AT&T stops short of committing to iPhone Handoff support

AT&T has stopped short of saying it will support Apple’s new iPhone Handoff feature, leaving customers without a timetable for using one phone number across two iPhones on the carrier.

An AT&T spokesperson told CNET that the company sees potential in capabilities like Handoff but remains focused on existing eSIM activation and transfer options. As MacRumors notes, that answer is noncommittal rather than a categorical refusal.

Handoff is more than a manual eSIM transfer

Apple’s iOS 27 feature lets the same number move between two compatible iPhones according to which device the user picks up. Carrier participation is required. That is different from manually transferring an eSIM from one phone to another each time a user wants to switch devices.

9to5Mac reports that T-Mobile is currently the only U.S. carrier offering the feature and charges $5 per month. Deutsche Telekom is a launch partner in Germany. Apple says Verizon and the UK’s EE plan to add support by the end of 2026.

AT&T’s response leaves room for a later launch, but it does not promise one. Customers deciding whether to maintain two iPhones therefore cannot assume the feature will arrive on AT&T from the carrier’s statement alone.