your Handoff suddenly stopped working between your iPhone and your Mac?
It can be frustrating when you can no longer continue your work seamlessly between devices. Luckily, there are several easy steps you can follow to solve the problem.
Not a DIY person? Contact us here…
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO HANDOFF
1. Restart both devices first
A simple restart of both your iPhone and your Mac often restores the connection. Always try this first before changing any settings.
2. Make sure you are signed in with the same Apple ID
- On iPhone: Settings > [your name]
- On Mac: > System Settings > Apple ID
Both devices must be signed in with the same Apple ID for Handoff to work.
3. Enable Handoff
On iPhone:
- Go to Settings > General > AirPlay & Handoff
- Make sure Handoff is turned on
On Mac:
- Go to System Settings > General
- Enable: “Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices”
4. Ensure Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are turned on
- On both iPhone and Mac, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi must be active
- If needed, toggle them off and back on again
5. Enable “Sharing Across Devices”
- On iPhone: Settings > AirPlay & Handoff > Sharing Across Devices
- On Mac: System Settings > General > AirDrop > Allow me to be discovered by: Everyone / Contacts Only
6. Test Handoff
- Open a website in Safari on iPhone and check if the icon appears in the Dock on your Mac
- Start a mail, note, or message on one device and continue on the other
- Copy text on iPhone and paste it on your Mac (or the other way around)
7. Sign out and back into iCloud as a last resort
If nothing else works, log out of iCloud on both devices and then sign back in.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?
Handoff problems are often caused by a disabled setting or unsynced devices. Always start with a restart, then go through the checklist. This way, you can quickly get Handoff working again and continue working seamlessly between your iPhone and Mac.
