Link to Windows Reviews
Published by Microsoft Corporation on 2025-02-10🏷️ About: You love your phone. So does your PC.
🏷️ About: You love your phone. So does your PC.
Was excited to get an iMessage like app for my Windows PC. I understood it would have limited functionality as its relatively new, but even the limited functionality doesnt work. Messages dont really appear in the LinktoWindows on my computer. For example, in a conversation with ~10 messages, you ... Show more
One star for the concept. Look, I understand it’s only in Beta. I’m signed up as an insider and providing feedback. But it basically never works so I’m giving up until it’s “real.” Constantly unpairs PC from iPhone. And then basically need to uninstall and reinstall apps on phone and PC and start ... Show more
I went through the whole process of pairing the device with my laptop “successfully” and then the moment it connected, it told me I had to reset the connection, which would delete the pairing. Had to go through the whole process of setting it up again for it to not connect and get stuck on a loadin... Show more
I’m sure that the team who developed LinktoWindows already felt some type of way about it. The project managers and team responsible for LinktoWindows specifically are probably some of the least talented engineers working at Microsoft. LinktoWindows doesn’t work. Bluetooth pairing is a nightmare... Show more
This does not work with iPhone, at least running iOS 16.5
I have been trying to get this working for over 4 hrs. Reset apps multiple times. App does not show phone paired but settings in iphone and Windows 11 shows them paired. I made sure I have the latest builds for iOS and Windows.
... Show more
Whole process appears to work, but as soon as you enable “Sync Contacts” LinktoWindows on my Windows 12 PC crashes as soon as you open it up and it begins to attempt to fetch messages / call history. Frustratingly poor programming is happening over at MSFT Redmond… come on. Ridiculous. Not even ab... Show more
Both the phone and laptop show Bluetooth is connected but both LinktoWindows and phone link say they are not. Removed devices on both ends and Tried multiple different ways (using app on laptop, app on phone, and manually). Everything always ends up devices showing connected but neither app shows ... Show more
So I downloaded LinktoWindows a few years ago and I deleted it. I download it again, thinking that they worked out the problem, but apparently not. LinktoWindows does not connect with the Bluetooth from the computer. There is no option to choose an iPhone in LinktoWindows like they say in the t... Show more
Why does it seem like almost everything Microsoft pumped out within the last 5 years is hot garbage? It never works as intended, feedback feels like it’s never looked at, instead of fixing what they already have they will just re-release the same software again with a different/similar name that mi... Show more
I have my phone and PC telling me that they are connected via Bluetooth, but the Link for Windows app never connects. I tried 3 times for 10 minutes each - meaning I sat there and watch the Link for Windows app on my phone attempt to pair with my already paired Windows 10 PC that was a single foot ... Show more
While we’re off to a good start being able to maintain conversations and calls on my phone from my PC, it has a long way to go to really not be a complete boar to use.
For starters you need to completely stay hands off of your phone and keep it locked otherwise you will not get messages pro... Show more
LinktoWindows is terrible. LinktoWindows on the computer is terrible. Nothing works. I took LinktoWindows off my phone and reset LinktoWindows on the computer hoping it would clear all the issues. Now I can't even link my phone back to LinktoWindows . If this was in Beta, I’d understand, but y... Show more
I applaud 👏 MSFT for creating this but not sure it’s a good idea. First of all Apple products are built with privacy and security in mind. Windows products = NO. Windows products are ridiculously insecure so much so the antivirus and IT security business is a $200,000,000,000 industry. Antivirus... Show more
I was incredibly excited to get this fired up on my pc. I sometimes forget to look at my phone and this would be a handy way to stay on top of my messages. But yikes, no images or group texts? I admit I don’t know what type of miraculous coding was required to get this far, but until these are adde... Show more
This is more like a proof of concept at this point. Sad given MS quality and output from other apps of late.
Notifications are the key as other reviews mentioned. If you have iMessage open on your phone, then no notification is given on the phone, hence does not show up in Windows phone link. ... Show more
Allows you to send text messages to one person at a time. Does not allow you to send messages to a small group. Does not show incoming text messages. Does not show notification history. In fact, it does almost nothing, except let you make phone calls and send texts to one person at a time. The enti... Show more
Concept: Great, but Execution Falls Short
Microsoft Phone Link is a software application that aims to integrate IPhone messenger functionality with Windows PCs, allowing users to access their messages directly from their computer. The concept is quite compelling, giving users the convenienc... Show more
Once I finally got my iPhone connected to my PC after many attempts, you cannot do anything other than view/send SMS and make calls, that's it. I mostly used LinktoWindows to transfer photos to my PC which worked great on Android+Windows, but you don't get that functionality on iOS so LinktoWindo... Show more
There is a bug where when my phone’s Bluetooth is connected to my computer via LinktoWindows, it causes any other Bluetooth devices connected to my phone to have an unstable connection. I had my beats connected and their audio would skip every half second or so. I disconnected my phone from my co... Show more
It’s OK, but less than I hoped it would be. It has far less functionality than I get with the iCloud web interface except that iCloud doesn’t allow uses to send and receive messages.
