Microsoft Announces iMessage Support on Windows With Several Limitations - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Microsoft Announces iMessage Support on Windows With Several Limitations

Microsoft today announced that it is adding iPhone support to its Phone Link app on Windows 11. The app allows iPhone users to make and receive phone calls, send and receive text messages, and view an iPhone's notifications directly on a PC.

Windows 11 Phone Link iMessage
Notably, the app brings limited iMessage functionality to Windows. After pairing an iPhone with a PC via Bluetooth and granting some permissions on the iPhone, users can send and receive iMessages and SMS text messages in Phone Link, but there is no support for group chats or sending photos and videos.

As noted by The Verge's Tom Warren, Phone Link also lacks full message history for conversations and displays all sent and received messages as gray bubbles, meaning iMessages and SMS text messages cannot be differentiated.

Microsoft says iPhone support in Phone Link will be available in preview starting this week for a "small percentage" of Windows Insider members enrolled in the Dev, Beta, or Release Preview channels. The preview will be expanded "over time."

Popular Stories

apple universal clipboard copy paste

Apple Plans iPhone-to-Windows Copy and Paste in EU After Microsoft Request

Monday August 3, 2026 4:19 pm PDT by
Apple is working on a new feature that will support cross-device copy and paste between iOS devices and Windows PCs. Microsoft asked for the feature using Apple's EU interoperability request system for developers, which Apple implemented to comply with the Digital Markets Act. Apple began evaluating the request in March, and on June 26, proposed a project plan. Microsoft described how...
iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Month With These 12 New Features

Thursday August 6, 2026 7:03 am PDT by
It is now August, and that means the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are just a month away. The devices are expected to look similar to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but there will still be many year-over-year changes, with rumored features including a smaller Dynamic Island, 5G via satellite, and more. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and a...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card in Wallet Now Available in Four More Countries

Thursday August 6, 2026 6:01 am PDT by
Apple has expanded support for the Apple Account Card in the Wallet app to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Malta. The Apple Account Card option for Wallet started rolling out in 2022, and Apple has been gradually expanding to more countries since then. The card displays the balance associated with a user's Apple Account and can be used to make purchases in the Apple Store, online, or for...

Top Rated Comments

ThisBougieLife Avatar
45 months ago
Limited or not, it’s a step in the right direction. This is something I thought would never happen.
Score: 55 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kylelerner Avatar
45 months ago
It’s essentially using the same Bluetooth support stack as your car would to send and receive text messages.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stella Avatar
45 months ago
Great for iPhone owners who use only Windows.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
philrock Avatar
45 months ago
Definitely a step in the right direction. I use the iMessage feature on my Mac more than I thought I would. Having even limited functionality when I'm on my PC will be nice.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
45 months ago

Curious when / if Apple will block this...
Microsoft couldnt have done this without Apple...so this is here to stay
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️ Avatar
45 months ago
Awesome feature but I'm a mac person. Glad to see, this option is out there for PC users.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)