At the end of February, after Microsoft released the Windows 11 update preview version that first added Phone Link for iOS, Microsoft announced yesterday (26) that it will officially push Phone Link for iOS of Windows 11 to users in 85 markets and 39 languages around the world.
Phone Link allows Windows PC users to map mobile applications, files or any content to Windows PC, so that users can operate from the PC, including answering calls or messages, or operating mobile apps. This functional concept is inherited from Phone Companion in 2015. At the end of 2018, Microsoft replaced it with Your Phone in the Windows 10 update, and in March 2022, Microsoft renamed it Phone Link.
Image source_Microsoft
As of early this year, Phone Link only supports syncing between Android and Windows PCs. Last month, Microsoft released a preview version of the Windows 11 update that includes Phone Link for iOS. Through the deployment of the official version, Windows 11 PCs enabled with Phone Link for iOS will be able to operate the iPhone. However, Microsoft pointed out that due to technical limitations of iOS, this feature currently only provides basic iOS support, including receiving and sending calls and messages, and accessing contacts. This feature does not support photo or video sharing, group messaging, and messages are session-based, which can only be sent when the iPhone and PC have a Bluetooth connection enabled.
Since Microsoft also announced last year that Windows 11 integrated iCloud photo library storage (iCloud Photo Library), iPhone users can access iCloud from the Windows 11 Photos App.
To use Phone Link for iOS, the iPhone must be installed with iOS 14 or above, and Windows 10 is not yet supported on the PC side. Currently, this feature does not support iPad and Mac computers.
This feature will be rolled out to all Windows 11 PCs in the coming weeks. Windows 11 can use the search function of the Windows taskbar to search for Phone Link, and then follow the instructions to install and configure it.