Handoff is the key to Continuity feature of Apple devices. You can easily send the app’s data between devices to pick it up where you left off. There are multiple built-in apps such as Calendar, Contacts, Mail, Maps, Messages, and more working with Handoff. To get it to work, your devices must be logged in the same iCloud account and connected to the same Wi-Fi network. The devices also need to support Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) and run on the latest macOS version. To check if your Mac supports Bluetooth LE, simply click on the white Apple icon from the menu bar and choose About This Mac. Next, click on System Report > Bluetooth in the left column. From there, you will see Bluetooth Low Energy Support with Yes or No value. If it’s Yes, Handoff will then work on your Mac.
Apart from the hardware requirements, you also need to sign in the same iCloud account across devices. On your Mac, navigate to System Preferences-> iCloud menu to ensure you sign in with the same account as other Apple devices. Once you are all set, let’s start using the Handoff feature.
What causes Handoff to fail on Mac?
There are several factors causing Handoff file transfer not to work on your Mac. Among the culprits is system incompatibility, software glitches, unsupported Bluetooth protocol, misconfigured settings, as well as network problems. These are the things you should consider whenever you encounter some errors when using Handoff on your Mac.
The methods I have listed in this post can be used as solutions. Find out to know what to do if you are not able to use Handoff on your Mac and face a “Handoff couldn’t be completed” error.
Before troubleshooting, make sure your Mac is running on the latest macOS Mojave version available. To check out which macOS version is on your Mac, simply follow these steps below:
- Click on Apple menu in the left corner.
- Choose About This Mac.
You will now see the macOS name your computer, followed by the version number. You can click on the version number to see the build number of MacOS installed on your computer.
How To Trouble MacOS Mojave With Handoff Problems
The first thing is checking and ensuring that Handoff is already enabled on both your devices. Here is what you should do first before fixing other software-related factors:
- On your Mac, head to System Preferences-> General.
- Find out the “Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices” option and make sure to tick on the checkbox.
With that tweak, Handoff will be enabled across your devices as long as they’re connected to the same Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is already turned on.
Solution 1: Disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and then re-enable them
Minor flaws that affect Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functions can usually be fixed just by toggling Wi-Fi and Bluetooth features off and turning them back on. You should consider it among the first solutions to try. To get it done
- Click on Wi-Fi icon on your Mac and select Turn off Wi-Fi option.
- Once Wi-Fi is off, click on Apple menu and restart
Your computer will now reboot. After it boots up, enable Wi-Fi again. This simple trick could fix minor problems that are affecting wireless functions including Handoff.
Apart from Wi-Fi, you should work on your computer Bluetooth as well. To get rid of minor Bluetooth errors affecting services like Handoff, toggling the feature off and on is a good solution. To get it done:
- Click on Apple menu > System Preferences.
- Select Bluetooth.
- Choose the option to disable the feature and turn it back on.
You can also click on Bluetooth icon from the menu bar and choose Turn Bluetooth Off option. Wait for a few seconds, turn it back on.
Now, check if it has already fixed the Handoff error on your Mac. If not, you need to troubleshoot further.
Solution 2: Reboot your Mac and other Apple devices
There are a lot of software-related errors that can be corrected by a restart. You simply shut your Mac down and reboot it as usual. Refer to the following methods to reboot your Mac as well as refresh its apps.
- Press Power button or Control + Eject keys on the keyboard to open a dialog box. Click on Restart button to perform a system restart.
- Click on Apple menu, and choose Restart command.
- Press Control + Command + Eject buttons on the keyboard.
Wait for your Mac to complete booting up, then check if Handoff is already working. You should also restart your other devices if possible to clear out minor glitches.
Solution 3: Toggle Handoff off and on again on both your devices
Disabling and re-enabling the feature can help fix minor errors. But, you should try this workaround on both devices and check if it’s a positive outcome.
To see if Handoff is enabled on other devices, follow these steps.
- On iOS, head to Settings-> General-> Handoff & Suggested Apps. Toggle Handoff slider to the ON position, if it’s OFF. If it’s already turned on, turn the feature OFF and then ON again.
- On your Mac, navigate to System Preferences-> General. From there, you should check on the “Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices” box. If it’s already toggled on, remove the check and then check it again.
Solution 4: Sign out and log back into your Apple account
To get rid of account-related issues that have caused Handoff error on your Mac, you can sign out and sign back in the same Apple ID on your Mac and your other devices. If the signed-in Apple ID doesn’t match, Handoff will not work. So, you should check and make sure that you are using the correct Apple ID on both devices. To get it done:
- On your iPhone/iPad, head to Settings-> Apple ID profile, scroll down and choose Sign Out.
- On Mac, head to System Preferences-> iCloud and click on Sign Out button.
Restart both your devices and return to settings to Sign In to your account. Remember to use the same Apple ID when you sign into your account on both your devices.
Also see: MacBook Pro won’t turn on? Here is the fix
Solution 5: Update your device to the latest software version available
Software errors can also be fixed by an update. The updates not just bring in new features but also include fix patches to clear out problems and errors caused by system bugs. So, it’s recommended for your device system up to date. To check for new updates, follow these steps below.
- On your iPhone/iPad, go to Settings-> General-> Software Update. If there is a new update available, you will see a notification with the key information. Simply follow the onscreen instructions to update your phone.
- On Mac, launch the App Store app and move to Updates tab. If there is an update available, click on Download Update and Install option.
Once done, restart your devices to ensure that all new system changes are properly installed. After that, check whether Handoff is already working properly.
I hope that the above methods can help you fix the problem with your device. If you feel this post useful, let’s know in the comment below.
