AT&T will not support iPhone Handoff, the iOS 27 feature that lets a single phone number work across two iPhones. It is the only major US carrier to rule the feature out so far. T-Mobile already sells it, and Verizon has promised support before the year ends.
As reported by GSMArena, an AT&T spokesperson said:
While we see that there could be potential in capabilities like iPhone Handoff, our focus remains on delivering innovations that make life simpler and keep customers connected with confidence.
What iPhone Handoff actually does
The feature pairs a “main” iPhone with a “companion” iPhone using two eSIM profiles. Your phone number stays the same on both handsets. You switch which one is active, then switch back whenever you want.
It is worth being precise about the limit. Handoff does not put your line on both phones simultaneously. One number, one active device at a time, with a quick switch between them.
Apple shipped the feature as part of iOS 27 in mid-September 2026. Carrier support is the gate that decides whether you can use it at all.
Where each carrier stands
- T-Mobile: supported today, at $5 per month per line.
- Verizon: has committed to adding support by the end of 2026, but has not launched it yet.
- AT&T: no plans to support it, pointing instead to the eSIM transfer it already offers.
- Outside the US: Deutsche Telekom offers it in Germany, and EE plans to add it in the UK by year-end.
Carrier terms keep shaping what an iPhone can actually do for you. That is also the theme of our roundup of iPhone 18 Pro pre-orders and carrier deals.
Why eSIM transfer is not the same thing
AT&T’s position is that moving a line between iPhones with an eSIM transfer already covers this need. A transfer does move your number, but it does a different job. It hands the line from one handset to another manually, and the first phone loses the number in the process.
Handoff is aimed at people who genuinely carry two iPhones every day, such as a work phone and a personal one. If that describes you and you are on AT&T, there is currently no version of this feature to turn on. Among the big three, only T-Mobile offers it today, with Verizon promising it by year-end.
