Quick Answer: Does Phone Link Work with iPhone?
Yes. Phone Link on Windows, paired with the free Link to Windows app on your iPhone, lets you take calls, read and reply to single-person text messages, see notifications and, since 2025, send files between the iPhone and the PC in both directions. It works on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
What it does not do with an iPhone: sync the clipboard, show group messages, or send photos and videos inside messages. Messages also only appear while the iPhone is connected to the PC over Bluetooth.
Coming from Intel Unison? It was discontinued in 2025; see what replaces Intel Unison.
What Phone Link Can Do with an iPhone
| Feature | iPhone + Phone Link |
|---|---|
| Calls | Yes, make and answer calls on the PC |
| Text messages | Single-person texts only; no group messages, no photos or videos in messages |
| Notifications | Yes |
| File sharing | Yes, both directions (iOS 16 or later) |
| Clipboard (copy and paste) | No |
| Photo gallery on the PC | No; send photos as files instead |
What You Need
- A Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC with Bluetooth and the Phone Link app (included with Windows; update it from the Microsoft Store);
- An iPhone with the Link to Windows app from the App Store;
- iOS 16 or later for file sharing. Microsoft lists Link to Windows 1.24112.73 or later on the iPhone and Phone Link 1.24112.89.0 or later on the PC.
How to Set Up Phone Link with an iPhone
- On the PC, open Phone Link and choose iPhone.
- Scan the QR code shown on the PC with the iPhone camera. It opens or installs Link to Windows.
- Follow the pairing steps: both devices show a code, and they connect over Bluetooth.
- On the iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the ⓘ next to your PC, and turn on the permissions you want, such as notifications and contact sync.
- If file sharing isn't offered during setup, open aka.ms/addAccount on the PC to add it.
How to Send Files Between iPhone and PC with Phone Link
From iPhone to PC
- Select the photos or files on the iPhone and tap Share.
- Tap Link to Windows, then choose your PC.
From PC to iPhone
- Right-click a local file in File Explorer and choose Share.
- Select My Phone (or Phone Link if My Phone isn't listed).
Phone Link Not Connecting to Your iPhone?
- Make sure Bluetooth is on for both devices and the iPhone is within range of the PC.
- Open Link to Windows on the iPhone; iOS may pause it in the background.
- Update Phone Link (Microsoft Store) and Link to Windows (App Store).
- Check the PC's permissions on the iPhone under Settings > Bluetooth > ⓘ.
- If nothing helps, remove the pairing on both devices and set it up again.
When You Need Something Else: Copy and Paste
Phone Link has no clipboard sync with an iPhone, and Windows' own cloud clipboard only reaches other Windows PCs and Android phones. If you regularly copy a link, a code or a paragraph on one device and want it on the other, you need another tool.
WinSend is built for exactly that: tap “Get from PC” on the iPhone to grab the PC clipboard, or double-tap the back of the iPhone (Back Tap) to send copied text straight to the Windows clipboard. It works over your local network without Bluetooth, and its optional cloud transfer can send text even when the devices are on different networks. See the iPhone-to-Windows copy and paste guide.
Phone Link or WinSend?
| Phone Link | WinSend | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, built into Windows | Free trial, then one-time Pro purchase |
| Calls and texts | Yes | No |
| Files iPhone ↔ PC | Yes | Yes, over the local network |
| Clipboard iPhone ↔ PC | No | Yes, manual or with a Back Tap shortcut |
| Text across different networks | No | Yes, optional encrypted cloud transfer |
| Connection | Bluetooth pairing | Local network (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) |
| Windows versions | Windows 10 and 11 | Windows 10 and 11 |
Our take: use Phone Link for calls, texts and the occasional file. If copying text between your iPhone and PC is part of your day, add WinSend; the two work side by side. For other options, see the AirDrop alternatives for Windows.
Frequently asked questions
Does Phone Link work with iPhone?
Yes. With the Link to Windows app on the iPhone, Phone Link on Windows 10 and 11 handles calls, single-person text messages, notifications and file sharing in both directions.
Can Phone Link transfer files from iPhone to PC?
Yes, on iOS 16 or later. Select the files on the iPhone, tap Share, choose Link to Windows and pick your PC. To go the other way, right-click a file on the PC, choose Share and then My Phone.
Does Phone Link sync the clipboard with iPhone?
No. Phone Link does not sync the clipboard with an iPhone, and Windows' cloud clipboard only works with Windows PCs and Android phones. For iPhone copy and paste, use a tool such as WinSend.
Why does Phone Link only show some of my iPhone messages?
With an iPhone, Phone Link only shows messages sent or received while the phone is connected to the PC over Bluetooth. Group messages and photos or videos inside messages are not supported.
Is there an alternative to Phone Link for iPhone?
Yes. WinSend focuses on files and the clipboard over your local network, including a Back Tap shortcut to send copied text to the PC. Free tools such as LocalSend and PairDrop also send files between iPhone and Windows.
Try WinSend
Install WinSend on your Windows PC and iPhone, then follow the setup guide. Every feature is free to try.