Handoff for Windows and Android: what actually works
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If you've used Apple's Handoff, you know the idea: start something on one device and pick it up on another. Here's what Windows and Android give you instead, and where each one fits.
The short answer
Windows and Android don't have one built-in Handoff like Apple's. You get pieces instead: Phone Link for messages, calls and files, Cross-device Resume for a short list of apps from phone to PC, Chrome's Send to your devices for tabs, and free tools like KDE Connect and Carrio that fill the gaps.
How they compare
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| What it moves | Which way | Account | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Handoff | Tasks in supported apps, like a Safari page or a Mail draft | Between nearby Apple devices | The same Apple Account | Built in |
| Phone Link (Link to Windows) | Messages, calls, photos, notifications and files, plus web pages from the phone's Share menu | Mostly phone to PC | The same Microsoft account | Built in to Windows |
| Cross-device Resume (Windows 11) | Apps that support it. Microsoft's list in January 2026: Spotify, WhatsApp and vivo Browser | Phone to PC | Through Link to Windows | Built in |
| Chrome's Send to your devices | The current tab's link | Between Chrome browsers | The same Google account | Free |
| Android 17 Continue On | Apps that support it, starting with phone to tablet | Android to Android | Your Android devices | Built in |
| KDE Connect | Files, links, text, notifications and media controls | Both ways | None | Free and open source |
| Carrio | A YouTube video at the point you're at, and Chrome's front tab | Both ways: the video and tab to your phone, YouTube videos you share to your PC | None | Free |
Which one to use
- Use Phone Link if you want texts, calls and photos on your PC. It does far more than Carrio.
- Use Cross-device Resume if you use Spotify or WhatsApp on your phone and want to carry on at your PC.
- Use Chrome's Send to your devices if you're signed in to Chrome everywhere and just want a link to land on the other device.
- Use KDE Connect if you want a free, open-source all-rounder for files, notifications and media controls.
- Use Carrio if you want the YouTube video you're watching on your PC to jump to your phone at the same spot, with a tap or a button, and to share YouTube videos from your phone to your PC.
Coming from Intel Unison?
Intel Unison reached its end of support on 1 January 2026. Carrio only covers videos and tabs, so for messages and calls, look at Phone Link or KDE Connect.
Where Carrio fits
Carrio is one narrow piece: a YouTube video from your PC to your phone, picking up where you are, and Chrome's front tab to your phone, with a tap or a button, plus YouTube videos from your phone's Share menu to your PC. There's no account, and it works on your home network. Use it alongside the others.