Android's Handoff Feature: Seamless Task Switching is Coming

09/27/2025 Mobile

For a long time, Apple's ecosystem has had a significant advantage: seamless integration between devices. I'm talking about effortlessly starting something on your iPhone and picking it up right where you left off on your MacBook. Android has been lagging, but it looks like that's about to change.

Google is apparently working on its own version of "Handoff," a feature that lets you start a task on one device and continue it on another. It appears to be part of a broader strategy to bring Android to PCs, creating a more connected experience. When it comes to seamless integration, Apple has been the undisputed champion. Its Handoff feature is a prime example, allowing users to begin a task on one device, like an iPhone, and effortlessly resume it on another, such as a MacBook.

While the details are still emerging, clues suggest this new feature, potentially called "Task Continuity," will allow you to transfer an app's current state between Android devices. Imagine this: you're using an app on your phone, and then a suggestion pops up on your tablet's taskbar, letting you pick up right where you left off.

How It Might Work

From what I've gathered, when you click that suggestion, the system will handle the transfer. It will take the app's current state from the original device and relaunch it on the new one. This could be a game-changer for productivity.

Apple's Handoff, for instance, lets you open a webpage on your iPhone, and a special icon appears in your MacBook's dock. Clicking it opens the same webpage on your Mac. It's a smooth, integrated experience.

Of course, there will be some hurdles. Android's open nature, where manufacturers can customize the UI, might lead to some fragmentation. However, since Google controls the core Android framework, its Handoff solution has a good chance of being widely adopted.

I suspect this feature won't be ready until Android 17, but it's definitely something to keep an eye on. It aligns with Google's plans to bring Android to PCs. This would allow the company to create more robust cross-device experiences.

In the past, I've seen Microsoft try to bridge the gap between Windows and Android, but without direct collaboration from Google, the experience feels fragmented. By building Handoff directly into Android, Google has the potential to create a truly seamless experience.

I am curious to see how this feature will be implemented and how well it will work in practice. But one thing is for sure: this is a step in the right direction for Android.