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Microsoft Rolls Out Tool That Connects Your iPhone to Your PC

Phone Link for iOS is now available for Windows 11 computers.

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windows 11 logo on laptop screen

Link your iPhone to your Windows account to read iMessages and more.

Beata Zawrzel/Getty Images

Microsoft has started rolling out its new Phone Link for iOS feature that lets iPhone users connect their phones to Windows 11 PCs. All Windows 11 customers should have access by mid-May, Microsoft said Wednesday

First previewed in February, the new feature uses Bluetooth and is available only for iPhone 14 models and above. According to Microsoft, the iOS version of Phone Link provides "basic iOS support for calls, messages and access to contacts." 

Once you're connected to a Windows 11 device, you can receive notifications for calls and messages, with the ability to answer them (or decline). The interconnectivity also includes an iCloud integration with the Photos app, so you can access iPhone photos on your PC. Microsoft notes that group messaging and video/photo sharing isn't available at this time.

Windows 11 users can check to see if the feature is available by searching for "Phone Link" in the Windows taskbar. If it's enabled, Microsoft will then walk you through the set-up steps. 

Phone Link was introduced in 2022 as the upgraded, revamped version of Microsoft's Your Phone app, which initially launched for Android smartphones in late 2018. Android users can receive and take calls as well as access photos and Android apps on their Windows PCs. 

For more, try ditching these Windows 11 default settings and check out the best Windows laptops for 2023.