Microsoft Phone Link for iOS on Windows 11 now available


  • Staff

 Windows Blogs:

UPDATE — May 15, 2023 — We are pleased to announce that Phone Link for iOS is now available to all Windows 11 customers.

Today, we are excited to announce that Microsoft Phone Link for iOS on Windows 11 is beginning to rollout to our global audience in 39 languages across 85 markets. We recently announced that Windows 11 was expanding our Phone Link feature to enable the connection between a Windows 11 PC and an iOS mobile device with the goal of removing barriers between your phone and PC and making it easier to connect to the people you care about most.

We know that being able to effortlessly connect to friends and family during important times is critical so we’ve taken a conservative approach to launching this update. To ensure the highest quality experience for our users, we asked our Windows Insiders to engage and provide feedback during the preview phase. We’ve heard positive feedback such as “this is exactly what I’ve been hoping for on my Windows PC” and we’re excited to begin a gradual rollout to our Windows 11 audience with all users enabled by mid-May.

Phone Link removes barriers between a Windows 11 PC and your mobile device

Phone Link has been available to Android® users for quite some time, bringing instant access on their Windows PC to everything they love on their phone, and as you heard from us in February, we’ll continue to deliver a rich experience with new features added as technology becomes available.

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. Once enabled by the Windows 11 customer, Phone Link for iOS will offer basic iOS support for calls, messages and access to contacts. This means if your phone is tucked away during a presentation or focus time, you’ll receive notifications on your Windows PC and can choose which action to take – all on your Windows 11 PC. Need access to your iPhone® photos on your PC? Our iCloud® integration with Photos makes this a simple process – all within the Photos app in Windows 11.

How to get started using Phone Link on Windows 11 PCs

Over the next few weeks, you’ll begin to see this feature become available on your PC. 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.” A guided step-by-step installation will walk you through setting it up.

Phone Link startup screen


We are excited to continue to expand our support for Phone Link and connecting our customers to what matters most – no matter which phone you choose.

Notes:

Phone Link for iOS requires iPhone with iOS 14 or higher, Windows 11 device, Bluetooth connection and the latest version of the Phone Link app. Not available for iPad® (iPadOS®) or macOS. Device compatibility may vary. Regional restrictions may apply.

Messaging feature is limited by iOS. Image/video sharing and group messaging is not supported. Messages are session based and will only come through when phone is connected to PC.

Android is a trademark of Google LLC.

iPhone, iCloud, iPad, iPadOS and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc.



 Source:

 

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If only Phone Link for Windows 11 with iPhone support would work! Seems to be an update almost daily, and still just a permanent series of connected/disconnected states despite the fact that my iPhone shows as always connected in BT devices.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7 12700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG STRYX Z690-A Gaming Wi-Fi D4
    Memory
    32Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI RTX 4090 Gaming X Trio
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster Z
    Monitor(s) Displays
    MSI MPG321UR-QD
    Screen Resolution
    4K
    PSU
    Corsair 850W
If only Phone Link for Windows 11 with iPhone support would work! Seems to be an update almost daily, and still just a permanent series of connected/disconnected states despite the fact that my iPhone shows as always connected in BT devices.
That is what early adapters have always had to live with. If you want something more stable you might have to go away for six months or more and try it again then.

Back in 2016 I bought a Samsung S7 and used a Samsung app called SideSync. It supported some of the functions that Phone Link does today. It worked OK using a USB cable but was very unreliable using a wireless connection. After many updates over a year Samsung finally gave up and stopped supporting the app.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (2022)
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800H with Radeon 680M GPU (486MB RAM)
    Memory
    Micron DDR5-4800 (2400MHz) 16GB (2 x 8GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 3060 Laptop (6GB RAM)
    Sound Card
    n/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6-inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 300Hz
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 980 (1TB M.2 NVME SSD)
    PSU
    n/a
    Mouse
    Wireless Mouse M510
    Internet Speed
    1200Mbps/250Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom build
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME X370-PRO
    Memory
    G.SKILL Flare X 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-RTX3060TI-08G-V2-GAMING (RTX 3060-Ti, 8GB RAM)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung S23A300B (23-in LED)
    Screen Resolution
    1080p 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    2TB XPG SX8200 Pro (M2. PCIe SSD) || 2TB Intel 660P (M2. PCIe SSD) ||
    PSU
    Corsair RM750x (750 watts)
    Case
    Cooler Master MasterCase 5
    Cooling
    Corsair H60 AIO water cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech K350 (wireless)
    Keyboard
    Logitech M510 (wireless)
    Internet Speed
    1200 Mbps down / 200 Mbps up
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge, Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes (Premium)
    Other Info
    ASUS Blu-ray Burner BW-16D1HT (SATA) || Western Digital Elements 12TB USB 3.0 external hard drive used with Acronis True Image backup software || HP OfficeJet Pro 6975 Printer/Scanner

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
Ironically, I uninstalled it because of all the issues, but a few minutes ago, I reinstalled only to find that it isn't the iPhone version, and I'm in the same beta stream!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7 12700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG STRYX Z690-A Gaming Wi-Fi D4
    Memory
    32Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI RTX 4090 Gaming X Trio
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster Z
    Monitor(s) Displays
    MSI MPG321UR-QD
    Screen Resolution
    4K
    PSU
    Corsair 850W
OK, so it updated but same old rubbish. Connected/disconnected/connected/disconnected. Repeat ad nauseum!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7 12700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG STRYX Z690-A Gaming Wi-Fi D4
    Memory
    32Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI RTX 4090 Gaming X Trio
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster Z
    Monitor(s) Displays
    MSI MPG321UR-QD
    Screen Resolution
    4K
    PSU
    Corsair 850W

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
Saw this article today. Note physical access to the phone is required.

Excerpt:

How does this work? Certo explains (via Apple Insider) the process in a news post, though the key thing to note is that to compromise an individual, the cyber-stalker needs physical access to the victim’s iPhone.


If the attacker can get that – and knows the passcode for the device – it’s an easy enough matter to set up Phone Link on their own Windows PC. Certo doesn’t detail the exact steps, so as not to give would-be abusers that information, but observes that it involves scanning a QR code on the PC monitor with the victim’s iPhone in order to setup a Bluetooth connection.

Once that’s done and Phone Link is set up, then things like phone call history, iMessages, and the content of any notifications can be viewed on that PC, with the iPhone owner unaware that any of their data is being compromised in this manner.

Certo notes that “cyberstalkers seem to be rapidly exploiting this new feature” and that this is obviously worrying.

Windows 11’s Phone Link for iOS reportedly being used to spy on iPhone owners
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win11 Ver 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell
    CPU
    Intel i5
    Memory
    8gb
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    256gb
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
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