Since final 12 months, Android customers with Home windows 11 computer systems have been capable of preview a brand new characteristic that lets them see their cellphone immediately subsequent to the Begin menu, the place they’ll simply entry texts, calls, and ship recordsdata. You can type of do these items with iPhones as properly, however not from the Begin menu. Fairly, you must open the Cellphone Hyperlink app in your Home windows PC to make it occur.
Coming later this 12 months (and out there in preview construct 4805 for these within the Microsoft Insider program) would be the capacity to see your iPhone proper subsequent to the Begin menu, similar to Android telephones. You possibly can entry your texts and calls, see battery proportion, and immediately ship recordsdata to your iPhone.
Simply as there’s as we speak when utilizing the Cellphone Hyperlink app, there are some caveats. To connect with an Android cellphone you want solely be on the identical Wi-Fi community (and have the Connect with Home windows app put in on it), however iPhones want a Home windows 11 PC with Bluetooth LE.
For Android telephones, Cellphone Hyperlink helps you to see and entry the final 2,000 pictures in your digital camera roll, and messages can embody pictures. You additionally get to see mirrors of your cellphone notifications and might make cellphone calls out of your PC. Nevertheless, when utilizing an iPhone, Cellphone Hyperlink doesn’t assist pictures in any respect (in messages or in any other case) or group texts. You possibly can see notification popups (however not likely act on them) and make calls. In different phrases, Cellphone Hyperlink basically lets your Bluetooth LE-equipped Home windows 11 PC do the identical stuff your automobile’s Bluetooth connection can (in the event you don’t have CarPlay).
None of that is altering with the brand new construct. What’s new is the flexibility to see somewhat iPhone window proper subsequent to the beginning menu that reveals battery life, the newest exercise, messages, and fast entry to sharing recordsdata. it’s not fairly iPhone Mirroring, however in the event you don’t have a Mac, it’s the subsequent neatest thing.
For extra info, try the Home windows Insider weblog publish asserting the characteristic.