Microsoft's Phone Link for iOS rolls out to all Windows 11 users

Microsoft has released Phone Link for iOS for all users. The app lets you connect your iPhone with your Windows 11 PC, to send and receive messages and calls.

The Phone Link app (formerly Your Phone Companion) has been available on Android devices for a long time, since the early days of Windows 10. Microsoft rebranded it as Your Phone about a year ago, but the app didn't support iOS up until a few months ago, when initial support was added in a Preview version.

Now that the app is publicly available,  here are some things that you need to know about it. While Phone Link does allow you to access iMessage from a PC, Microsoft says that the messaging feature in Phone Link is limited by iOS. You can't expect all of iMessage's functionality, as the app is said to use the Bluetooth API for pushing messages. As a matter of fact, Phone Link for iOS just offers basic support for calls, messages and access to contacts.

The biggest drawback is that you cannot take part in group messages, this could annoy users. The app does not allow you to send images or videos from your PC.

The company says that the Phone Link for iOS app is available in 39 languages across 85 Countries.

How to set up Phone Link for iOS with Windows 11

1. Download the Phone Link app from the Microsoft Store.

2. Install the Link to Windows app from the App Store.

3. Enable Bluetooth on both devices.

4. Run the app on your PC, and click the iPhone button.

5. The desktop app will display a QR code, scan it with the Link to Windows app on your iPhone to pair the devices.

6. You will need to enable some Bluetooth sharing settings on iOS (Contacts, Notifications, etc.).

Once the devices are paired, you will be able to view and send text messages directly from your Windows 11 computer, without lifting your iPhone. That can be quite convenient. It is worth noting that the app will only work when the iPhone is connected to the PC, as it communicates over Bluetooth to sync your messages and calls between the devices.

Image: via Microsoft.

Phone Link for iOS is rolling out to users, so don't be surprised if the app shows "Coming Soon". According to the official announcement from the Redmond company, iPhone support is being rolled out gradually, and will reach all users by mid-May. You may want to update the app on your PC to check whether a new version is available.

The Phone Link app requires an iPhone with iOS 14 or higher. Even though the app's listing says that it is compatible with Windows 10 18362.0 or above, Microsoft says that a Windows 11 computer is required to use the iPhone sync. The app is not available for macOS, nor does it support iPads.

While the features of the iOS app are nowhere close to what the Android version can do, this is a good start. Apple is expected to allow interoperability in iMessage to comply with laws in the European Union, so if it opens up some APIs, Phone Link for iOS may improve as well.

Do you use Phone Link?

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