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 telephone 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 nicely, however not from the Begin menu. Relatively, you need to open the Telephone Hyperlink app in your Home windows PC to make it occur.
Coming later this 12 months (and accessible 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, identical to Android telephones. You may entry your texts and calls, see battery share, and immediately ship recordsdata to your iPhone.
Simply as there’s immediately when utilizing the Telephone Hyperlink app, there are some caveats. To hook up with an Android telephone you want solely be on the identical Wi-Fi community (and have the Hook up with Home windows app put in on it), however iPhones want a Home windows 11 PC with Bluetooth LE.
For Android telephones, Telephone 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 telephone notifications and might make telephone calls out of your PC. Nevertheless, when utilizing an iPhone, Telephone Hyperlink doesn’t assist pictures in any respect (in messages or in any other case) or group texts. You may see notification popups (however not likely act on them) and make calls. In different phrases, Telephone Hyperlink primarily lets your Bluetooth LE-equipped Home windows 11 PC do the identical stuff your automobile’s Bluetooth connection can (should you don’t have CarPlay).
None of that is altering with the brand new construct. What’s new is the power to see a bit iPhone window proper subsequent to the beginning menu that reveals battery life, the most recent exercise, messages, and fast entry to sharing recordsdata. it’s not fairly iPhone Mirroring, however should you don’t have a Mac, it’s the subsequent neatest thing.
For extra info, take a look at the Home windows Insider weblog put up asserting the characteristic.