In Summary
- Microsoft has announced support for iMessage on Windows machines, using the Microsoft Phone Link app.
- iPhone users will now be able to reply to their iMessage conversations directly from their Windows computers.
- The feature is being rolled out to Windows Insider Preview users, on Windows 11.
- iMessage users with Windows computers can finally rejoice!
Microsoft has finally announced that Phone Link will now work with iPhones as well, enabling iMessage functionality on Windows. The Phone Link service was earlier exclusive to Android devices, which allows users to pick up calls, reply to messages, and check notifications from their phone directly on their Windows machine. Apple users can finally use iMessage directly on their Windows computer using Microsoft Phone Link.
In its latest blog post, Microsoft says that they have started an early preview of Phone Link on iOS. This feature will be available to a limited number of Windows Insider users with Windows 11. The only requirement for the iPhone is that it should be running iOS 14 and above.
How to use iMessage on Windows 11 with Microsoft Phone Link
You need to be in the Windows Insider Program to access Microsoft Phone Link on your iPhone. This can be done by going to Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program and choosing any of the three available insider Channels on your Windows 11-based machine.
1. Download the Microsoft Phone Link app from the Microsoft Store on your Windows 11 machine.
2. On your iPhone, you need to download the Link to Windows by Microsoft.
3. Now, open the Phone Link app on your Windows machine, and select the iPhone option.
4. Now, sign in with your Microsoft account in the Phone Link app on both your Windows machine and iPhone.
5. Your iPhone will now show a prompt to enable Bluetooth and pair it with your Windows computer.
6. Once the pairing is successful, you need to scan the QR code shown on your Windows device screen using the Phone Link app on your iPhone.
7. Your iPhone will now ask for some permission, which you can review as per your preferences.
8. Your iPhone is now successfully linked with your Windows machine using Microsoft Phone Link, and you can start using iMessage on Windows.
Features and Limitations of iMessage on Windows using Phone Link
Microsoft Phone Link lets you send text messages using iMessage from your Windows computer. However, it does not sync older messages from your iMessage history. The Phone Link service can only show messages received when your phone is paired with your Windows machine via Bluetooth.
Images and multimedia are NOT supported in iMessage via Phone Link on Windows. As of now, you cannot attend calls either using this service. This means the Phone Link app generates iMessage conversations based on your iPhone’s notification history and can only reply to those conversations. Although the functionality is very minimal, this is a step in the right path by Microsoft.
Here’s an interesting sneak peek. The preview screenshot of Link to Phone by Microsoft on the Apple Store does show that you will be able to take and answer calls on your iPhone on your Windows computer. However, we are yet to confirm this on our side. It’s surely an exciting easter egg, as this is coming officially from Microsoft.
Note that the Insider Preview, which enables this functionality, will start rolling out by this week to selected users. We will keep this article updated with new features and improvements from Microsoft in their Phone Link app.