If you were to look at the Worldwide Operating System Market Share, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that there are millions more Windows users in the world than there are those with a Mac. And while we’re quick to bang the “Apple’s ecosystem is amazing” drum, the reality is that not everyone is able, or wants, to use a Mac on a daily basis.
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This brings us to the topic of interoperability when using your iPhone with a Windows computer, as iOS accounts for a staggering 18% of the market, compared to the 5.5% of macOS. Until recently, the only way that you could text from Windows with an iPhone was to use something like AirMessage or BlueBubbles.
However, that’s not exactly a viable solution for many, especially when it comes to trying to set up a server for the apps to work properly. Luckily, Intel has managed to swoop in and provide a much easier way to send texts from your iPhone when using Windows.
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Connect Your iPhone To Your Windows PC
In order to connect iPhone to Windows, you’ll first need to download and set up Intel Unison on both your iPhone and Windows PC. Thankfully, the Intel Unison app is already available in the App Store and in the Microsoft Store, so you won’t need to go diving for a specific file or sketchy website to get things up and running.
- From your Windows PC, open the Microsoft Store.
- Search for Intel Unison.
- Select the appropriate listing from the results shown.
- Click the Install button.
- Once installed, open the Intel Unison app on your Windows PC.
- Open the App Store on your iPhone that you want to connect to Windows.
- Tap the Search icon in the bottom right corner.
- Search for and select Intel Unison.
- Tap the Get button.
- Once installed, open the Intel Unison app on your iPhone.
Now that the Intel Unison app has been downloaded and installed on both your iPhone and your Windows PC, you’ll need to make sure that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled on both devices. This is how the Unison app is capable of connecting the devices, while also being able to show your incoming notifications and other features.
In order to enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your Windows PC:
- In the bottom right corner of the taskbar, click the Wi-Fi/Volume/Battery indicators next to the Time and Date.
- Click the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth buttons to ensure that they are highlighted, indicating that these features are turned on.
In order to enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your iPhone:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap Wi-Fi.
- At the top of the page, tap the toggle next to Wi-Fi to the On position.
- In the top left corner, tap < Settings.
- Tap Bluetooth.
- At the top of the page, tap the toggle next to Bluetooth to the On position.
With Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled on both devices, you can now proceed with the steps to set up and use Intel Unison to connect iPhone to Windows.
Set Up Your PC
Now that you have finished installing Intel Unison on both your iPhone and Windows, you’ll need to follow a few more steps to get your devices working and syncing appropriately. Here’s what you need to do:
- With the Intel Unison app open on your Windows PC, open the Unison app on your iPhone.
- From the Welcome to Intel Unison landing page, tap the Accept & Continue button.
- When prompted, tap the Allow button to provide Intel Unison access to your contacts.
- Tap the Allow button when prompted to allow Intel Unison access to the photos and other media on your device.
- Tap the Scan QR code button.
- Point your iPhone’s camera at the QR code that appears in the Intel Unison app on your Windows PC.
- After the QR code is recognized, a verification code will be shown on both devices.
- Verify the code is the same on both devices, and click the Confirm button on your Windows PC.
After a few moments, you’ll see the name of your iPhone appear in the top left corner of the Intel Unison app on your Windows PC. From here, there are a few different options that you can access from your PC, which include the following:
- File transfer
- Gallery
- Messages
- Calls
- Notifications
- Settings
- Downloads
With the Intel Unison app open on your iPhone, there aren’t as many options available. At the top of the page, you’ll be able to see whether your iPhone and Windows PC are connected, along with tabs for Received and Sent. In the top right corner, there’s a Settings (gear) icon that allows you to clear any of your transfer history along with changing the permission settings for your device.
How to Text From Windows With an iPhone
After you’ve finished setting up Intel Unison on your Windows PC, there’s nothing else that you need to set up! The only “steps” that are left if you want to text from Windows with an iPhone are as follows:
- Open the Intel Unison app on your Windows computer.
- Make sure your iPhone is still connected and recognized.
- You’ll see an outline of your phone along with the name of your phone in the top left corner.
- Click Messages.
- Click the Compose icon next to Messages.
- Enter a contact.
- Within the Start a new message prompt on the right side, start typing.
- Click the Send button.
It’s also worth pointing out that somehow Intel has made it possible for this to work with iMessages, along with standard text messages. This has long be a sticking point with Windows users, as there have been previous workarounds for those who want to text from Windows with an iPhone. However, Intel’s Unison bridges the gap somehow, and it won’t “break” any of your ongoing iMessage threads, chats, or group conversations.
The only real catch here is that when you set up and start to use Intel Unison to text from your iPhone, it won’t automatically import the conversations from Messages on your iPhone. It’s a bit of a disappointment, but really, it gives Intel some more room for improvement, provided that the company stays committed to Unison in the future.
Set Up Windows Phone Link With an iPhone
Phone Link is available on most recent versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11. However, until recently, it was only available for those using Windows with an Android phone. A recent update has made it possible to text from Windows with an iPhone, which naturally came as a bit of a surprise. But in order to take advantage of this new feature, you’ll first need to set up Phone Link to work with your iPhone.
- Open the Microsoft Store on your Windows machine.
- At the top of the page, search for Phone Link.
- Open the listing from Microsoft.
- If necessary, download any available updates.
- Once installed, open the Phone Link app.
- Under the Select your device section, click iPhone.
- Open the Camera app on your iPhone.
- Point the camera at the QR code that appears on screen.
- Tap the Pair your devices prompt that appears in your camera’s viewfinder.
- Tap the Open button when you see the Pair your devices pop-up window.
- From the Continue pairing with Bluetooth page, tap the Continue button.
- When prompted, tap the OK button.
- From the Bluetooth Pairing Request prompt, tap the Pair button.
- Tap the Pair button your Windows computer, verifying that the codes match.
- On your iPhone, tap the Allow button to provide your Windows computer access to your iPhone notifications.
- In order to take full advantage of Phone Link, open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap Bluetooth.
- Locate and tap the I button next to your Windows computer under the list of My Devices.
- Tap the toggle next to Show Notifications to the On position.
- Tap the toggle next to Sync Contacts to the On position.
- If necessary, tap the toggle next to Share System Notifications to the On position.
If you’re looking for a way to stay connected to your phone and be more productive, Phone Link is a great option. It’s easy to use and it can help you get the most out of both your devices.
How to Text From Windows With an iPhone Using Phone Link
Now that Phone Link has been set up and is connected to your iPhone, here’s how you can text from Windows with an iPhone:
- Open the Phone Link app on your Windows computer.
- Click the Messages tab at the top of the window.
- Click the Compose button next to Messages.
- Enter a contact that you want to send a text message to.
- Type out the message and click the Send button.
There are a few limitations to be aware of if you want to use Phone Link to text from Windows using an iPhone. For one, you’ll notice that your message history doesn’t sync, so you’ll essentially be starting from scratch. Additionally, Microsoft notes the following:
“Messaging feature is limited by iOS. Image/video sharing and group messaging is not supported. Messages are session based and will only come through when phone is connected to PC.”
Regardless of that, this is definitely a big step in the right direction, and we hope that these limitations are removed in the future.
Andrew Myrick is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US. He enjoys everything to do with technology, including tablets, smartphones, and everything in between. Perhaps his favorite past-time is having a never-ending supply of different keyboards and gaming handhelds that end up collecting more dust than the consoles that are being emulated.
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