Handoff is a cool, new feature that will be coming to the iPad and iPhone when iOS 8 is released later this year. The idea behind Handoff is to leverage AirDrop -- which allows files to be transferred wirelessly between devices -- to create a continuity between devices. The end result is the ability to work on an email on your iPad and seamlessly finish it on your MacBook, or view a webpage on your Mac and pull it up on your iPad without the need to launch Safari and find it again.

More Great Features Coming With iOS 8

How to Turn Handoff On

The Handoff setting should be on be default, but if you want to make sure it is working, you can check settings.

1. Go to the iPad's settings.  This is in the Settings app.
2. Tap "General" in the left-side menu to bring up general settings.
3. Tap "Handoff & Suggested Apps" to view the Handoff settings.
4. Tap the slider next to Handoff to turn the feature on or off.

How to Use iOS 8's Handoff Feature

Once Handoff is turned on, you won't need to do anything special to take what you have open on one device and open it on another device. Your iPad, iPhone or Mac will detect nearby devices and prepare them for the handoff, so if you have a document open in Pages on your iPad and want to work on it with your Mac, simply walk over to your Mac and click the Handoff button located to the left of the dock. This functionality works for everything from email messages to text messages to webpages.

You can also handoff from the iPhone or Mac to your iPad.  When the iPad detects a handoff, there will be a small icon in the bottom left corner of the lock screen.

  To activate a handoff to your iPad, hold your finger down on the icon and slide it up towards the top of the screen.  This will either reveal your passcode screen or (if you don't have a passcode) will open the app with the document active.  

The ability for your devices to seamlessly work together also allows your Mac to place and receive phone calls. And for those always on the go, the iPhone and iPads with a data plan will automatically configure a hotspot for your other devices, so no need to fool around in settings and set up a special password.

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