So, if all you want or expect is simple messaging (SMS, not iMessage) through your iPhone using your windows 11... Show more
Great concept, and something many of us have been wanting for a long time, but it’s not ready. As others have said, there are still too many bugs to be truly functional. Can send messages (one at a time; no group messages) through my computer but only receive replies on my iPhone. The messages I se... Show more
Hey it's great that I can finally use my iPhone from my computer computer. But LinktoWindows is very inconsistent and there are massive feature gaps and failures.
The first thing is no incoming messages display on the computer. So you can send messages from your computer but you can't see ... Show more
I mostly useful link to be able to copy and paste information from my computer into my messaging system. The synchronization between the phone and the computer is sketchy at best. Often times even though messages I send can be seen on the computer, messages received, do not show up at all except on... Show more
The concept is very good. The execution is where it lags a bit. There are some limitations but you know that going in. No group messages and no images. That’s fine. What is frustrating is that LinktoWindows will randomly stop working. I’ll be able to see notifications but not the content.... Show more
I’m unable to get my Bluetooth headphones to have audio come from my phone through the computer. And I can’t seem to find any answers on why that is. Everything else seems to work OK. Sometimes my messages will not sync. The message shows up on the left panel but we’re not showing the right panel s... Show more
I think this is a good start and it got me pretty excited since before I couldn’t sync anything from my phone to my microsoft laptop! I like how it shows my notifications from other apps. I also enjoy the mimic of imessage where it allows gifs, emojis and even emoticons.
As people have mentione... Show more
LinktoWindows has been working for me for the most part. It does what I need it to do. Setting it up was a pain but there was a good amount of user error on my part.
However, ever since I’ve installed it, I’ve had issues with my AirPod pros not connecting to my phone automatically like it ... Show more
I love that I am able to connect my phone to my laptop now. I have an iPhone , but I prefer HP or windows computer systems. It really makes everything more convenient to have access to everything in one place.
A few things that I do not like about PhoneLink include the lack of ability to r... Show more
I like the features offered by this software however, it doesn’t work consistently enough of the time. My desktop loses connection with my iPhone and the call is still going on so I have to go to the phone when that happens. Not all text messages or phone calls are on my screen, so it’s hard to fol... Show more
I appreciate being able to send iPhone messages from LinktoWindows on my Windows machine. I wish it were more responsive and functional, but it is absolutely better than not being able to send and receive messages from my computer. I wish it didn’t sometimes take a call away from my phone without ... Show more
I tried to connect my iPhone to LinktoWindows a very long time ago and I have issues of the phone and laptop can’t find each other even though they are connected with Bluetooth. I decided to try to connect again by forgetting 2 devices and reconnect to each other. It works.
I have used it f... Show more
Intel Unison is a little better (mainly because you can transfer data even on an iPhone). LinktoWindows is bad, but it is better than having to pick up your phone. It truly is so limited, and I REALLY HOPE the team can improve it whereas group messages will work, you can receive messages instead o... Show more
The fact that this is possible at all is incredible. We have been waiting for a feature like this for years.
That being said, there are a ton of bugs and limitations. The biggest problem is that it is not a true link; your conversations don’t sync exactly from your phone to your pc like a M... Show more
I’ve tried other third-party apps that supposedly allowed you to use iMessage on a PC, but they mostly didn’t work at all, or I didn’t trust the security behind them. I’ve been using this one for a few days and its far better than anything else I’ve seen or heard of. It does have a couple of issues... Show more
It’s great when it works, but the problem is that if I sneeze wrong the connection between my phone and my computer is interrupted and the computer side of the program needs to be reset almost completely. Once that becomes more stable and I can just rely on the connection to hold it’s gonna be a fa... Show more
Got a reply to my review about pairing not working, saying to ensure I had the latest PC app, Phone Link. I saw it had updated automatically, so I tried pairing again. This time it completely successfully. I appreciate the response and have updated my review and rating. I’ll update again after ... Show more
I was excited when the feature was rolled out in the insider program, but after I spent a whole morning just trying to get through the pairing process, I came to realize that LinktoWindows is still half-baked and more work needed to be done before it is completely functional and stable. I hope the... Show more
I know it says this won’t work with iPadOS but since it was available in LinktoWindows Store I decided to give it a try. I’m using Windows 11 at current maintenance level and the latest version of Windows Phone Link installed. iPadOS is at 16.4.1(a).
