A handset is a component of a telephone that a user holds to the ear and mouth to receive audio through the receiver and speak to the remote party using the built-in transmitter. In earlier telephones, the transmitter was mounted directly on the telephone itself, which was attached to a wall at a convenient height or placed on a desk or table. Until the advent of the cordless telephone, the handset was usually wired to the base unit, typically by a flexible tinsel wire cord. The handset of a cordless telephone contains a radio transceiver which relays communication via a base station that is wired to the telephone line. A mobile phone does not require a base station and communicates directly with a cell site in designated frequency bands.

A graphic symbol that designates a handset is used on cordless and mobile phones to specify placing or ending a telephone call. Usually, a button with a green upright (off-hook) handset icon is used for starting a call, and a red lying-down (on-hook) handset is used for ending a call. The term "handset" can also refer to the outer part of a mobile phone that does not include the battery or the SIM card.