With Phone Link for iOS, You Can Use iMessage on a PC (But There's a Catch)

pcmag.com:

Microsoft’s Phone Link has officially expanded to Apple's iOS, meaning you can tap into your iPhone from a Windows PC.

Microsoft is now rolling out(Opens in a new window) iOS support for Phone Link to users across the globe. By mid-May all users should have access to the feature, which was previously limited to Android smartphones. 

As the name suggests, Phone Link lets you access a smartphone remotely from a Windows desktop via a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connection. The iOS version lets iOS users make phone calls, view notifications, reply to iMessages, and access contacts and photos. 

“With the ability to now make this PC/iOS Phone connection, we hope our Windows 11 customers will never have to worry about missing an important phone call or text while focusing on their Windows PC,” Microsoft added.

That said, the current iOS version doesn’t support image/video sharing or group messaging.  

Microsoft offered a preview version of Phone Link for iOS to Windows Insider users two months ago. “We’ve heard positive feedback such as ‘this is exactly what I’ve been hoping for on my Windows PC,’” Microsoft noted in its announcement.  

In some bad news, the company is only bringing iOS Phone Link support to Windows 11—not to Windows 10, which remains popular with most users. The iPhone also needs to be running iOS 14 or higher; Phone Link won’t work with iPadOS or macOS. 

“Over the next few weeks, you’ll begin to see this feature become available on your PC,” Microsoft said. “To begin using it or to check if it’s enabled, simply start with the Search box on your Windows taskbar to find 'Phone Link.'"

Once a user is granted access to the feature, Microsoft will guide them through a step-by-step tutorial on installing Phone Link. The