This article will tell you all about how set up and use Handoff in OS X Yosemite and iOS 8 with your Mac and iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. With the release of OS X Yosemite (10.10), Apple has enabled Handoff across their entire lineup of compatible devices. Handoff is a feature that was released with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite that allows you to start a project on one device and seamlessly continue it on another device that is logged in to the same iCloud ID. Handoff is a feature of Continuity that also allows you to make and receive phone calls on your Mac or iPad through your iPhone.

Here are the steps to set up Handoff on your Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch

1. Sign in to iCloud on all your devices

The first step is to make sure you have signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID (iCloud ID) on all the devices that you would like to use the Handoff features. To do this on your Mac, simply open System Preferences and click on the iCloud button. Enter your Apple ID and Password.

To do this on iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch, simply open up the Settings App and navigate to iCloud and then login.

2. Enable Handoff on all your devices

The next step is to enable Handoff on all your devices. On your Handoff compatible Mac (all 2012 Macs and later) open up System Preferences and click on the General tab. Near the bottom of the General tab will be a small check box next to “Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud Devices.” Be sure that this box is checked. In addition, be sure to enable Bluetooth on all your devices. Troubleshooting tip: If you cannot get Handoff to work, try to pair your iOS device with your Mac via bluetooth. Open up the Bluetooth Preferences in System Preferences and click on Add Device. Make sure your iOS Device is in pairing mode by opening the Settings App and tapping on Bluetooth. Pairing your devices via Bluetooth often helps Handoff work for the first time.

Next, open up the Settings App on your iOS device (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) and navigate to General –> Handoff and Suggested Apps. Make sure that the Handoff toggle switch is On and the My Apps toggle is on as well (the left side of the toggle button should be green).

3. How to use Handoff

Now that you have Handoff all set up on your Mac and iOS devices, it’s time to use it. Here is how to use handoff. Simply start a project of some type on one of your devices (an email is a good app to test this on). Create a new email and then look for the Mail App icon to appear in the lower left corner of the lock screen on your iOS Devices or the left end of your Dock on your Mac. To pick up the email where you left off on your other device, simply click on the Mail App icon to the far left of the Dock on your Mac or swipe up on the Mail App icon on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. Additionally, if you are already using your iOS device, simply double press the Home Button to activate Multitasking Mode and swipe left until you swipe past the Home Screen (the furthest multitasking screen to the left). You will see the app icon that is currently available for Handoff. Tap this and continue where you left off.

That’s it! Now you can know how to set up and use Handoff in iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite.