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To stop users from using Handoff on managed Macs, set Block Handoff to Yes in a macOS device configuration policy in Microsoft Intune. Microsoft says that setting prevents the Handoff feature on devices and applies to macOS 10.15 and newer. It removes one Apple continuity feature. It does not, by itself, block every way data can move between Apple devices, so the rest of this guide explains what the control covers, what it leaves open, and how to confirm it has landed.
Configure Block Handoff in an Intune macOS policy
Microsoft recommends building new macOS policies with the settings catalog where possible. The steps below use that route, with the legacy template path noted where it differs.
- In the Microsoft Intune admin center, go to Devices > macOS > Configuration, select Create, and choose New Policy.
- For the profile type, choose Settings catalog, then name the policy and continue to the settings picker.
- Search for Block Handoff. If it does not appear, confirm the platform is macOS and that the option is available for your tenant before assuming the setting is missing.
- Set Block Handoff to Yes, review the remaining settings, and assign the policy to a pilot group before a broader production scope.
- If you are working from the Device restrictions template instead, look for the setting under Cloud and storage. Microsoft’s device-restrictions reference documents the setting there, but the reference notes that this template is no longer being updated and may later be migrated or deprecated for new policies, so the settings catalog is the safer choice for new work.
Microsoft’s device-restrictions reference is the source for the setting’s behavior and the macOS 10.15 floor, and the settings catalog documentation covers policy creation and reporting. The exact settings-catalog category for the setting can vary by tenant and Intune release, so match on the setting name rather than a folder path.
What the Yes and Not configured values mean
The setting has only two states that matter for planning. Leaving it at Not configured is not the same as turning it off: Intune makes no change, and the Mac’s own settings continue to govern Handoff.
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| Block Handoff value | Effect documented by Microsoft | Practical result on a managed Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Prevents the Handoff feature on devices (macOS 10.15 and newer) | Users cannot continue tasks to or from other Apple devices through Handoff |
| Not configured | Intune does not change the setting | The operating system might still allow Handoff; the user or existing configuration decides |
What users notice when Handoff is blocked
Handoff lets a user start a task on one Apple device and pick it up on another, such as continuing a Safari page or in-progress work in supported apps. Apple’s Handoff support guide, published June 22, 2026, lists Apple apps and some third-party apps that support it. Once the policy applies, that continuation no longer works from the managed Mac.
Apple’s user-facing label is Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices. In current macOS versions it sits in System Settings under General and AirDrop & Continuity; some versions and Apple pages call the area AirDrop & Handoff. Older releases use System Preferences > General. Expect users to find the toggle greyed out or the feature unavailable rather than see a separate Intune message, so tell them in advance.
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Apple also states the conditions under which Handoff works at all. Devices need:
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on
- The same Apple Account signed in
- Handoff enabled on each device
- Hardware and OS versions that meet Apple’s requirements
Those prerequisites are useful for troubleshooting: if a user reports that Handoff is unavailable on an unmanaged Mac, the cause may be one of them rather than the policy.
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What Block Handoff does not cover
The title frames the goal as preventing unintended data sharing, and that goal needs a narrower reading. Handoff is one continuity feature. Blocking it removes that feature on managed devices. The Microsoft and Apple documents reviewed do not quantify the risk Handoff creates, do not describe it as inherently unsafe, and do not show that this setting closes every data path between Apple devices.
Use the table below to decide which other controls need separate attention.
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| Data path | Covered by Block Handoff? | What the sources say |
|---|---|---|
| Handoff (continuing tasks across devices) | Yes | Microsoft documents that Yes prevents the Handoff feature on devices. |
| AirDrop (sending files to nearby devices) | Not stated | Apple describes AirDrop as a separate feature. The Intune documentation does not say that Block Handoff disables it; configure AirDrop controls separately. |
| Universal Clipboard (copy and paste across devices) | Not stated | Apple says it works when Handoff, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth are enabled. Microsoft’s documentation does not state whether blocking Handoff also stops it; verify on a test device. |
| iCloud sync and other cloud sharing | Not stated | Neither source addresses these. Evaluate them with their own policy settings. |
Because the Intune documentation does not provide a complete list of side effects for other continuity features, do not describe the policy as a general Apple-device sharing block in user communications or compliance reports.
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Confirm the policy is applied
Creating or assigning a policy does not prove that it is in effect. Microsoft says settings catalog policies can be monitored in the Intune admin center. Per-setting status identifies devices where the setting applied successfully, where it conflicts with another policy, or where it failed, and assignment-failure views help you investigate devices that did not receive the policy at all. Check these views before you tell a stakeholder that Handoff is blocked.
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Conflicts are the most common reason a setting shows as set in the console but not on the Mac. If a device reports a conflict, look for another policy or configuration that sets Handoff differently, resolve it, and re-check the per-setting status. On the Mac itself, confirm the Handoff toggle is unavailable or off in System Settings for a test user, and confirm the behavior with a real cross-device handoff attempt.
After rollout, keep the policy in a documented assignment group and review it when you upgrade macOS, because the setting’s behavior is documented for macOS 10.15 and newer and any change to supported versions should be checked against Microsoft’s current reference.
Treat Block Handoff as one control in a broader sharing plan. Document which continuity and sharing paths you have blocked, which you have left open, and which you have not yet evaluated.
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