AT&T customers cannot currently use Apple’s new iPhone Handoff feature, and Apple’s own support documentation does not list the carrier among its U.S. partners. The feature lets one phone number move between two iPhones, but it depends on participating carrier support.
Apple’s iPhone Handoff setup guide lists T-Mobile as the supported U.S. carrier and Telekom in Germany. It also says users should contact their service provider for details and warns that carrier fees may apply. AT&T is not included in that supported-carrier list.
The feature requires two iPhones running iOS 27 or later, the same Apple Account, Wi-Fi, Messages in iCloud, FaceTime and iMessage. Both devices use the same number, but only one is active on the cellular network at a time. Unlocking either phone makes it the active one.
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What AT&T users can do now
For now, AT&T customers should not expect the option to appear during eSIM setup. Apple directs users to open Settings, choose Cellular, then select Set Up Cellular or Add eSIM on the second iPhone. The “Use Number on This iPhone and Another” choice depends on carrier eligibility.
This is distinct from the older Continuity feature that hands an activity such as a Safari page or email from one Apple device to another. iPhone Handoff is specifically about moving a cellular number, calls, voicemail, messages and Find My location between two iPhones.
Apple’s documentation is the practical answer for customers weighing the feature today: support is carrier-specific, and its published U.S. list currently names T-Mobile only. Any AT&T rollout would need confirmation from AT&T or an updated Apple carrier list.
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