INSTALLATION:
Link to Windows app i... Show more
In fairness I’ve only been using this two days. My first recommendation to Microsoft is not to spam us to review until you allow the user to actually use the software a bit.
Messages -I hate texting for business, it’s so much better being able to respond on my laptop to texts. If I could eas... Show more
I installed and proceeded to link my iphone 14. Both phone and computer linked on bluetooth. I tested it by making a call and responding to an email. Worked as promised. THEN after about 20 minutes the troubles began. My computer began to beep and beephile and the screen began to blink. The only w... Show more
Spring hasn’t sprung yet here in New England so I decided to invite the Easter Bunny to slip his snowshoes on for search for a new electronic Easter Egg! Found one from Lenovo with lots more bells and whistles than my archaic Dell. So many new features, applications, and cloud integration that is b... Show more
I have to commend Microsoft for actually creating LinktoWindows as it must’ve been a challenge to link a Windows computer with iMessage. like others have said, messages don’t sync up 100% all the time, but they do work and I have been able to text individuals every now and then. I just hope Micros... Show more
LinktoWindows works well for receiving and sending messages as long as there is a Bluetooth connection between computer and phone.
It basically acts as a remote reader and input device to the phone. However, pictures, emoticons or videos are not transmitted and the computer will not have a rem... Show more
This is a great application for PC users with an iPhone. I like it because I spend most of my time on the computer and I like being able to answer calls and texts right from my PCs keyboard. The only improvements I would like to see is to be able to see ALL of my previous text conversations in the ... Show more
There can be some improvements made to the interface in terms of how it appears on the computer side but for what it is it definitely gets the job done. I’m able to call, text, check notifications, check battery level, and check call logs from my computer. The only downside is that if I respond to ... Show more
I’ve been using phone link with windows 11 Pro for about four months. I have an iPhone the latest iPhone 14 pro. I think it is and it works very well. The only thing I would change is a better way of reconnecting when I walk out of the room with the phone and come back, but I found that if I come b... Show more
As a personal preference, I'm not overly fond of downloading random applications to my iPhone, especially if I still need to vet or review the application. However, today, I needed a quick solution to the "it's on my PC DeskTop how do I send via iMessage" conundrum. I needed a quick solution (not a... Show more
The process to connect my iPhone with PC was simple and I can easily send texts. I wasn’t receiving texts though. After troubleshooting, I found a solution. 1) Turn off Bluetooth on iPhone and computer and close the Phone Link app on computer. 2) On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Me... Show more
Good start but needs a lot of works. It’s in a very basic configuration and needs to be completed.
Often it does not work. Has trouble connecting notification message to the chat texting session. Can’t show images. Can’t send images.
On the notification side you can’t click and go t... Show more
Many are complaining about this updated service from Microsoft. However, remember it is in limited release to Windows Insiders. Of course, there are going to be problems, bugs, etc... Give Microsoft a chance to develop this service!! The features available right now are a tremendous improvement ... Show more
To be able to text from my desktop and so far in the last few days this is done what I needed. There are a few improvements I’d like to see.
1) Allowing carriage return when composing a message. Right now if you hit enter, hoping to start a new line it actually sends the text instead.
2) All... Show more
For those of you saying that LinktoWindows doesn’t work and that it’s horrible, of course it doesn’t work since it’s still being rolled out through the Microsoft Insider Program. It might take a few months for it to roll out completely, so be patient!
I’m genuinely excited for this to roll... Show more
The phone link is great and beneficial when you spend a lot of time working on the PC. However, my main issue is that you cannot transfer calls to PC from iPhone because they cannot hear you. Also, you cannot view the face time call on there either. It would be extremely beneficial if you could at ... Show more
LinktoWindows can be very useful, but also very frustrating. I love being able to get my messages and reply to them on my computer. Seeing the notifications is handy too.
When I get calls things can go wonky. Sometimes I can’t answer through my phone when they are linked or the audio d... Show more
Finally I can text friends on iMessage thru my Windows laptop! There are some pretty major issues that need bug fixing, such as the error that happens when bluetooth mode is toggled on/off on phone or laptop… it basically needs to be reconnected from scratch instead of auto connecting again.
