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.
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.
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.
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.
Andrew is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US.
He has written for a variety of sites over the years, including iMore, Android Central, Phandroid, and a few others. Now, he spends his days working for an HVAC company, while moonlighting as a freelance writer at night.
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