Microsoft has started to roll out Phone Link preview for iPhone on Windows 11 with Windows Insiders. Announced by Panos Panay, the Phone Link preview will be available to Windows Insiders in three Insider channels such as Dev, Beta, and Release Preview. The Phone Link preview will be initially available to a small fraction of Windows Insiders starting this week. If you are unable to see this new capability, then you should wait until Microsoft starts to roll out the new feature. The availability of the preview will be increased over time based on the feedback.
According to Microsoft, the new Phone Link preview require Phone Link app version 1.23012.169.0 and higher. You will be able to control the preview via the cloud. If you are a Windows Insider with Phone Link for iOS, you will view the option to select your iPhone on the Phone Link homepage. If you view the iPhone button greyed out with a coming soon message, then you are not yet in the preview. You will view a series of instructions after you select iPhone.
You will view the required steps on the screen, which will guide you to pair your iPhone and PC over Bluetooth. This step will be initiated after scanning the QR code displayed on your screen. You will be able to view the confirmation steps, which enable user to confirm whether the device and PC are in range.
You will be asked to confirm the code in Phone Link that matches with the code displayed on your iPhone. You will be asked to grant permissions, which enable users to fetch all the favorite content that is synced over to Phone Link after the completion of the pairing process.
After this final step, Phone Link will redirect you to provide permissions on your iPhone in the Bluetooth settings of the user’s iPhone. This step is crucial to receive notifications and contacts to display properly in Phone Link from the device. The Phone Link will automatically deliver basic iOS support for calls, messages, and contacts after the completion of the guided installation.
You should also make sure that the iPhone is paired to your PC with the correct permissions. You will be notified via the Windows notifications module. The only point to note is that the Phone Link does not support group messages reply or the integration of media in messages.
