You may ship and obtain iMessage chats and SMS texts on Home windows 11, however there aren’t any blue and inexperienced bubbles, messaging historical past and attachment help.
- What’s occurring? Microsoft has labored round Apple’s cussed refusal to formally help iMessage on different platforms resembling Home windows by implementing the flexibility to ship and obtain Messages content material via its Cellphone Hyperlink app.
- Why care? Microsoft has by no means supported iPhone messaging on Home windows, so that is important information for Apple followers who additionally use Microsoft’s working system.
- What to do? Go to the official Home windows weblog for particulars.
Microsoft provides restricted iMessage help to Home windows 11
The up to date Cellphone Hyperlink app, obtainable in preview by way of the Home windows Insiders program, now helps iPhones. Your iPhone should be linked wirelessly to a Home windows 11 PC by way of Bluetooth, which allows Microsoft to request content material from the iPhone’s inventory Messages app. Home windows clients can ship iMessages and SMS texts, make and obtain mobile calls and see iPhone notifications on their PC.
“We ship the messages backwards and forwards by way of Bluetooth, Apple I feel in flip sends these as iMessage as soon as it will get onto their system,” explains Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s head of shopper advertising, informed The Verge.
How connecting your iPhone by way of Cellphone Hyperlink works
Cellphone Hyperlink now features a new choice on the setup display to attach an iPhone. Select it and observe the guided steps to pair your iPhone with a Home windows PC over Bluetooth. In fact, your PC and iPhone should have Bluetooth turned on in settings.
“This can provoke after you scan a QR code proven in your display, after which transfer on to the affirmation steps that helps us verify the cellphone and PC are in vary,” the corporate explains. After confirming that the code in Cellphone Hyperlink matches the code proven in your iPhone, you’ll must grant a set of permissions because the final step.
The restrictions of iMessage on Home windows
That is an apparent workaround as a result of Apple solely helps iMessage on its platforms. You may inform it is a workaround by a number of restrictions, resembling:
- iMessage (blue bubbles) isn’t distinguished from SMS (inexperienced bubbles).
- Group chats by way of iMessage are unsupported.
- Sending messages with attachments received’t work.
- You may’t entry your complete Message historical past as Cellphone Hyperlink solely reveals you messages despatched or acquired via this app.
As a result of these limitations, Microsoft can solely present Home windows 11 clients their iMessage conversations in a simplified type, which means with out blue or inexperienced bubbles.
For different identified points, go to the Microsoft Group boards.
How to join the Home windows Insider program
To obtain the up to date Cellphone Hyperlink app and check out iMessage on Home windows, you’ll want to join Microsoft’s Home windows Insider program at insider.home windows.com.
The Home windows Insider program permits early adopters to check prerelease builds of Home windows (just like Apple’s Public Beta Software program Program), which incorporates the Cellphone Hyperlink app model 1.23012.169.0. You’ll additionally must enroll your machine by way of Settings → Home windows Replace → Home windows Insider Program.
However even when you did all that, you continue to would possibly want to attend as a result of this preview is offered to a small share of Insiders on the Dev, Beta and Launch Preview channels. “Not all Insiders will see the preview straight away,” cautions Microsoft.
Availability will increase to extra members of the Home windows Insider program “over time.” Finally, all Home windows 11 customers will be capable to get iMessage help after testing has completed and the up to date Cellphone Hyperlink app is launched to the general public.
Will Apple break Microsoft’s workaround?
Since this isn’t an Apple-sanctioned resolution, it’s solely pure to wonder if Apple would possibly break it with a future software program replace. We, nonetheless, doubt Apple will do this. It’s extra like Microsoft labored with Apple on this as a result of why else trouble to supply an iMessage resolution to Home windows customers that Apple may simply break?
In addition to, Microsoft has labored carefully with Apple to convey help for iCloud Photographs to the Home windows 11 Photographs app. And on prime of that, the 2 corporations will convey Home windows variations of the native Music and TV apps to the Microsoft Retailer.
