Microsoft brings iMessage to Windows 11 PCs–if you don’t want to send pics – do phone
Following up on an announcement made in February, Microsoft on Tuesday acknowledged its rollout of Phone Hyperlink for iOS on Windows 11. For iPhone customers who additionally use a Windows PC as their principal pc, Phone Hyperlink on Windows 11 will let customers entry iMessage on the iPhone and carry out fundamental chat capabilities.
Microsoft gives particulars on the way it will work in its Windows Insider Blog. The Phone Hyperlink app, which beforehand used Bluetooth to join solely to Android telephones, may have a brand new choice for the iPhone. As soon as a connection is established and the setup is carried out, customers may have fundamental assist for accessing contacts, making calls, and utilizing the iPhone’s Messages for textual content conversations.
Phone Hyperlink for iOS requires an iPhone with iOS 14 or later, Windows 11 on the PC, and a Bluetooth connection between the PC and the iPhone. Microsoft notes that the iPad and Mac do not work with Phone Hyperlink–because the app’s identify says, it’s for telephones solely. Microsoft is rolling out Phone Hyperlink over the subsequent a number of weeks to its international market, so if you can’t get it now, strive once more at a later time.
The assist for Messages doesn’t go a lot past one-on-one interactions. In accordance to the Microsoft weblog publish, group messaging shouldn’t be supported, and you won’t be able to send photographs, audio, or video. In an interview with The Verge, Microsoft’s Yusuf Mehdi additionally factors out that Phone Hyperlink can’t inform the distinction between an ordinary textual content message and one despatched by means of iMessage–so no inexperienced or blue chat bubbles. Additionally, Phone Hyperlink can see solely messages that it has despatched and acquired, so it is not going to show the complete chat historical past on an iPhone.
Microsoft didn’t point out if iMessage options corresponding to enhancing or unsending messages, or the bubble and display screen results can be out there, nevertheless it’s protected to assume that they received’t be. Nonetheless, for the very giant variety of iPhone customers who additionally use Windows PCs as their principal pc, it’s one other welcome new characteristic to enable for entry to Apple gadgets and providers. Final November, Microsoft added to iCloud Photos access to the Windows 11 Photos app. Microsoft additionally has out there preview variations of the Apple Music and Apple TV apps for Windows; these apps needs to be finalized later this yr.
