Windows Expands Start Menu Integration With Phone on IPhone
Sharing files or accessing messages between a Windows PC and an iPhone can be a real pain, mainly because without third-party utilities , you can’t rely on AirDrop to get it done. There’s an app called Phone Link , but even that requires opening a separate window—your computer won’t even be able to send you iMessage notifications if it’s not open. Meanwhile, Android users now have a smoother experience, being able to access the battery levels, messages and calls of their connected phones directly from the Windows Start menu. Now iPhone users will finally get the same.
In a blog post on its site, Microsoft announced that its Windows Insider beta testers are now receiving enhanced phone integration in the Start menu, bringing features Android users have enjoyed since October to the iPhone.
These include the ability to connect your phone to your computer directly from the Start menu, as well as information about battery status and messages/calls (it looks like you’ll finally be able to get notifications on your iPhone in Windows without having to open the Phone Link app). first). The only thing missing is the ability to view photos directly from the Start menu, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to access them.
This is thanks to the new “Send Files” button, which is available for both Android and iPhone. This will allow you to access your phone’s files without having to use the Phone Link app, and will also make sharing photos much easier, as doing so on the iPhone currently requires either using a different testing feature or going througha multi-step process to verify. connect iCloud to the Windows Photos app .
To see iPhone integration in the Windows 11 Start menu, you’ll need an iPhone running iOS 16 or later (that is, no older than iPhone 8) and the Phone Link app on both your iPhone and Windows 11 PC . You’ll also need to sign up for the free Windows Insider program, but most importantly, you’ll have to wait.
Microsoft says these features are “gradually rolling out to Windows Insiders through development and beta channels,” so simply registering may not be enough to access them initially. You can check if you have them by going to Settings > Personalization > Start .