Phone Link for iOS brings a crippled iMessage to Windows 11

The new Microsoft Phone Link app allows Windows 11 users to barely access iMessage and notifications from their iPhone from their PC.

As Microsoft points out, Phone Link has been available to Android users for a while now.

Over the next few weeks, iPhone users will be able to link their iPhones with their Windows 11 PC, allowing users to send and receive messages via Apple's iMessage system. The iPhone Link app will also display iOS notifications and allow users to make and receive calls from their PC.

However, there are severe limitations. Users won't be able to send photos or videos in messages or participate in group chats. In addition, people won't see the entire message history in conversations, as the app will only display messages sent or received through Phone Link.

To check whether or not you have Phone Link on Windows 11, users will search "Phone Link" in the Windows taskbar. If available, a guided step-by-step installation will walk users through the process of setting it up.

Microsoft notes that this feature is iPhone-exclusive and does not work with iPadOS or macOS.

6 Comments

smaceslin 86 comments · 14 Years

About 1 year ago

I've been using it off and on for a few weeks. It works. Not perfect, but a good start. It is especially good if I don't have my Mac with me and just my Windows machine.

JamesCude 73 comments · 3 Years

Microsoft: continuing a rich tradition of finding the most complex ways to make the simplest things suck.

shalte81@outlook.com 12 comments · 5 Years

I believe that Microsoft's Phone Link for iPhone is limited due to Apple's API restrictions. It seems that Apple has no intention of supporting such a feature fully, as they want users to buy a Mac instead. However, this may not be a viable option for many, including myself, as I require native x86 Windows for my professional programming work. Unfortunately, the software I use is integral to at least 50% of residential mortgage lending in the US, and its creators are as stubborn as Apple in their domain. They will not develop an ARM-native version to cater to the small percentage of users who want to run it on a Mac. Their solution is to suggest purchasing a PC instead.

So, these are the options that I have:

1. Buy both a PC and a Mac, use iMessage on the Mac with an iPhone, and get my work done on the PC. However, this would result in unnecessary expenses and clutter on my desk.

2. Purchase only a Mac, use iMessage from the Mac with an iPhone, but sacrifice my work productivity, and this could impact my income in the long run.

3. Buy only a PC, use Phone Link on the PC with an Android phone, and get my work done on the PC.

Given these options, I believe that the third option is the obvious choice. The Phone Link feature from my PC to my Android phone generally works well ;)

davidw 2112 comments · 17 Years

shalte81@outlook.com said:

I believe that Microsoft's Phone Link for iPhone is limited due to Apple's API restrictions. It seems that Apple has no intention of supporting such a feature fully, as they want users to buy a Mac instead. However, this may not be a viable option for many, including myself, as I require native x86 Windows for my professional programming work. Unfortunately, the software I use is integral to at least 50% of residential mortgage lending in the US, and its creators are as stubborn as Apple in their domain. They will not develop an ARM-native version to cater to the small percentage of users who want to run it on a Mac. Their solution is to suggest purchasing a PC instead.

So, these are the options that I have:

1. Buy both a PC and a Mac, use iMessage on the Mac with an iPhone, and get my work done on the PC. However, this would result in unnecessary expenses and clutter on my desk.
2. Purchase only a Mac, use iMessage from the Mac with an iPhone, but sacrifice my work productivity, and this could impact my income in the long run.
3. Buy only a PC, use Phone Link on the PC with an Android phone, and get my work done on the PC.

Given these options, I believe that the third option is the obvious choice. The Phone Link feature from my PC to my Android phone generally works well ;)

You're forgetting a very common 4th option that's been around since Apple moved to Intel Macs and most likely the best solution for computer users in your situation. That is to run Windows on Mac. For sure its doable on any Intel Mac and some say the Windows runs better on a Mac than a PC. However, not sure if you need the latest Mac with M1 or M2 and need run the non ARM version of Windows 11. Then this might not be an option. And it will involve purchasing extra software to do it. But it seems the cost is easily made up by not having to support a PC and Mac.

https://support.apple.com/en-au/guide/mac-help/mh11850/mac

https://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/

https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/16/23602718/microsoft-windows-11-apple-mac-m1-m2-support-parallels-virtual-machines

davidw said:

shalte81@outlook.com said:

I believe that Microsoft's Phone Link for iPhone is limited due to Apple's API restrictions. It seems that Apple has no intention of supporting such a feature fully, as they want users to buy a Mac instead. However, this may not be a viable option for many, including myself, as I require native x86 Windows for my professional programming work. Unfortunately, the software I use is integral to at least 50% of residential mortgage lending in the US, and its creators are as stubborn as Apple in their domain. They will not develop an ARM-native version to cater to the small percentage of users who want to run it on a Mac. Their solution is to suggest purchasing a PC instead.

So, these are the options that I have:

1. Buy both a PC and a Mac, use iMessage on the Mac with an iPhone, and get my work done on the PC. However, this would result in unnecessary expenses and clutter on my desk.
2. Purchase only a Mac, use iMessage from the Mac with an iPhone, but sacrifice my work productivity, and this could impact my income in the long run.
3. Buy only a PC, use Phone Link on the PC with an Android phone, and get my work done on the PC.

Given these options, I believe that the third option is the obvious choice. The Phone Link feature from my PC to my Android phone generally works well ;)

You're forgetting a very common 4th option that's been around since Apple moved to Intel Macs and most likely the best solution for computer users in your situation. That is to run Windows on Mac. For sure its doable on any Intel Mac and some say the Windows runs better on a Mac than a PC. However, not sure if you need the latest Mac with M1 or M2 and need run the non ARM version of Windows 11. Then this might not be an option. And it will involve purchasing extra software to do it. But it seems the cost is easily made up by not having to support a PC and Mac.

https://support.apple.com/en-au/guide/mac-help/mh11850/mac

https://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/

https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/16/23602718/microsoft-windows-11-apple-mac-m1-m2-support-parallels-virtual-machines

Good point. That would work for many users, but the software I use for work depends on an x86 printer driver. Windows for ARM has x86 to ARM translation, but it runs in userland and does not extend to drivers. So, clearly, Apple Silicon is 100% not an option for me. I did use an Intel iMac Pro with Parallels to run x86 Windows for many years, and that was fine, but given the transition to Apple Silicon now it would mean paying a premium for outdated hardware/reduced performance.
Anyway, it isn't really a problem for me as I'm just as comfortable using Windows and Android as macOS and iOS, but I think it's an interesting point. Essentially, I have been forced to use Android and Windows. The software I need for work means I can't use a modern Mac as my only computer, and (given how much I'm at my desk as a programmer, so being able to text and call from the computer is pretty important) Apple's unwillingness to properly integrate iPhones with Windows means I can't use an iPhone.