IT House reported on September 3 that Apple has added a new feature called “iPhone Relay” in iOS 27, which allows users to use the same phone number on two iPhones and supports switching.
IT House noticed that this feature was briefly mentioned on a PPT listing hundreds of new features during the WWDC 2026 keynote in June 2026, but Apple did not announce any details at that time.
On September 2, local time, MacRumors forum members shared a demonstration video showing how this feature runs on two simulated iPhones in the Device Hub of Xcode 27.
Users can set this through the “Cellular” menu in the “Settings” app. During the setup process, users need to select one device as the most commonly used primary device and the other as a secondary device.
Apple said that the user’s primary eSIM will remain on the primary iPhone, and the secondary iPhone will receive a secondary eSIM, allowing switching back and forth between the two devices using the same number. All cellular settings are managed on the main iPhone, and location sharing is based on which device is currently using that phone number.
In addition to requiring two iPhones running iOS 27, this feature also seems to require carrier support. For example, T-Mobile in the United States and Deutsche Telekom in Germany may be the first carriers to provide this feature.
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