... Show more
It refuses to work consistently on my desktop, but it mostly works on my laptop.
It still seems to struggle with connection from time to time, even when the position of the phone and laptop stay the same (2 ft away from each other).
I realize it’s still just preview for iPhone, so ho... Show more
Getting notifications, replying to texts, and accepting calls from Windows 11 all work almost flawlessly. I’ve honestly been surprised how well it works. Even replying to iMessage messages works seamlessly.
Occasionally the connection will need to be manually refreshed if the phone is moved ... Show more
I was excited to see this during the Windows Insider Preview and jumped on it. It was poor at first, but received multiple updates during the week that squashed several bugs. While it’s still not prefect, it’s very functional.
I can’t believe I’m able to send and receive messages/calls from my Windows 11 laptop! I joined Windows Insider to access that one feature alone, and after patiently waiting, I finally received my invite to join the preview group. My only desire is that I wish you could access your entire message ... Show more
It paired with my pc perfectly and intuitively. I really love its design. It even works if your pc is running Windows 11 without all of the minimum requirements to run the OS. I have a few suggestions though;
1. Please allow the music to play from the computer and more controls.
2. Group Ch... Show more
It works really well and all. But the only thing, I seem to be having a problem w/ is receiving my messages. Yes I can make a call, receive calls, send texted. But I can’t seem to get messages when people reply’s or text me back. Other than that it works really fine. But you all need to fix that 1 ... Show more
I've been using Intel Unison since it came out but this finally became available to me and I decided to try it out. It's much better than Intels version and it had much fewer bugs. You can't view your photos but I think that the stability is worth the trade off and I use Google photos anyway. Overa... Show more
I’m using LinktoWindows regularly with my iPhone and having the ability to text from my PC is game changing. I love it. I hope to see support for images, animated GIFs, video, and emojis in the future. This is the closest to actually having iMessage in Windows and it’s a huge help. I also like get... Show more
Unless you're running the beta version of Windows, LinktoWindows isn't gonna work for you yet. Microsoft clearly states in the documentation that this is rolling out to insiders at the moment, so it is not gonna work for most people. Guys, make sure you do your homework before leaving a negative r... Show more
I’m the type of person who rarely gives anything full stars on ratings. However, after realizing that I have used this almost daily for years and have made surr its on all of my computers and phones, LinktoWindows actually deserves full stars.
The first initial connection between your phone... Show more
When I first downloaded LinktoWindows I wondered how well it would really work (because of similar apps in the past not working or freezing up)
But I can honestly say that I have not had one issue with LinktoWindows not working. Even after I wake my PC from Sleep mode, it's connected and work... Show more
For years now I have been a multiple OS user.
Developing web apps on both windows and Mac OS. I found myself using MacOS just because iMessage was on it and it was VERY convenient to be able to read and respond to messages without having to pick up my phone. I feel like the device used for bein... Show more
It does what it promises: connect to your phone, allow you to make and receive calls, see notifications. However, when you make a call, it activates your phone. I would prefer it if the computer program made calls directly using the Internet, instead of using the mobile network. I’m not sure what t... Show more
Microsoft has given us the best functionality possible given the restrictions in place by Apple.
I appreciate especially the options available to customize my use of LinktoWindows . Specifically the ability to disable call functionality through LinktoWindows . I don't want my pc taking cont... Show more
Phone Link appears to leverage the iPhone’s notification and hand-free functions to allow a user to send and receive messages on a Windows computer. It’s clever and it works for most of my 1-1 use cases. It doesn’t work with group messages (but you’ll be notified that you got a group message) and s... Show more
Yes. Link to Windows is very safe to use. This is based on our NLP (Natural language processing) analysis of over 3,957 User Reviews sourced from the Appstore and the appstore cumulative rating of 3.6/5 . Justuseapp Safety Score for Link to Windows Is 70.9/100.
Yes. Link to Windows is a totally legit app. This conclusion was arrived at by running over 3,957 Link to Windows User Reviews through our NLP machine learning process to determine if users believe the app is legitimate or not. Based on this, Justuseapp Legitimacy Score for Link to Windows Is 100/100..
Link to Windows collected the following data from you:
Phone Link for iOS requires iPhone with iOS 14 or higher, Windows 11 device, Bluetooth connection and the latest version of the Phone Link app.
To get started, connect your iPhone with the Phone Link app on your Windows PC.
Get instant access to everything you love on your phone, right from your PC.
You love your phone.
Not available for iPad (iPadOS) or MacOS.