It’s been almost two years since Apple first introduced its app Handoff feature for OS X — letting users pass active apps between mobile and desktop — and Microsoft is now testing a similar feature for Windows 10. Codenamed Project Rome, the software giant first started publicly discussing its app handoff plans at Build last month. Microsoft is planning to allow Windows 10 apps to connect to other devices through Bluetooth and the cloud and “continue experiences.”
Microsoft testing app handoff feature for Windows 10
is a senior correspondent and author of Notepad, who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years.
It’s not clear exactly how this will work in reality, but Microsoft is testing apps based on its Xbox SmartGlass technology. Apps will be able to share information with each other through the cloud, and it’s possible that Cortana could play a role in helping assist sharing data to specific apps. Microsoft’s plans aren’t limited to Windows, meaning iOS and Android apps will be able to share data with Windows PCs.
Some Windows 10 testers have discovered settings to enable the new handoff feature in the latest builds of the Anniversary Update, but it’s not fully implemented yet. Microsoft has been releasing regular test versions of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update ahead of its release this summer, so testers should be able to access the new feature soon. Microsoft is also planning to allow Android phone users to bring their notifications over to Windows 10 PCs. Missed calls, messages, and other notifications from an Android phone will appear on a PC, and users will be able to reply direct from their desktop as part of a similar handoff feature.
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