iPhone Handoff is expected to share one number across two phones

A phone number is about to become less tied to a single handset. In a demo running in Xcode 27’s Device Hub, iPhone Handoff pairs two iPhones: one becomes the main device, the other its companion, and users can switch between them while keeping the same number.

The feature is expected to launch with iOS 27 later this month. It was briefly mentioned during the WWDC keynote in June, but the demo offers the first clear look at how setup would work: pair the devices, choose their roles, then hand off between them.

The timing is practical. With the foldable iPhone Ultra expected around the corner, a user may not want to take a chunky and expensive device everywhere. Handoff could instead make it possible to carry a cheaper, smaller phone for a while, such as a cracked iPhone 13.

The catch is outside the phone itself. Carrier support will be required, and references to T-Mobile US and Telekom.de have appeared in the code. Support from other carriers remains unknown, so the feature’s usefulness will depend on where a user’s mobile service stands.

So what changes in practice? If the feature launches as expected and a carrier supports it, one number could follow a person across two iPhones instead of forcing a choice between the device they want to protect and the one they want to carry. For now, the evidence is a software demo rather than a feature in service.