How to Connect an iPhone to Windows 11

If you use both an iPhone and Windows 11, you can connect the two, allowing you to see iPhone notifications, reply to text messages, and even make calls from the PC. It's less than you get when you connect Windows to an Android phone, which allows access to photos shot on the phone and even the ability to run phone apps on the PC screen. But given the tight grip Apple keeps on its closed ecosystem, it's a minor miracle to even get this degree of interoperability.

The PC/smartphone synergy comes courtesy of the Phone Link app in Windows 11, the same software used when linking Android to Windows 11. We take you through the process below, which is simpler than you might think.

Note that I tested this with a Microsoft Surface Pro 8 running Windows 11 Home and a Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 running Windows 11 Pro. On the mobile side, I used an iPhone 12 mini running iOS 17.4.1. The minimum requirements are an iPhone running iOS 14 or later, any Windows 11 device, a Bluetooth connection, the latest version of the Phone Link app on the PC, and optionally the Link to Windows app on the iPhone. Note that the feature doesn't work with school and business accounts.

Step 1: Open the Phone Link app on your PC

You can get to this easily by typing "Phone Link" in the Start menu.

(Credit: Microsoft/PCMag)

Step 2: Pair your iPhone with Windows 11 over Bluetooth

Choose—you guessed it—the button that says iPhone. After that, you see a window containing a QR code, like the one shown below. (I blurred the code, which expires in three minutes from when you get to this page.) The “without a QR code” option gives you a URL to open in your iPhone’s web browser instead.

(Credit: Microsoft/PCMag)

Step 3: Start linking to Windows 11 on your iPhone

Point your iPhone Camera app at the QR code. A notification appears that, when clicked, opens an App Clip. You no longer need to install the Link to Windows app from the App Store, but you can do so if you want; the app takes you through the same setup process.

(Credit: Microsoft/PCMag)

Step 4: Allow Bluetooth on iPhone to pair with Windows 11

Tap Allow to let the app (or App Clip) access the iPhone's Bluetooth.

(Credit: Microsoft/PCMag)

Step 5: Complete the Bluetooth pairing on both devices

At this point, the Bluetooth pairing part starts. On the PC, you see a screen showing a six-digit pairing code and a Pair button, like the one above. On the iPhone, you see a screen similar to the image below, with a notification showing the name of your PC and the pairing code. The numbers should match. Tap Pair on both devices, then wait a short moment for the connection to complete.

(Credit: Microsoft/PCMag)

Step 6: Enable Bluetooth options on your iPhone

On the PC, the Phone Link app now shows the final steps, which are to open Bluetooth settings on the iPhone and tap on the "i" next to the PC name. Turn on Share System Notifications, Show Notifications, and Sync Contacts in the iPhone’s Settings app. For some of these permissions, you see a confirmation message on the iPhone. Tap Allow for each.

(Credit: Microsoft/PCMag)

At this point, you should see a screen on your PC that says you’re all set and can now get on with texting and calling from the computer.

If instead you see a dire screen like the one below ("Unable to complete pairing"), you have to go into Bluetooth settings on both devices, choose "Forget this device," and start the process over. The steps for doing this are clearly spelled out on the page.

What Can You Do After Connecting Your iPhone to Windows 11?

Now is the fun part. You see your iPhone notifications in Windows 11’s right-hand Notification pane, and you can reply to texts from the toast notification that pops up in the lower right corner. The Phone Link app places a tiny icon in the System Tray, but I prefer to pin its app icon to the Taskbar.

Here’s the interface for calls, where you see your call history and can place calls from the PC using your contact list or a phone dialer.

To see notifications from apps on your iPhone, tap the > button at the top left. Below are some example notifications, with the text messaging interface showing on the right side.

A couple of bonuses: You can see the battery level of your phone in the top-left corner of the Phone Link app on Windows 11, and you can see what music is playing on your iPhone and use play, pause, and skip controls.

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What Are the Catches?

Crashes aside, assuming the app works as intended, there are still some known issues that Microsoft support staff points out in an online forum.

Messages

Phone Link does not support creating or replying to a group message, or sending or receiving media in messages.

Phone Link does not support sending images, GIFs, or Memojis.

Phone Link cannot show messages if the iPhone’s messages settings are not set to "Always show preview.”

Phone Link will not display message conversation history if, during use of the app, the Bluetooth session disconnects.

Calls

While using Phone Link, if a Bluetooth headset is paired and connected, call audio cannot be routed to the PC speaker.

Phone Link ends an ongoing call if the window is closed.

Notifications

Phone Link is unable to dismiss voicemail notifications from the feed.

If you have Action Center notifications turned on, you may see duplicate notifications coming from the Windows App and from Phone Link.

One pointer is that you have to remember that if you "X" out the small phone-call window on the PC, you hang up the call.

You Get a Lot More With Android

You get far more functionality with Windows Phone Link if you use an Android phone, and particularly if you use a recent Samsung model. For example, you can run multiple phone apps on your Windows desktop screen. You can see and transfer any photos from your phone’s camera roll. You can turn on Do Not Disturb on the phone, do group messaging, and send media files in texts. If you want iPhone-to-Windows photo syncing, you can snag Apple’s iCloud for Windows application.

But what you do get with the iPhone is darned useful. In fact, the features I use in Phone Link most with my Samsung Galaxy phone are text messages and notifications. If you need the tightest, fullest-feature connection between an iPhone and your desktop, consider getting a Mac, which offers robust integration between the two with Continuity and Handoff features. But if you prefer using Windows and want the richest phone-to-PC integration, consider switching to an Android phone.