Continuity

A suite of features that enable seamless experiences across multiple Apple devices (Handoff, Universal Clipboard, AirDrop). In MDM environments, Continuity features can be managed to prevent data leakage.

What to Know

Continuity features create data leakage risks when users mix personal and corporate devices. An employee working on a corporate Mac can inadvertently copy sensitive data to their personal iPhone via Universal Clipboard, or start an email on a corporate device and finish it on a personal device via Handoff, potentially bypassing email retention policies or DLP controls. Organizations with strict data governance requirements often disable Continuity features to prevent unintentional data transfer between managed and unmanaged devices.

Common Scenarios

Enterprise IT: Corporate IT often restricts Continuity features on devices handling sensitive data—especially in finance, healthcare, or legal sectors. For general-purpose corporate devices, IT may allow Continuity between corporate-owned devices (Mac to iPhone both managed by MDM) while blocking it between corporate and personal devices. IT can also enable Continuity selectively, allowing AirDrop for productivity while blocking Universal Clipboard to prevent copy-paste data leaks.

MSP: MSPs should discuss Continuity policies during client onboarding, as preferences vary widely. Some clients want maximum productivity and accept the security trade-offs, while others prioritize data control and disable Continuity entirely. MSPs often see issues when users complain about “broken” Continuity features without realizing they were intentionally restricted for security reasons.

Education: Schools typically restrict AirDrop on student devices to prevent students from sharing inappropriate content, test answers, or large files that congest the network. Handoff and Universal Clipboard are usually less concerning in education environments and may remain enabled. Teacher devices often have Continuity features enabled to support flexible workflows between personal and school-issued devices.

In Addigy

Addigy provides granular Continuity restrictions through its Restrictions payload. Admins can disable AirDrop entirely, restrict AirDrop to contacts only, block Handoff, or prevent Universal Clipboard. These restrictions require supervised devices and apply immediately when the profile is deployed. Addigy’s interface groups Continuity-related restrictions together for easy discovery, and each restriction includes a description of its impact on user workflows.