Windows 11 already has a Phone Link app that allows users to connect their Android smartphones to PCs.
By linking your Android smartphone you get some advantages:
- Reply to texts messages from your PC. Much more productive as you use a keyboard.
- Answer calls from your PC using your headset.
- View and adjust notifications, Bluetooth, and volume, as well as skip and pause songs.
- Accesss your phone photos from your PC via OneDrive.
- Enhanced Android® phone users experience (ha, iOS users!). If you have a Samsung phone, you’ll be able to activate hotspot with a single click from within the Wi-Fi network list on your PC. You’ll also be able to transfer browser sessions from your smartphone to your PC to continue browsing. This is an upcoming feature in the update mentioned below.
However, Phone Link only worked previously with Android devices. Not anymore, as Windows 11 will soon receive an update that allows you to connect your iPhone and send/receive calls & messages from your desktop. Until now you could’ve done it only for Android phones. Now they’re adding Phone Link for iOS as well – if you have Windows 11 Insider you can already see the new option, if not wait for the public release, later in March. This update is dubbed Windows 11 22H2 Moment 2 (not kidding, Moment 2!).
This Windows 11 update includes many other changes, mainly linked to the new AI hype. If you’re bored, here’s a full list of upcoming changes in the update:
- The taskbar will now feature an AI-powered Bing search function that can be typed into for quick searches.
- Windows Studio Effects, which uses advanced AI for audio and video customization, has been updated to include even more effects.
- Chat signature experience has been updated for easier video calls and link sharing.
- Quick Assist app has been redesigned for easier use.
- Widgets have been expanded to include Phone Link, Xbox Game Pass, and other partners like Meta and Spotify.
- The collapsed taskbar provides more screen real estate and flexibility for touch use without a keyboard.
- Notepad has been enhanced with tabs for easy note organization and coding.
- Narrator now supports more Braille displays, and there are enhanced voice access features in key apps.
- New energy recommendations are available in system settings to help users make environmentally conscious choices.
- AI-powered recommended content is now available in the Start menu on Windows 11 Pro devices and higher.
- The Windows 365 app is now available in the Microsoft Store for quick access to Cloud PCs.
So, how do you get this new update to be able to connect your Windows PC to your iPhone? Well, if you are signed up for Windows 11 Insider Preview just do a check for updates and you’ll get the new version. If you’re not, just wait until the end of March 2023 when the update will be pushed to everyone. More details on the official blog post: Windows 11 update announcement with iOS Phone Link support
Comments? Suggestions? Keep them to yourself! Kidding, you can add them below ;).
