Using two iPhones has always come with one obvious headache: your phone number typically belongs to one of them. You can move an eSIM between devices, use various workarounds, or simply accept that one phone is going to be your “real” iPhone while the other spends most of its time on Wi-Fi. Apple appears to have a much cleaner solution coming in iOS 27.
A new feature called iPhone Handoff will let you move between two iPhones while keeping the same phone number on both. Apple actually teased the feature during WWDC 2026 in June, but it was easy to miss because it appeared alongside hundreds of other additions coming with iOS 27. Now, a video shared by MacRumors forum member pdfu shows how the feature is expected to work, using two simulated iPhones running through Xcode 27’s Device Hub.
One number, two iPhones
Setting up iPhone Handoff appears to be straightforward. You’ll find the option inside the Cellular section of the Settings app, where you’ll designate one iPhone as your main device and another as your companion device. Your primary eSIM stays on the main iPhone. The second phone then receives what Apple calls a companion eSIM, so the same number works as you move between the two devices.
Importantly, this doesn’t appear to be the same as cloning your cellular setup onto another phone. The main iPhone still controls the cellular settings, while the companion is essentially tied to it. Apple is also handling location sharing dynamically. Rather than permanently associating your location with the main phone, your shared location will come from whichever iPhone is currently using the number. That could make switching phones feel more seamless, particularly if you regularly bounce between a personal and work device.
Your carrier still needs to play along
There is one catch: Apple can’t make this happen entirely on its own. Along with requiring two iPhones running iOS 27, iPhone Handoff will seemingly depend on carrier support. The forum post suggests T-Mobile in the US and Deutsche Telekom in Germany could be among the first carriers to support it, although Apple hasn’t announced an official list yet. That means availability could vary considerably depending on where you live and which network you use.
We shouldn’t have to wait too long for the details. Apple is expected to release iOS 27 later this month after roughly three months of beta testing, and that should give us a clearer idea of which carriers and iPhones will support Handoff at launch. It won’t matter to everyone, but if you regularly carry two iPhones, being able to pick up either one without thinking about which phone currently owns your number could be one of iOS 27’s most useful upgrades.
