Android may get a Handoff feature like the one on iOS

Google is reportedly testing a feature similar to Apple's Handoff, for Android devices. The feature has been spotted in an APK teardown of Google Play Services.

Android Authority discovered the existence of Handoff in the code, which it previously speculated as "App Cast", as in it could allow Android devices to stream apps from your other devices. But the feature seems very similar to Apple's Handoff, and in fact is also named Handoff on Android, well it could be a codename.

For those unaware, Handoff allows users to continue what they were doing on one device, by picking up where they left off on another device. For example, you could take a FaceTime call on your iPhone and switch to your Mac, and continue with the call. Apple calls this "Continuity", and it's really well integrated across its operating systems, and quite feature-rich. Samsung has its own version of it called Samsung Flow, but it has limited capabilities compared to Apple's feature. There's also Microsoft Phone Link, which offers basic sync functionality, but you need a Windows device to use it with your iPhone or Android.

Anyway, some strings related to Handoff were found in Google Play Services v25.25.31 beta which reveal what it could do. It will allow users to continue tasks and access apps, media, and notifications across your devices. Handoff will sync notifications, and allow you to access your files across your devices. These features are not tied to an app, rather Handoff would work globally. It is not clear what devices Handoff will support, hopefully it will be available across platforms.

Windows is also testing a similar feature called Cross Device Resume. KDE Connect offers similar functionality, but with some limitations, it's free and open source, give it a try.

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