Hands-On Windows 154: Link iPhone with Windows 11

Host: Paul Thurrott
Date: August 21, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Paul Thurrott explores the ins and outs of integrating an iPhone with Windows 11, a combination less seamless than pairing with Android or using a Mac. He gives a practical walkthrough of available features, notes key limitations, and reviews native and third-party app options for bridging the two platforms. The emphasis is on the current reality of iPhone-to-Windows connectivity: what works well, what’s missing, and how Microsoft and Apple are cooperating (or not) to improve the user experience.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Reality of iPhone Integration with Windows 11

• iPhone + Windows ≠ Mac Integration Experience:

  • Paul sets the stage stating, “If you have a Mac, you get all this great integration features, et cetera. We do not get that on Windows. Maybe someday, but right now, a more limited set of integration capabilities.” (00:44)

• Phone Link for iPhone: Basic but Functional:

  • With Android (especially Samsung), Phone Link is powerful: notifications, remote apps, screen mirroring, and advanced integration.
  • With iPhone, Phone Link is “minimalist” — offers notifications, limited calls, and messages.
  • No support for group texts and no iMessage integration:
    • “There’s no real way for Microsoft to integrate with iMessage. So you lose some capabilities like group text, for example, come through as individual texts...” (01:28)

2. Photos and File Integration

• Basic USB Connection Still Works:

  • You can manually connect an iPhone via USB and transfer photos.

• iCloud Photos in Microsoft Photos App:

  • iCloud integration with the Photos app allows you to view and edit iCloud-stored photos right in Windows.
    • “You can just go to this location ... whatever photos you might have in your iCloud Photos collection, you can view them, you can edit them.” (03:02)
  • Edits made in Windows sync back to iCloud — showing a genuinely useful cross-platform link.

• iCloud in File Explorer:

  • iCloud Photos and Drive show up natively in File Explorer, just like OneDrive or Google Drive.
    • “There’s now an iCloud Photos option. I can go into there, go into Photos, and then this is whatever 32,000 items that I have in my iCloud Photos collection.” (04:05)
  • Supports files on demand—files or folders can be set as always available offline, mimicking other cloud services.

3. Productivity & Data Sync

• Password and Keychain Integration:

  • Support for Apple’s password management via Keychain in browsers like Edge—Paul hasn’t enabled this but notes its potential.
  • “If you’re saving passwords ... it would sync back and forth between the Apple passwords app and the integrated password management feature in that browser.” (05:25)

• Mail, Calendar, and Contacts in New Outlook:

  • iCloud account setup in Outlook is a bit convoluted, requiring an “app password” generated from apple.com rather than iCloud.com.
    • “My initial guess was that I would go to iCloud.com ... But that’s not the case. Actually, you have to go to the Apple account website...” (05:57)
  • Once set, you get a “subset of the full range of new Outlook features.”
  • "It's actually, it's actually not horrible. So the new outlook might be horrible, but if you're in Windows and that's what you want to use, so you do have that capability." (07:32)

4. Native Apple Apps for Windows

• Modern Versions of Apple Apps:
  • Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Devices are all now available natively for Windows 11, designed with a blend of Apple aesthetics and Windows functionality.
    • “All three of the ones I’m going to show you are new in the sense that the apps themselves have existed for a while, but Apple worked with Microsoft to make these modern versions...” (09:47)
  • Apple Music App:
    • Full music experience, including Dolby Atmos (though not lossless audio).
    • “It does do Dolby Atmos, so you do get that kind of higher quality, potentially music experience.” (10:19)
  • Apple TV App:
    • Full access to Apple TV+, purchased content, and store; movies and shows stream or download (not 4K or HDR, and no special features like on Apple TV hardware).
    • “The big missing thing here is if you go into any movie that has special features that you would get on an Apple device ... that stuff is not here.” (11:38)
  • Apple Devices App:
    • Modern iTunes replacement—manage and back up devices, reset, or restore local backups.
    • “You can plug any Apple device into your computer over USB ... and it will show up here.” (12:23)

5. What’s Still Missing

• No Deep Apple Ecosystem Features:

  • No screen mirroring/iPhone screen in window.
  • No phone “app” (as on Mac), clipboard sharing, or iPad second-screen support.
    • “You don’t get the ability to display your iPhone screen on screen in a window like you would on the Mac ... You don’t get copy and paste between devices, that’s kind of an Apple ecosystem thing...” (13:57)

• Paul’s Verdict:

  • The iPhone-Windows experience is limited, but “not horrible. This is a lot of what most people are going to want most of the time.” (14:43)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On iMessage integration limitations:

  “There’s no real way for Microsoft to integrate with iMessage. So you lose some capabilities like group text, for example, come through as individual texts with each of the people in the group...” (01:28)

• On iCloud integration via Windows Photos:

  “You can view them, you can edit them... you could save as a copy or just save once it's changed, and it will actually save back to iCloud as well, which is kind of interesting.” (03:26)

• On iCloud in File Explorer:

  “This is whatever 32,000 items that I have in my iCloud Photos collection. That's crazy.” (04:20)

• On the convoluted app password process:

  “It says, please create an app password for Outlook on your email provider's site. Huh....You have to go to the Apple account website, and from there you go into the security section...” (06:07)

• On Apple’s Windows apps:

  “Apple worked with Microsoft to make these modern versions of the apps that would work in Windows 11 and they do have kind of a nice Windows 11 look and feel if you will, while also retaining kind of the Apple identity.” (09:53)

• On the overall experience:

  “This isn’t horrible day to day. This is a lot of what most people are going to want most of the time. So it isn’t bad. You will have a better experience or maybe a more complete experience on a Mac. But I prefer Windows and I hope you do too.” (14:43)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Introduction and topic overview | | 00:40 | Explaining current iPhone/Windows integration limitations | | 01:10 | Phone Link app comparison: Android vs. iPhone | | 03:00 | iCloud Photos integration in Windows Photos app | | 04:05 | iCloud Photos in File Explorer and Files-on-Demand | | 05:40 | iCloud account setup in new Outlook, app password issues | | 09:47 | Introduction to new Apple apps for Windows | | 10:19 | Review of Apple Music app for Windows | | 11:20 | Apple TV app and its limitations | | 12:23 | Apple Devices app: function and legacy from iTunes | | 13:57 | Missing features and overall verdict | | 14:43 | Final summary and personal perspective |

Final Thoughts

Paul’s deep-dive highlights real, practical ways to bring an iPhone and Windows 11 PC together. While not Mac-level seamless, phone link, iCloud integration, and Apple’s revitalized Windows apps get most people close enough for daily work and media. Some limitations—missing features, setup quirks—are here for now, but Paul’s assessment is clear: For most users, “it isn’t horrible”—and may be all you really need.

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