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Microsoft 365 Insider Blog
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Seamlessly switch between your Apple devices with Handoff support for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

samersaw's avatar
samersaw
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Oct 23, 2024

Hello, Microsoft 365 Insiders! My name is Samer Sawaya and I'm a Product Manager working on Apple Platforms Experiences team. I’m thrilled to announce the availability of Handoff support for Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on your Apple devices across Mac, iPhone, and iPad. 

 

Seamlessly switch between your Apple devices with Handoff support for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint  

 

Handoff is an Apple feature that allows you to continue working on content while switching from one Apple device to another. For example, if you're working on a PowerPoint presentation on your iPhone and want to switch to your Mac, Handoff makes it possible with just a couple clicks.  

 

Requirements 

 

  • You must use supported devices - Handoff for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is available on iPad, iPhone, and Mac. It is not supported on Apple Watch. 
  • You must use supported apps - Install Word, Excel, or PowerPoint from the App Store,  sign in with the same Apple ID across your devices, and ensure your apps are up to date.  
  • You must use cloud files - The document you want to Handoff should be stored in the  cloud on OneDrive or SharePoint.

 

How it works 

 

1. To activate the feature, open an existing document, worksheet, or presentation on one of your Apple devices (Mac, iPhone, or iPad), and bring it near another Apple device where you want to continue working. 

 

2. After a few seconds, you will see in the Dock on your Mac or iPad, or the switcher on your iPhone indicating that the file is waiting for you to hand it off.   

 

App switching on iPhone shows the Word document ready to pick up from another device at the bottom of the screen

 

3. Tap on that app to open the file on the second device. 

 

Word shows an indicator in the dock (on iPad in this example) showing a document is ready to handoff

 

 

Tips and tricks 

 

 

Availability 

 

This capability is available to users running Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for: 

  • iOS: Version 2.89 (Build 24090210) or later 
  • Mac: Version 16.89 (Build 24091630) or later 

 

Feedback 

 

We look forward to your feedback on this feature!  Please submit your comments directly in the app and include #Handoff so that we can easily locate your feedback. 

 

  • iOS: Tap your profile photo in Word on iOS, and then tap Help & Feedback>Tell Us What You Like or Tell Us What Can Be Better. 
  • Mac: Select Help > Feedback. 

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Updated Oct 23, 2024
Version 1.0
  • I infer since it requires the file to be in the cloud that it's just opening the file from the cloud and not creating a new copy on the nearby device, but please confirm.

  • manojthomas's avatar
    manojthomas
    Copper Contributor

    I would like to ask these questions to yourself. 


    1) Does it work in this way? I have Word installed using an installer package (not from App Store.) on a Mac. 

    2) Does it work with Managed Apple Accounts?

     

    Thank you,