Sharing files or accessing messages between a Windows PC and an iPhone can be an utter pain in the rear, mostly because, without third-party utilities, you can’t rely on AirDrop to do it. There’s the Phone Link app, but even that requires opening up a separate window—your PC won’t even be able to serve you iMessage notifications unless it’s open. Meanwhile, Android users currently have a smoother experience, able to access their connected phones’ battery levels, messages, and calls right from the Windows Start menu. Now, iPhone users are finally about to get the same.
In a blog post on its site, Microsoft announced that its Windows Insider beta testers are currently getting expanded Start menu phone integration, bringing features Android users have been enjoying since October to iPhone.
These include the ability to connect a phone to your PC right from the start menu, plus that battery status and message/call information (seemingly, you’ll finally be able to get your iPhone notifications on Windows without needing to open the Phone Link app first). The only thing that appears to be missing is the ability to browse your photos right from the start menu, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to access them.
That’s thanks to the new “Send files” button, an addition for both Android and iPhone. This will let you access your phone’s files without having to go through the Phone Link app, and it should make photo sharing much simpler, as doing so with an iPhone currently requires relying on either another test feature or going through the multi-step process to connect iCloud to the Windows Photos app.
To see iPhone integration in the Windows 11 Start menu, you’ll need to have an iPhone running iOS 16 or higher (meaning nothing older than an iPhone 8), plus the Phone Link app on both your iPhone and Windows 11 PC. You’ll also need to register for the free Windows Insider program, but most importantly, you’ll need to wait.
Microsoft says these features are “gradually rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channels,” so just being signed up might not be enough to access them at first. You can check if you have them by navigating to Settings > Personalization > Start.
