A method and electronic devices to provide a preferred device mode on a first electronic device and a second electronic device are described. In one example aspect, the present disclosure describes a method for determining a preferred device on a first electronic device and a second electronic device. The first and second electronic devices may have established a connection between them. The method includes: receiving a request related to an application on the first electronic device; sending the request to the second electronic device; initiating processing the request on the first electronic device; determining which of the first electronic device and the second electronic device is a preferred device to process the request; if the first electronic device is the preferred device, completing processing of the request on the first electronic device; and if the second electronic device is the preferred device, processing the request on the second electronic device.