Cross-device functionality has not traditionally been Microsoft’s strongest suit, especially compared to Apple.
Though the Redmond-based giant has consistently worked to catch up over the years, it’s yet to match all of macOS’s features. For instance, Microsoft still doesn’t have a true AirDrop equivalent!
However, the company just took a step closer to closing the gap in cross-device functionality by previewing a feature inspired by Apple’s Handoff during this week's Microsoft Build 2025.
The funny (and slightly suspicious) part? They’re now acting like it never happened.
Windows is currently working on its own take on Apple’s Handoff
Microsoft held a “Create Seamless Cross-Device Experiences with Windows for your app” session during its Build event. In the session, Microsoft’s senior product manager, Aakash Varshney, reviewed the company’s plans to launch new features this upcoming year to make Windows more seamless across multiple devices.
He demoed a new feature currently in the works, titled “Cross-Device Resume,” which, as the name suggests, will allow users to pick up tasks or apps right where they left off on a different device.
In the demo, Aakash used Spotify as an example to show how the feature works.
He explained that when he opened the Spotify app on his mobile device, the Spotify icon on his Windows PC’s taskbar displayed a subtle badge, indicating that the app was active on another device.
Upon hovering over the app’s icon, a message, “Resume, recently opened on your mobile device,” showed that the app had been opened recently on his phone. It also allowed him to pick up on his Windows PC from where he left off.
Once he clicked the app’s icon, Spotify launched, and he was back in the same song.
He explained that this saved him the hassle of searching for the song he was just listening to. A single click was all it took to get going. If you haven’t used a Mac before, what Aakash described is essentially the same thing as Apple’s Handoff feature.
Handoff also allows you to begin something on one device and resume it on another nearby device. Apple’s native apps, such as Safari, Messages, Notes, and FaceTime, and third-party apps, like Spotify and WhatsApp, all support Handoff.
When you open an app that works with Handoff on your iPhone or iPad, the app’s Handoff icon appears on your Mac’s Dock.
It’s the regular app icon, just with a gray circle and a tiny phone/tablet hovering in the upper right. Once you click the icon, you can pick up where you left off.
Microsoft quietly removed the demo, but not without people noticing
However, as reported by Windows Central, Microsoft ended up editing the demo out of the session.
A leaker known for digging through Microsoft builds and spotting unreleased features, @phantomofearth, managed to grab a screenshot of the demo before the video was edited (in a pre-recorded Build session) and posted it on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
While Microsoft is yet to comment on why the demo was edited out, it could very well be because the tech giant isn’t quite ready to show the feature publicly.
What’s weird is that they realized this after going through the hassle of demoing it in the first place. The most recent Build 26100.4188 (KB5058499) for Windows 11 24H2 seems to suggest a somewhat similar story.
The release notes include a Cross Device Resume feature that’s being rolled out gradually, but the description focuses on making it easier to work on OneDrive files across phones and Windows 11 PCs.
With the feature, if you view or edit a OneDrive file, such as a Word document, you’ll get a notification on your Windows 11 PC asking if you’d like to pick up where you left off. It doesn’t mention third-party support like Spotify, which the demo showcased.
So, it’s likely that Microsoft plans to roll out a more limited version of the feature first or that full third-party integration is still a work in progress.
Handoff is hands-down one of the best hidden macOS features, and it coming to Windows might finally be the cue I needed to make the switch.
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