Following up on an announcement made in February, Microsoft on Tuesday said its rollout of Cellphone Hyperlink for iOS on Home windows 11. For iPhone customers who additionally use a Home windows PC as their principal laptop, Cellphone Hyperlink on Home windows 11 will let customers entry iMessage on the iPhone and carry out primary chat features.
Microsoft gives particulars on the way it will work in its Home windows Insider Weblog. The Cellphone Hyperlink app, which beforehand used Bluetooth to attach solely to Android telephones, can have a brand new choice for the iPhone. As soon as a connection is established and the setup is carried out, customers can have primary assist for accessing contacts, making calls, and utilizing the iPhone’s Messages for textual content conversations.
Cellphone Hyperlink for iOS requires an iPhone with iOS 14 or later, Home windows 11 on the PC, and a Bluetooth connection between the PC and the iPhone. Microsoft notes that the iPad and Mac don’t work with Cellphone Hyperlink–because the app’s identify says, it’s for telephones solely. Microsoft is rolling out Cellphone Hyperlink over the following a number of weeks to its world market, so when you can’t get it now, attempt once more at a later time.
The assist for Messages doesn’t go a lot past one-on-one interactions. In keeping with the Microsoft weblog submit, group messaging will not be supported, and also you won’t be able to ship pictures, audio, or video. In an interview with The Verge, Microsoft’s Yusuf Mehdi additionally factors out that Cellphone Hyperlink can’t inform the distinction between a typical textual content message and one despatched via iMessage–so no inexperienced or blue chat bubbles. Additionally, Cellphone Hyperlink can see solely messages that it has despatched and obtained, so it won’t show the total chat historical past on an iPhone.
Microsoft didn’t point out if iMessage options similar to modifying or unsending messages, or the bubble and display screen results can be accessible, nevertheless it’s protected to imagine that they received’t be. Nonetheless, for the very giant variety of iPhone customers who additionally use Home windows PCs as their principal laptop, it’s one other welcome new function to permit for entry to Apple gadgets and companies. Final November, Microsoft added to iCloud Images entry to the Home windows 11 Images app. Microsoft additionally has accessible preview variations of the Apple Music and Apple TV apps for Home windows; these apps needs to be finalized later this 12 months.
