Microsoft's cooking up Apple-style Handoff – and your Windows 11 laptop is invited
Image Credit - Rui Silvestre on Unsplash
Microsoft is now working on a new feature coming soon to Windows 11, something that Mac users have been enjoying for quite some time... It seems that Windows will allow developers to implement a "Cross Device Resume" feature, very similar to Apple's "Handoff" between a Mac and an iPhone. Basically, Apple's Handoff feature lets apps sync between both devices so you can continue where you left off when you move to your iPhone or Mac. During a Build 2025 session, Microsoft revealed a feature called "Create Seamless Cross-Device Experiences with Windows for your app". The session was later edited and the demo showcasing the "Cross Device Resume" feature was deleted. But of course, once on the Internet, forever on the Internet, and an X user was able to take a snapshot of the session before its editing.
Taskbar hover card UI used for the upcoming taskbar recommendations feature + Resume on taskbar, w/ Spotify support, in Windows 11 (taken from a pre-recorded Build session*) pic.twitter.com/C8eUTyjTan — phantomofearth (@phantomofearth) May 20, 2025 In that deleted demo, Microsoft showed Spotify as an app that can take advantage of the Cross-Device Resume. The demo shows an Android phone playing a song in Spotify, while on the Windows machine, the Spotify app appears in the Taskbar with a phone icon next to it. Almost exactly how Apple's Handoff appears. And just like Apple's feature, if you hover over the icon on your taskbar, it will show that the Spotify app is open on your phone. When you click on it, the Spotify app will open on Windows, and understandably, it will bring you to the same place you were on the phone. The song should continue playing from the exact moment you open the app on your PC for a continuous experience. During the demo, Microsoft showed Spotify, but reportedly, WhatsApp will also be able to take advantage of the feature. Also, third-party app developers can integrate it, which, according to Microsoft, will also help app developers popularize their apps on Windows. It's worth noting that this isn't the first time Microsoft has shown a feature like Handoff. In 2020, Microsoft announced Project Rome, which is a tool letting developers sync app data between Windows laptops and PCs on one hand, and phones on the other. This new feature may be a replacement for Project Rome.
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