Verizon Will Charge $10 a Month for iPhone Handoff
Topics: Today's News
Jeff's Daily Pick. Verizon will charge $10 a month for iPhone Handoff, the iOS 27 feature that lets one phone number move between two iPhones, active on one at a time. T-Mobile charges $5. Over a year: $120 against $60. Verizon gives no start date.
In the United States, Verizon set its price for iPhone Handoff on October 16, 2026, in its announcement of iPhone Duo preorders: "iPhone Handoff will be available from Verizon for $10/month on compatible iPhones models running iOS 27." The feature is listed as coming soon, with no date.
What iPhone Handoff does
Apple's support page describes it plainly. One phone number works on two iPhones running iOS 27, signed in to the same Apple Account. Unlocking one makes it the active phone, and calls, voicemail, messages and Find My location follow it. The number is active on only one iPhone at a time. One phone stays the main device for carrier settings such as call forwarding. An Apple Watch does not switch over, and some Wallet items, such as certain transit passes or IDs, may work on only one phone. Apple adds that carrier fees might apply.
What carriers charge
T-Mobile announced the feature on September 10 at $5 a month, available from day one on the iPhone 18 Pro line and iPhone Duo, with calls, texts, data and hotspot on the second phone. Verizon's $10 is twice that: $120 a year against $60, or $360 against $180 over three years. In Germany, Telekom offers it through its MultiSIM service, which costs €6.95 a month unless the plan includes it, 9to5Mac reported. AT&T told CNET in September that it was focusing on its existing eSIM options instead, the same outlet reported.
For scale, iPhone Duo preorders start at $1,999. Apple's support page, published September 9, still lists only T-Mobile in the US and Telekom in Germany as supported carriers.
What it shows / what it doesn't
- Shows: Verizon's price, stated in its own announcement: $10 a month on compatible iPhones running iOS 27.
- Shows: a 2 to 1 price gap with T-Mobile for the same Apple feature.
- Doesn't show: a launch date on Verizon, or any extra terms or plan requirements.
- Worth knowing: Apple says turning the feature off requires contacting the carrier, and a carrier may keep charging if you only delete the eSIM.
- Status: carrier announcements and Apple documentation, checked October 17, 2026.
Apple sets no price for the feature; its page only says carrier fees might apply. For the cost of the phone that iPhone Handoff is pitched with, see our piece on iPhone Duo prices and repair fees.
Sources
Carrier announcements (Verizon, T-Mobile) and Apple support documentationVerizon. Switch to Verizon and get the new iPhone Duo now (iPhone Handoff coming soon to Verizon). News release, October 16, 2026. verizon.com
T-Mobile. Get iPhone 18 Pro on Us at T-Mobile. News release, September 10, 2026. t-mobile.com
Apple Support. Set up iPhone Handoff (article 127274), published September 9, 2026. support.apple.com
9to5Mac (Marcus Mendes). Verizon confirms $10 monthly fee for new iPhone Handoff feature. October 16, 2026. 9to5mac.com
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