Microsoft’s Phone Link software has given Android users the ability to send and receive text messages on a PC running Windows. But the folks in Redmond are trying to play nice with their frenemies in Cupertino with the all new Phone Link for iOS.
According to the Windows Insider blog:
Today, we share the next step on our journey to remove barriers for those of you who have iPhones with the introduction of Phone Link for iOS. With Phone Link for iOS you’ll never have to worry about missing that important call or text while you are concentrating on your Windows 11 PC.
This builds on our continued efforts to bring you closer to what’s more important, like easier access to the photos on your iPhone with iCloud integration in the Photos app. Launching first as a preview to Windows Insiders, you can learn more about getting started with the preview of Phone Link for iOS by visiting the Windows Insider Blog.
Of course, as iMessage is a proprietary platform, there are some limitations.
Phone Link for iOS can’t, yet, tell the difference between regular SMS and iMessage so there’s no way for you to tell the difference. And the software can’t grab your history – it only syncs messages that arrive while your iPhone is connected to the PC running Windows 11. So, your computer will only have a subset of the messages from the Messages app.
The big unknown is whether Apple sees the ability to scrape messages via Bluetooth as a potential security risk and shuts this avenue down. I also wonder if there’s really a need for the software at all. With your phone typically sitting quite close by it’s not that hard to pick it up to read or respond to a message. And there’s the added benefit of messages not disturbing you as you work on your computer.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.