All Devices Why is Handoff a forgotten feature nowadays?

[Populus]

Hello. I'm using my iPad Pro with iOS 13.1.3, my iPhone 8 with iOS 12, and my Mac mini with Mojave/Catalina, and Handoff only works on Safari, iWork, and few more stock apps. YouTube app doesn't have this feature, and it would be handy for me to jump from the phone to the iPad or Mac (I know, no YouTube app in macOS).

Most of third party apps lack handoff support. And even some that did implement it like Pocket, nowadays that feature is broken. It doesn't work. Should Apple enforce the support of Handoff when using the same app on iPad-iPhone-mac? I think they should... somehow.

Maybe I'm missing important apps that actually support Handoff, and maybe it is somehow broken on my devices. But again, then it shouldn't show me the Safari handoff icon, which is at the end of the day the only app that I take advantage of handoff the most, along with notes.

I think Continuity features are still a bit forgotten, especially by third party developers, but by Apple as well (many times I've tried to open a tab from my iPhone on the Mac or viceversa, and it just doesn't work!!!)

EDIT: Pocket actually does support Handoff feature, my bad, you have to be reading an article in order to trigger the handoff feature on other devices. But, anyways, I'd like to hear from the community if you think that Handoff is generally a forgotten feature.

 

[casperes1996]

I don't think it is, no. I feel like it's well enough supported. But don't get your hopes up YouTube will ever support it. Google won't integrate with iOS that way. Probably not with any Google app. YouTube through Safari works quite well on iPadOS though, and allows you to use hand-off with a Mac, plus it allows for background audio and PiP video.

 

[Populus]

Yeah, definitely, that's a good point.

However I wish more third party apps, Google or not, supported handoff. I'm starting to think that apps with just iOS/iPad version cannot have handoff implemented (you know, to switch between iPhone and iPad) unless they have a macOS version. That's the only explanation to why some Reddit clients like Apollo doesn't have Handoff implemented to jump between iPhone and iPad.

If a macOS version is required to implement Handoff, then I understand why so many apps lack this feature.

Anyways, thanks for taking your time to answer

 

[Böhme417]

I'd be happy if it just worked with the first-party apps reliably.

 

[casperes1996]

If a macOS version is required to implement Handoff, then I understand why so many apps lack this feature.

A Mac version isn't required, but I think developers who don't also have a Mac version see it as less worthwhile for the required effort, as 1) They will only reach one extra platform with the feature rather than 2 and 2) They are likely already less invested in Apple's platforms specifically compared to more general patterns of design not only applicable to Apple devices.

 

[TimFL1]

Reminder that it‘s been years since they introduced Handoff and still no Handoff support for music playback. They only just now added a form of music handoff with the HomePod.

 

[FlyingDutch]

for third party app support you should ask third party developers... 🤷🏻‍♂️
I'm constantly using it with Safari and Mail. Pretty consistent.

 

[Populus]

Reminder that it‘s been years since they introduced Handoff and still no Handoff support for music playback. They only just now added a form of music handoff with the HomePod.

OMG you’re right! I haven’t thought about that.
I just tried it with Podcasts app and it works well, but nothing with Music app. Interesting...

See? I can’t stand that lack of consistency. If I was an Apple exec I would make handoff a mandatory feature if possible.