For Apple device owners, interacting with the Windows operating system has long been a challenge—especially when it comes to syncing an iPhone with Windows 11 to send or receive SMS and iMessages directly from a PC. In this tutorial, you’ll learn step by step how to sync your iPhone with Windows 11 using Phone Link.
Some time ago, Microsoft introduced an update to the Phone Link app through the Windows Insider Program, allowing users to sync their iPhones with Windows XNUMX. This enables iPhone owners to use their Windows PC for sending and receiving messages (SMS and iMessages).
Beyond message synchronization, this pairing of iPhone devices with Windows 11 computers via Phone Link also allows users to sync contacts, phone calls, and messages. However, there are significant limitations to this synchronization.
How to Sync iPhone with Windows 11 Using Phone Link
To sync your iPhone with Windows 11, you first need to pair the device and grant the necessary permissions for synchronization. This tutorial will guide you step by step on how to do it.
1. Ensure your iPhone is near the Windows 11 computer you want to pair it with. Also, make sure Bluetooth is enabled on both devices.
2. Open the App Store on your iPhone and install the ““Link to Windows app.".
3. Launch the Phone Link app on your Windows 11 computer and select iPhone from the Welcome Screen.
4. During the setup process, you will need to scan a QR code with your iPhone. This step is somewhat similar to logging into WhatsApp Desktop.
Related: Why Does WhatsApp for Mac Use a Lot of CPU Resources?
5. Confirm the verification code displayed in Phone Link and the one shown on your iPhone.
6. Grant the necessary pairing permissions. After this step, the pairing between your iPhone and the Phone Link app on Windows 11 will be completed.
Next, you need to grant Bluetooth permissions on your iPhone for the Phone Link app. This is an important step to ensure that notifications and contacts from your iPhone are correctly displayed in Phone Link on your Windows 11 computer.
Once the synchronization process between the iPhone and the Phone Link app is completed, you will automatically receive call and message notifications on your Windows 11 PC.
This is how iPhone synchronization with Windows 11 is achieved.
As mentioned at the beginning, this synchronization comes with several limitations and cannot be compared to the seamless integration between an iPhone and a Mac computer. When syncing an iPhone with Windows 11, many restrictions apply. The Phone Link app does not download the message history from conversations, nor does it retrieve messages sent or received while you were away from your PC. You also won’t have access to key iMessage features such as editing and deleting sent messages, sending and receiving media content in messages, Memoji, group messages, and many other functions.
