What Phone Link is
Phone Link is Microsoft’s app for connecting a Windows 11 PC to a phone. With an Android phone it can do a lot: show notifications, send texts, make calls, mirror apps and move files. With an iPhone it can do much less, because iOS limits what another device is allowed to do. Microsoft launched iPhone support in 2023, and it connects over Bluetooth rather than a companion app on the phone.
What it does with an iPhone
Based on Microsoft’s announcements and press coverage, the iPhone version offers:
- Calls: make and answer calls on the PC while the iPhone does the audio over Bluetooth.
- Messages: read and send text messages, with limits (reports mention no group messaging and no pictures or video).
- Notifications: see notifications from the iPhone on the PC and act on them.
- Contacts: basic access to your contacts for calling and messaging.
For photos, reports describe using iCloud with the Windows Photos app, not Phone Link itself.
Because Microsoft changes the app often, check its current support page for the latest list before relying on any single feature.
What it does not do
The part people usually want is copy on the iPhone, paste on the PC. Phone Link does not sync an iPhone’s clipboard. A link you copy on the phone does not appear on the PC, and text you copy on the PC does not land on the phone.
It also does not make an iPhone behave like an Android phone with the PC, so there is no app mirroring and no file browser for the phone.
Why the clipboard is the missing piece
On a Mac, Apple’s Universal Clipboard lets you copy on an iPhone and paste on a Mac, using the same Apple account, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. That is built into Apple’s operating systems and works only between Apple devices. Windows is not part of it. Microsoft cannot add the feature on its own, because iOS does not let outside software read the clipboard in the background. That is why reports say it will need changes by Apple. See whether Windows will get iPhone clipboard sync for what has been reported.
What to use instead for copied text
You need a middle step that both devices can open. The practical options are:
- An online clipboard. Paste on the iPhone, note the 6-digit code, enter it on the PC. No sign-in, no app. This is the fastest for one-off text; the guide to sending a link from an iPhone to a PC walks through it.
- A message to yourself. Use a chat app that also runs on Windows. Convenient, but the text stays in your history.
- Email. Reliable for long text, but slower.
- A notes app with a web version. Good for text you keep and edit.
The guide to iPhone to Windows without iCloud compares these in more detail.
Is Phone Link still worth setting up?
Yes, if you want to answer calls and read messages from the PC. Do not expect it to solve copying and pasting. Keep an online clipboard bookmarked for that, and you will rarely need to think about it.
Setting it up, in short
Steps differ by version, so follow Microsoft’s current instructions, but the general idea is: open Phone Link on the PC, choose iPhone, scan the QR code with the iPhone camera, pair over Bluetooth when asked, and grant the permissions you want. If something fails, check that Bluetooth is on for both devices and that you have updated iOS and Windows. Some users report that setup is fiddly and that connections drop; turning Bluetooth off and on, or removing and re-adding the pairing, often helps.
Quick summary
| Need | Phone Link with an iPhone |
|---|---|
| Answer calls on the PC | Yes |
| Read and reply to messages | Yes, with limits |
| See notifications | Yes |
| Share the clipboard | No |
| Send files or links | No; use another method |