In context: Microsoft has been working for a while to improve interoperability between Windows PCs and smartphones, with modest success. The latest updates have integrated the Phone Link app into the Start Menu, and most recently, this functionality has extended to iPhone users. However, Microsoft’s efforts still fall far short of the iPhone connectivity features available on Apple’s macOS.
A new Windows Insider build includes changes to Microsoft’s Phone Link function for Android and iPhone users. The update streamlines desktop access to mobile features, but the implementation remains extremely limited.
Preview Build 4805, Beta Channel version 26120.3000, and Phone Link version 1.24121.30.0 move the Phone Link screen to a pane next to the Start Menu so users can reach it from the desktop with one click. Although the feature has mostly favored Android devices so far, the update brings iPhone support to parity, introducing features Android users received last year.
Android and iPhone users can now access calls, notifications, texts, music, the battery indicator, and shared files from the Start Menu.
New users can start using Phone Link by simultaneously opening the Windows and mobile apps. After choosing between Android and iPhone, use the phone’s camera to scan the QR code displayed in the Windows app and ensure Bluetooth is enabled. Then, enable permissions for syncing contacts, notifications, and messages under the smartphone’s Bluetooth settings.
To enable or disable Phone Link, navigate to Settings > Personalization > Start. Users can submit feedback to Microsoft via the Feedback Hub under Apps > Phone Link.
iPhone mirroring for comparison
Despite Microsoft’s progress, Phone Link will likely never resemble Apple’s iPhone screen mirroring in the foreseeable future. Akin to a remote desktop, iPhone screen mirroring allows macOS users to unlock nearby iPhones and access files, apps, and other features without physically interacting with the phone.
To Microsoft’s credit, seamless interoperability is easier to achieve when devices are built by the same manufacturer. Microsoft has been largely absent from the mobile space since the failure of Windows Phone, and Apple is unlikely to grant Microsoft the level of access required for full screen mirroring on Windows. As a result, Windows users will have to settle for a more limited set of connectivity features for now – although Android is not much better either.
Microsoft previously attempted to make compatibility with Android apps a cornerstone of Windows 11, but the company’s ambitions never progressed beyond preview builds. Windows Insiders can still download certain apps from Amazon’s Android app store, but only until the preview ends on March 5.
However, Tencent is giving the initiative another chance by providing Windows Insiders in China access to approximately 1,500 apps from its MyApp storefront, including PUBG Mobile and REDnote. Whether these apps will become available to all Windows users – either in China or globally – remains uncertain.
