Microsoft releases iOS support for Phone Link for notifications on PC

The Phone Link app for Windows 11 will receive an update for iOS support from Wednesday. With the update, iPhone users can connect their smartphone to a Windows 11 PC to receive notifications, send iMessage messages and make calls on that PC.

Microsoft says that with iOS support, users can make calls with their Windows 11 PC, provided that PC is paired with an iPhone with a continuous Bluetooth connection. Users can also receive iPhone notifications on that Windows 11 PC and use iMessage. The latter is only possible in 1-on-1 conversations and with text; the iMessage integration does not support group conversations or image or video sharing.

Phone Link has been around for years and was called Your Phone until a year ago. The feature lets users connect Android devices to a Windows PC. The app also exists for Windows 10, but Microsoft only says in the message that the Windows 11 version will receive iOS support. There is no mention of the Windows 10 version.

Microsoft announced iOS support in February. The support has since been available to Windows Insider users. The company says it wants to gradually bring iOS support to all Windows 11 users and that this rollout should be ready by mid-May. In addition to Windows 11, iOS 14 or later is required. The feature does not work with iPads or macOS.