Transfer documents with Handoff

When your Mac and iOS devices are near each other, you can use Handoff to pass a document you’re working on from one to the other. For example, if you’re working on a Pages document on your iPhone and are near your Mac, you can pick up the document on your Mac and finish the document there.

Handoff requires:

You set up Handoff in System Preferences on the Mac (in General, select “Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices”) and in Settings on your iOS device (go to General > Handoff & Suggested Apps, then turn on Handoff).

Hand off a document to iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch

  1. On a Mac or other iOS device, open a document.

    When another iOS device or a Mac is near the iOS device you want to hand off to, a Handoff icon for Pages Handoff button appears in the bottom-left corner of the device’s Lock screen.

    Note: Only the app you’re currently using can hand off your work.

  2. On the iOS device to which you handed off the document, swipe up on Handoff button to open the document.

    The document opens on your iOS device.

You can also see the Handoff icon when you double-click the Home button to reveal the multitasking screen. Tap Pages at the bottom of the screen to pick up where you left off.

Hand off a document to a Mac

  1. On an iOS device or another Mac, open a document.

    When the device or other Mac is near the Mac you want to hand off to, the Handoff icon for Pages Handoff button appears on the left side of the Dock.

  2. Click Handoff button.

    The document opens on the Mac the document was handed off to.

For additional instructions on setting up and using Handoff, click the desktop to switch to the Finder, choose Help > Mac Help (from the Help menu at the top of your screen), then search for “Handoff.”