Phone Link for iOS: iMessage and more finally comes to Windows with global rollout

Windows users will finally have access to iMessage.

Microsoft has announced that Phone Link for iOS is now available to all Windows 11 users, enabling them to make and receive phone calls, access messages via iMessage, view their contacts and receive notifications from their iPhone on their Windows PC. This feature was previously available as an early preview to Windows Insiders. The rollout of Phone Link for iOS to Windows 11 users in 39 languages across 85 markets has started, but it may take a few weeks to reach all users.

iPhone users can now benefit from the ability to stay connected with their friends and family through their PC, which was not previously an option. This lack of support for Windows may have discouraged some consumers from exploring the Windows PC ecosystem. However, given the prevalence of Windows in both personal and business computing worlds, this meant that both Apple and Microsoft were underserving their respective customer bases.

Phone Link has several advantages for business professionals, including the ability to respond to texts, track calls, and view incoming notifications discreetly during meetings. Additionally, users can keep up with their calls, texts, and notifications on their PC while their iPhone is charging elsewhere.

Setting up Phone Link requires pairing an iPhone with a PC over Bluetooth and granting a set of permissions that allow content to be synced to the PC. Phone Link offers basic support for calls, messages, and contacts, but it has some limitations, such as not supporting replying to group messages or sending media in messages.

Notifications are delivered to the PC through Windows notifications, and users can check, pin, and dismiss them from the Windows interface. Phone Link requires an iPhone with iOS 14 or higher, Windows 11, a Bluetooth connection, and the latest version of the Phone Link app, which is preinstalled with Windows 11. However, support for iPad (iPadOS) or MacOS is not currently available.