Android 17 is finally getting Apple’s Handoff feature, and it’s about time

One tap and your tablet picks up where your phone left off.

By Rachit Agarwal Published May 20, 2026

Google Continue On — Google

Recently, I wrote about how Apple’s Continuity features keep me locked into the Apple ecosystem because Android and Windows have no answer to Apple’s incredible cross-device seamless integration.

It seems that Android is finally getting started to compete with Apple in this domain. The upcoming Android 17 is bringing a feature that makes switching between your Android devices feel natural. It’s called Continue On, and it lets you start work on one device and seamlessly pick it up on another Android device.

Recommended Videos

At launch, the feature focuses on mobile-to-tablet transitions. When you open your tablet, you will see a suggestion in the taskbar for the most recently opened app from your phone. One tap, and you are right back where you started. It’s similar to how Apple’s Handoff feature works.

How does it work?

Google calls the device you start on the sender and the one you switch to the receiver. The handoff, which is the transition, happens in the background, so you don’t have to do anything complicated. The app just picks up where you left off.

There are a couple of ways this can go, depending on how the developer builds the app. If the app is installed on your tablet, it will deep-link you directly to the activity you were in. Think of opening a Google Docs tab on your phone and having the same document open on your tablet.

What if the app isn’t on your tablet?

If the app is not installed on the tablet, developers can set up a web fallback. So even if the app isn’t installed on the receiving device, it will open the equivalent web experience in your browser instead. Gmail, for example, can hand off from the Android app on your phone to the full Gmail web experience on your tablet, opening the same email thread.

Developers also have the option to skip the app entirely and send users straight to the web version if that is the better experience for a larger screen. Continue On is available in Android 17, and developers can start building support for it now.

It’s highly likely that Google will also add this feature to its upcoming Googlebook laptops, finally providing users with a competitive ecosystem to Apple’s offerings. It’s still early days, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Rachit is a seasoned tech journalist with over ten years of experience covering the consumer technology landscape.

Topics

Phones

Cash App now doubles as a phone carrier with a $40 unlimited plan

Your money app is coming for your phone plan next

Cash App Mobile Announcement

Cash App already handles a lot of your finances. From money transfers, debit cards, to investments and even tax filing, the platform does nearly everything. Now, it wants to take over another regular part of your life. The company has announced Cash App Mobile, a new unlimited 5G phone plan priced at $40 per month, with taxes and fees included. It runs on AT&T’s network and is powered by Gigs, a company that helps brands launch embedded mobile services. The plan is launching as a pilot for select Cash App users, with wider availability planned in the coming months.

The app you use to split dinner now wants to run your phone

Phones

Humbling teardown confirms Trump Phone is just a painted-over HTC phone

Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone

When the Trump Mobile T1 was announced, it arrived wrapped in the kind of marketing language you’d expect from a product tied to Donald Trump: bold claims, patriotic branding, and plenty of references to American values. What wasn’t immediately clear was what made the phone itself special.

Now, thanks to a detailed teardown and CT scan analysis by iFixit, we appear to have an answer. And it’s not exactly the revelation Trump Mobile was probably hoping for. After peeling back the gold-colored exterior, investigators found what looks remarkably like another smartphone already on the market: HTC’s U24 Pro. That’s awkward for a device marketed as something distinct.

Phones

Saily just turned the eSIM into a $1 burner phone number

NordVPN’s eSIM app could save your real phone number from app spam

Saily eSIM now offers $1 Burner Number

If you're like me and have relied on travel eSIMs, you know the drill. You get access to mobile data abroad without paying the premium your carrier charges for the roaming bill. But more often than not, you're stuck with just data since you don't actually have a proper phone number to use.

But Saily is trying to make traveler eSIMs a lot more useful by actually including a phone number. NordVPN's eSIM app is now letting users get a dedicated US +1 phone number directly through the Saily app. The number subscription starts at $0.99 per month, with separate call and text plans also starting from $0.99. So, for less than a cup of coffee, you get a second number that can be handy for food delivery apps, hotel bookings, ticketing services, online marketplaces, 2FA codes, and all those random forms that ask for your phone number.