Microsoft is updating its Phone Link app which will now allow iPhone users to access iMessage on their Windows PC. Yes, you heard right. You can now connect your iPhone to your Windows PC and access iMessage. Read on to learn how to use iMessage on Windows 11 using the Microsoft Phone Link app.
Apart from iMessage, the app also allows you to make and receive calls. Alternatively, you can view iPhone notifications on your Windows PC. However, at the time of writing, the app is in beta testing and some features may not work as intended. However, if you have wanted to use iMessage on Windows 11 for a long time, your dreams come true.
Requirements for using iMessage on Windows 11
As mentioned earlier, the Microsoft Phone Link app is in beta testing. It’s only available to users in the Windows 11 Insider Program.
Follow the steps below to join the Windows Insider Program.
- Go to Settings on your Windows PC.
- Select the Windows Update option located at the bottom of the menu on the left side of the screen.
- Click on “Windows Insider Program” in the “Advanced Options” menu.
- Click the “Start” button. Now follow the instructions on the screen and select any of the three channels available on your device.
Once you become a Windows Insider, you will be able to link your iPhone to your Windows PC through the Microsoft Phone Link app. Also, only a small percentage of Windows Insider users have access to this feature at the moment because it is still in beta. Microsoft has promised to increase the availability of this feature to more users over time based on the feedback they receive.
Finally, to use iMessage on your Windows PC, the Microsoft Phone Link app must be running version 1.23012.169.0 or higher.
NB. This feature is only available to users who have a licensed version of Windows 11 installed on their PC.
How to use iMessage on Windows 11 with Microsoft Phone Link
If you meet all of the above requirements, you can proceed to the next steps. Also, if you come across this article after the stable posting of Microsoft phone link that supports iPhone, you can follow the steps given below to use iMessage on your Windows PC.
- install Microsoft Phone Link An app from the Microsoft Store on a Windows 11 PC.
- install Link to windows The app from the App Store on your iPhone.
- Open the Microsoft Phone Link app on your Windows PC.
- Under the “Select your phone” section, select the “iPhone” option. If you don’t see the iPhone option or it’s disabled, you’re not in beta testing yet.
- Sign in to your Microsoft account on your Windows 11 PC and iPhone.
- Scan the QR code shown on your Windows 11 PC from your iPhone in the Link to Windows app.
- Give Windows app link access to Bluetooth when given permission. Allow other permissions so Link to Windows can access your iPhone.
- ready. Your iPhone has been successfully connected to your Windows 11 computer.
Is the link for Windows Phone still in development?
Pairing an iPhone with a Windows PC is sure to make life easier for quite a few people. Some of us prefer to use our iPhone as our daily driver and have to use a Windows PC for work. Or, if you’re like me, you use an iPhone as your primary daily driver and a Windows PC for work and play. Because games on Mac are not very close to Windows yet.
When you are in a situation like this, you have to compromise on communication. Because trust me, there is nothing more convenient than using your iPhone with your Mac. However, the Windows Phone Link app comes to the rescue and makes things easier for users like us. It may not be the best, but it does the job.
Let me tell you about some of its limitations. For starters, you can’t send photos or any other form of media in iMessage through the Phone Link app. Also, the Phone Link app cannot access your iMessage chat history and will only show live conversations. You can only reply to messages that you receive when your iPhone is connected to your Windows PC via Bluetooth.
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