iPhone users can now interact with their smartphones from Windows 11's Start menu

Windows 11 has plenty of cool features for Android users, from mirroring the screen to using your smartphone as a capable webcam. Sadly, many of those features are not available for Windows users with iPhones, but Microsoft is trying hard to implement as many of them as possible. In the latest Phone Link update for Windows Insiders, Microsoft is bringing Phone Link Start menu integration to those using iPhones.

Phone Link Start menu integration is a special widget or companion that appears next to the Start menu when you connect your device. It displays general information about the smartphone, like the battery indicator, connection status, notifications, recent contacts, and more. There is also a button for sending files to your device. Until now, that pane has only been available to Android devices. Not anymore.

If you have an iPhone, you can now have the same Phone Link pane with information about your device, quick shortcuts to calls and messages, recent contacts, and even the ability to send files (aka AirDrop on Windows), which was introduced in December 2024.

The updated Phone Link pane for the Start menu with iPhone support is now rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channels. You need to be on a recent Windows 11 preview build from those channels and have the Phone Link app updated to version 1.24121.30.0 or higher. Also, your computer must support Bluetooth LE (a Microsoft Account is also a requirement). The rollout is gradual, so it might take some time to reach your device.

In addition to iPhone support, the updated Phone Link pane now appears by default when you open the Start menu, suggesting that you connect your Android or iPhone device and benefit from the integration. If you do not want to see it, click "Hide this pane."

You can find the announcement post on the official Windows Blogs website.

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