Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft
Source: Microsoft
Microsoft notified Monday that the latest version of Phone Link for Windows 11 PCs can receive notifications, send texts and answer calls from a user’s paired iPhone.
Most Americans use iPhones, and Apple’s integration between its products has helped its Mac business take market share from Windows PCs in recent years. Apple accounted for about 10% of global PC shipments last year, while the rest were predominantly Windows machines, according to to IDC.
Microsoft’s move could eliminate a barrier for PC buyers who might otherwise have opted for a Mac. Phone Link previously only worked with Android phones.
The Phone Link software doesn’t have nearly as many features as Apple’s Messages for Mac. It works via Bluetooth, according to The borderand requires the iPhone to have Microsoft’s “Link to Windows” app installed.
A Phone Link-enabled Windows computer receives messages from the user’s iPhone and displays the messages in Windows. It does not support group texts via iMessage and does not allow users to send photos or videos either. Phone Link can only display messages that it sends or receives, so a user who has sent any text messages on their phone will not see that part of their message history in the Windows app.
“The messaging feature is limited by iOS,” the company said in Monday’s announcement. An Apple representative did not respond to a request for comment.
[pub1]