T-Mobile plans to charge $5 per month for support of Apple’s new iPhone Handoff feature, which lets a customer use the same telephone number across two compatible iPhones. The carrier-specific service is due to arrive alongside iOS 27, according to details reported by MacRumors.
The feature is designed around a main and a secondary iPhone. Both devices share the customer’s number, but only one is active at a time. Unlocking a device automatically moves the active role to that phone, reducing the need to transfer a physical SIM or manually reconfigure an eSIM when switching hardware.
At launch, carrier support will be limited. T-Mobile will offer the service in the United States, while Deutsche Telekom will support it in Germany. The arrangement illustrates why the software feature cannot be delivered by Apple alone: the shared identity depends on carrier provisioning as well as settings on the two devices.
Eligible T-Mobile plans will extend calls, text messages and mobile data to both phones. MacRumors also reports that hotspot access, Scam Shield and T-Satellite will be available on the paired devices. Customers will need two iPhones running iOS 27 or later, connected to Wi-Fi and signed into the same Apple Account. FaceTime, iMessage and Messages in iCloud must also be enabled.
Users can activate Handoff while setting up a new iPhone or through the Settings app. Once the carrier service is enabled, it remains active until the customer contacts the carrier to cancel it. Dual-SIM configurations are supported only when both eSIM providers support Handoff; each eSIM must be configured separately, and both switch together when the user changes the active phone.
Some device-linked services will remain more constrained than basic connectivity. Payment cards and car keys in Apple Wallet can work on both phones, but transit cards, identification documents and corporate badges may be limited to one device. An Apple Watch will not automatically move from one paired iPhone to the other.
Apple is expected to release iOS 27 on September 14, with new iPhone 18 Pro models following on September 18. The feature is aimed at people who keep two iPhones for different settings or purposes but want one established contact number. Because the active role follows the unlocked handset, callers and message senders do not need to know which device the customer is carrying. The $5 fee makes T-Mobile’s implementation a paid convenience rather than a standard account capability. Its practical value will depend on how often customers move between two phones and whether the supported services outweigh the added monthly cost.
