Microsoft is lastly doing one thing that it’s by no means fairly been in a position to do: join Windows PCs to an Apple iPhone.

As a part of the February 2023 replace to Windows 11 that Microsoft announced today (technically, Moment 2 for Window 11 22H2) Microsoft introduced that it’s including a preview of Phone Link for the Apple iPhone for Windows beta testers. That will enable homeowners of Windows 11 PCs who personal an Apple iPhone to depart their iPhone of their pocket and management it remotely, through their PC, through Bluetooth. But there are nonetheless extreme limitations in comparison with Android.

When Microsoft pulled the plug on Windows Phone in 2019, the corporate had a purpose: join Windows PCs to Android telephones and that iPhones to attempt to bridge the hole between telephone and PC. (At the identical time, Microsoft devoted appreciable sources towards growing cell apps for each platforms.) However, Microsoft discovered a lot better success connecting to the extra open Android platform, with an emphasis on Samsung telephones. Microsoft’s ambitions to attach the iPhone through Phone Link (once called Your Phone) went unfulfilled, and Microsoft has by no means stated precisely why.

Now, nonetheless, Microsoft has taken its first steps to treatment that. Phone Link now connects to the iPhone, and also you’ll have the choice of managing your iPhone contacts, inserting and receiving calls, and sending texts through the Windows Phone Link app. There’s a small catch, nonetheless: Microsoft considers this to be a preview, so the brand new Phone Link app with assist for iOS will solely be obtainable for Windows Insiders (no matter what take a look at channel they select) and solely a small proportion of eligible customers will obtain the replace.

How to arrange Phone Link for iOS

According to Microsoft, these customers who do have entry to the up to date Phone Link app will see the choice of connecting both an iPhone or an Android telephone on the preliminary setup display screen. You’ll then be requested to pair the 2 units by scanning a QR code, in addition to confirming {that a} numeric code despatched to each units matches up.

The necessary factor, in accordance with Microsoft, is to allow the suitable Bluetooth permissions in your iPhone. Once these are put in place, Phone Link will ship fundamental iOS assist for calls, messages, and contacts, Microsoft stated. “This means you will be notified directly through your Windows notifications,” it stated in a weblog put up.

Microsoft

You’ll notice, nonetheless, a significant caveat: These are SMS texts you could handle, not iMessages — a key promoting level of the iPhone. Moreover, there are different gotchas, too. You gained’t be capable of reply to group texts, and also you gained’t be capable of ship multimedia messages, both. (Microsoft stated it should present a list of known issues at this link.)

Microsoft says that your iPhone will resolve the way it interacts with a message. “The Phone Link app on Windows 11 sends Bluetooth messages and the iPhone decides how to send the messages (SMS or iMessage),” a consultant stated. That means, apparently. that if the iPhone detects the presence of one other iPhone, it should ship the message through iMessage; if not, it should ship SMS as a substitute.

Does this fully rule out the brand new Phone Link for iOS functionality? It would possibly, for some — or many. We’ll need to see the place Microsoft takes it from right here.

This story was up to date on March 2 with extra particulars.