You can text from your PC if you have an iPhone. You can’t use Phone Link, but there are other options, like Intel Unison, that can help.
Whether you have a Windows desktop PC or one of the best Windows laptops, you can send texts. However, thanks to Apple’s way of locking users into its ecosystem, Windows and iPhones don’t always play nicely together. Apple would much rather you use one of the best Macs to access iMessage on your desktop and start communicating. That means there’s no iMessage app on Windows or an iMessage website where you can see or reply to your messages online.
But the good news is that with the advent of the Intel Unison app and third-party messaging services, it’s easy to text on your PC, whether you have an Android or an iPhone. Here’s how to get started.
Download Intel Unison
The easiest way to text from your PC if you have an iPhone is to use Intel Unison. The app which is downloaded through the Microsoft Store lets you send iMessages out from your PC. There are a few caveats here, though.
Officially, Intel’s Unison app only works on Windows 11 laptops that have 13th or 12th-generation Intel CPUs with the Evo certification. You can use it on other Windows 11 laptops with older Intel CPUs, but there’s a chance it might not work correctly.
On Windows 11, you’ll only see the conversations you started on the Intel Unison app, so you won’t see your entire iMessage conversation history. You also have to keep your iPhone paired to your PC via Bluetooth for things to work right. If you can accept those caveats, here’s how to set it up.
- Download the Intel Unison app from the Microsoft Store (or open it if it’s pre-installed on your PC.)
- Launch the app on your PC.
- Follow the steps on the screen to install the companion app on your iPhone or Android.
- Accept the permissions on your phone.
- Confirm the PINs match.
- Pair your iPhone or Android to your PC using the QR code on the screen and also through Bluetooth.
- Start using the app!
Download Intel Unison at Microsoft Store
Use Microsoft Phone Link
Windows 11 comes with an app known as Phone Link. Just as the name of the app suggests, it’s designed to bring your phone and your PC closer together. Originally, the app only worked with Android devices to let you see texts, make phone calls, see photos, and mirror the screen on your PC.
However, Microsoft recently started beta testing iPhone integration. It’s still early in development, though. It lets you send and receive iMessages on Windows, just like Intel Union can, but you can’t send photos via iMessage from your PC or send and reply to group messages. You’ll also need to be a Windows Insider to test this feature and download (sometimes unstable) builds of Windows 11. Even then, Microsoft isn’t testing this with everyone, and only a small percentage of Windows users. We have a separate guide that explains how you can get started with the Windows Insider program. Once you’re up and running, you can follow the steps below.
- Open the Microsoft Store app in Windows 11 and search for Phone Link. We also included a link for it below.
- Click the top result and then the Update button.
- Launch the app after it updates.
- Choose iPhone on the launch screen.
- Make sure Bluetooth is turned on and enabled on both your iPhone and PC.
- You can turn on Bluetooth on your Windows 11 PC by pressing Windows Key + A and clicking the Bluetooth icon in Quick Settings.
- Follow the on-screen instructions on how to finish pairing your iPhone to your PC. You’ll be prompted to scan a QR code.
- Grant the additional permissions as explained in the Phone Link app.
Once this is done, click Calls to launch a dialer and place phone calls from your PC or click Messages and then the notebook icon to compose and send new iMessages. There’s even a notifications section at the top left side of the app, which mirrors your iPhone’s notifications.
Like with Intel Unison, you won’t be able to see any previously sent messages on your iPhone. Phone Link only displays messages sent on your PC.
Use a third-party messaging service like WhatsApp
Not everyone can use Intel Unison on Windows, so a third-party app like WhatsApp is a good alternative. Technically this isn’t texting on your PC since you’re using a messenger service that might not even be tied to your phone number, but most people use these services to send messages anyway. If you download the app on your Windows PC, you can continue the same conversations you had on your iPhone right on Windows.
Many third-party messaging services work on both iPhone and Windows — WhatsApp, Telegram, and Messenger are just a few examples. They can all be downloaded from the Microsoft Store with the links below. Once the apps are up and running, you can sign in with your account or simply scan a QR code using your iPhone. You’ll see all the messages you have on the iPhone version of the app right on your Windows PC.
Be aware of other third-party options
We’ve suggested the two safest ways to text from your PC if you have an iPhone. As we mentioned, there’s no official iMessage app for Windows, and any website or app that claims to bring iMessages to your PC is either a scam or won’t work. As much as you’d want to try these apps or websites, you’d be putting both the security of your Apple ID and your Windows PC at risk. Stick to Intel Unison or apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Telegram.