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Handoff What is it, what is it for and how does the Mac tool to resume pending tasks work?

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When you carry out your work, using the devices of the ecosystem of Apple, you have access to a considerable amount of benefits thanks to the functionalities that its operating system haswhich can be integrated with other devices very easily.

Among the most interesting functions of this type, Handoff stands out as a way in which you will be able to transfer the progress of a task from one device to another easily and quicklywithout risk of losing your advances.

In the next few paragraphs, you will see everything you need to know about the use of Handoff in Mac OSfrom how to activate and use it, to some alternatives that you can use both to supplant its use and to complement it.

What is Handoff?

What is Handoff?

Handoff is a built-in function to the ecosystem of operating systems Apple, which you can activate on any of your devices, be it iPhone, iPad, Mac and even Apple Watch, although the latter has fewer uses. In simple terms, Handoff is a function by which, in certain applications, you can start a task and continue it on another device without the need for additional configuration.and thus be able to keep your progress intact.

For example, you can start creating a note in Pages for iPad and immediately transfer to your Mac to continue editing in Pages exactly where you left offor if you’re visiting a web page in Safari for iPhone, you can transfer it to your Mac for a larger view of the site.

Handoff functions and features

Handoff functions and features

In the same way that many functions of Apple, Handoff It has a wide variety of functions that make it one of the most useful featuresregardless of the device you use.

To get started, Handoff is not exclusive to any Apple operating systembut is integrated into its entire ecosystem, so that you can access this function from any Apple device, from your iPhone to your Apple Watch. What you should keep in mind is that this function can only be used if you have two or more Apple devices, which must be compatible with Handoff.

The required versions of each device are as follows:

  • iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad: iOS 8 or higher
  • Mac: OS X Yosemite or higher
  • Apple Watch: WatchOS 1.0 or higher

What kind of tasks can be performed with Handoff?

What kind of tasks can be performed with Handoff

Yes ok not all Apple apps support Handoffgenerally all stock apps of these devices can be used with this function.

The applications in which you can perform remote tasks through Handoff are the following:

  • Email
  • Safari
  • pages
  • numbers
  • key note
  • maps
  • Messages
  • Reminders
  • Calendar
  • contacts

Learn how to use Handoff to perform a remote task to another device

How to enable Handoff on Mac

For Handoff to work on your Mac computer, some configuration is required to enable the feature. the steps for this are as follows:

  • Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID. Make sure that each device you are going to use has the session started with this same device Apple ID.
  • Turn on bluetooth of each device.
  • Make sure all devices have Wi-Fi turned on.
  • Activate Handoff.

Once the configuration is done, all that remains to be done is to activate the Handoff function on each device, following the paths as follows:

  • Mac: "Menú Apple > Preferencias del sistema > General > Permitir Handoff en esta Mac y tus dispositivos iCloud".
  • iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch: "Configuración > General > AirPlay y Handoff > Activar Handoff".
  • Apple Watch: "App Apple Watch en iPhone > General > Activar Handoff".

Best alternatives to Handoff to remote tasks on iMac

Due to the nature of the native functions of the Apple ecosystem, it is not possible to find applications that exactly emulate the functions of Handoff to get its extensive synchronization ability.

However, it is possible to find certain applications that will allow you to carry out immediate synchronization tasks on one of your devices in order to continue it on another:

simplenotes

Download Simple Notes

It is a notes application that uses its own account, and through which you can synchronize your notes between any of your devices almost instantly, so that you can have your information registered and safe regardless of the device. It also has a function of synchronization and compatibility with the other note apps on your device, such as Notes, notes of Safari Y Evernote.

‎Simplenote - Notes and Memos
‎Simplenote - Notes and Memos

light room

Download Lightroom on Mac

Is a gallery application through which you can synchronize all your photos on your mobile devices and on your Mac, in addition to being able to scan the edited images and organize them at high speed. In fact, the speed of Lightroom’s rendering and syncing will allow you to make big edits on your Mac that appear instantly on your iPad or iPhone.

‎Adobe Lightroom
‎Adobe Lightroom
developer:
Adobe Inc.
Price:
Free+

Delivery Status

Download Delivery Status

Is a delivery tracking app that will allow you to stay informed about the packages you send and receive. It is one of the most versatile tracking applications, since it allows you to send and receive emails within the app, which are immediately synchronized with the iPhone and iPad versions.

Operating systems