Apple’s iOS 27 will let two iPhones share a single phone number, seamlessly switching which device is active, according to details that emerged from Apple’s own developer tools ahead of the update’s release.
The feature, which Apple calls “iPhone Handoff,” was briefly listed on a slide during the WWDC 2026 keynote in June among hundreds of upcoming changes, but Apple gave no further explanation at the time. Its mechanics only came into focus after a developer demonstrated it running on simulated iPhones inside Xcode 27’s Device Hub, as reported by MacRumors.
How it’s supposed to work
Setup happens in Settings under the Cellular menu, where a user designates one iPhone as the primary device and a second as a companion. The primary phone keeps the main eSIM, while the companion device receives its own linked eSIM, letting someone switch which physical phone is actively using the number. Cellular settings stay managed from the primary device, and location sharing follows whichever iPhone is currently active on the line.
The setup sounds similar in spirit to how Apple Watch has long been able to make calls and send texts over a shared number via cellular Apple Watch models, except here it’s phone to phone rather than phone to watch.
What it needs to actually work
Both devices need to run iOS 27, and the feature will require carrier cooperation to provision the linked eSIMs. Early details point to T-Mobile in the U.S. and Deutsche Telekom in Germany as likely first carriers to support it, according to MacRumors, meaning availability at launch could be limited by network rather than by software.
iOS 27 itself is expected to arrive later this month after roughly three months of public beta testing. Apple has not confirmed iPhone Handoff on the record, and the feature’s exact rollout, pricing implications, and which iPhone models will support it remain unconfirmed until Apple’s official release notes or a dedicated announcement.
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