Microsoft CEO Would 'Welcome' Apple to Bring iMessage to Windows

Following his company's reveal of Windows 11, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella sat down with The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern to discuss the next generation of Windows and the possibility of Apple bringing some of its services, such as iMessage, to Windows.

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One major theme of Windows 11 is its openness to third-party app marketplaces and Microsoft's end goal of making the platform a center of creativity outside the bounds of its own Microsoft App Store. Windows 11 will allow users to run Android apps, but the integration with Windows and iPhone is lacking. In that regard, Nadella says Microsoft would "love to make sure that it works better," referencing the iPhone and Windows.

The CEO goes on to say that, like other companies, Apple is welcome to doing anything it wants on Windows, including bringing iMessage to the platform. iMessage has been a hallmark of Apple's devices, and despite the Cupertino tech giant partially opening FaceTime to Android and Windows later this year, iMessage remains an Apple product exclusive.

As part of the legal battle between Epic Games and Apple, court filings including internal emails between high-ranking Apple executives revealed that at one point in time, Apple had considered bringing iMessage to Android.

According to the emails, the executives felt that bringing iMessage to a competing platform "would simply serve to remove [an] obstacle to iPhone families giving their kids Android phones." While not explicitly stating Windows, Apple bringing iMessage to its largest computer competitor could be a business disadvantage.

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Top Rated Comments

827538 Avatar
51 months ago
"One major theme of Windows 11 is its openness to third-party app marketplaces and Microsoft's end goal of making the platform a center of creativity outside the bounds of its own Microsoft App Store."

What a bizarre statement. Windows has always been open to third party app marketplaces. Look at Steam for one example.

This is just lazy corporate smack talking.

What this really translates to is "we're jealous of Apple's revenue on their App Store and our own attempt was a failure so we're going to try undermining Apple with this meaningless corporate platitude"
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JCCL Avatar
51 months ago

I'm sure he would.
That would actually benefit Apple more than Microsoft if they want to push iMessage utilization. Outside of the US no one uses it, and prefer to use Whatsapp or other platforms instead of having to guess what kind of phone or computer your recipient has.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macsplusmacs Avatar
51 months ago
I'm sure he would.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
podycust Avatar
51 months ago
How about Microsoft when are you going to release the arm version of Windows so we can run it on our M1 Macs if we want?
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Syk Avatar
51 months ago
I wish there was an iMessage on Windows...
Would save me from having to pick up my phone to reply to messages while I'm doing something on my PC
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
exmophie Avatar
51 months ago
I wonder if Microsoft is making so much money from selling Windows telemetry/usage data and Office365 enterprise subscriptions that undermining their own digital store’s revenue is an acceptable loss compared to just keeping users in the Windows desktop world.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)