Back in March, Microsoft announced its Phone Link app was coming to Apple's iOS platform. The feature allows users on an iPhone to connect with Windows 11 and control their phone from a PC. Microsoft has finally announced the availability of the feature, making it available to everyone.
Microsoft is rolling out the feature to all iOS users, with Phone Link arriving in 85 markets covering 39 languages.
Phone Link for iOS is a Windows 11 app that lets you pair your iPhone with your PC via Bluetooth and use some of the features of your phone on your PC. You can:
- Make and receive calls using your PC's microphone and speakers
- Send and receive messages via iMessage to single contacts (group messaging and image/video sharing are not supported)
- See and dismiss notifications from your phone on your PC
- Access your contacts from your phone on your PC
Phone Link for iOS works by sending messages over Bluetooth to contacts. Apple's iOS then intercepts these messages and forces them to be sent over iMessage, much like how Apple's operating system detects when you're sending a message to an iPhone user and switches it to blue bubbles. Phone Link then intercepts the messages you receive through Bluetooth notifications and shows them in the app on Windows 11.
Phone Link Improvements
If you're unfamiliar with Phone Link, you may know it better as Your Phone. That was the name prior to the launch of Windows 11 when Microsoft rebranded the app. Your Phone arrived three years ago as a bridging application that lets users view and use their smartphone on their Windows desktop.
Google recently brought its Nearby Share service to Windows, making it easy to transfer files from Android to Windows 11. This puts some pressure on Phone Link as Nearby Share is more seamless.
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