One of the most frustrating parts of being an iPhone and a Windows PC owner has been the friction you'd face when trying to share files between your devices. Unlike AirDrop in the Apple ecosystem, there wasn't a single elegant option available that didn't involve you jumping through multiple hoops. Until now.

With the latest update to the Phone Link app, Microsoft is making file sharing between an iPhone and a Windows PC almost as seamless as AirDrop. The only catch is that the feature is only being rolled out to Windows Insiders as of now. If you're not part of the Insider program, you'll either need to join or wait a few beats until the feature is stable enough to make it to the stable build in the coming months.

Prerequisites

To share files between your Windows 11 or 1o PC and an iPhone, the following requirements must be met:

  • An iPhone running iOS 16 or higher.
  • The latest version of The Link to Windows app on iPhone (v 1.24112.73 or higher)
  • Updated Phone Link app (v 1.24112.89.0 or higher) on your Windows PC
  • Participation in the Windows Insider program
Note: The experience is being gradually rolled out so it might be some time before you receive it on your Windows app, despite meeting all the above requirements.

Setting up File Sharing

  1. If you haven't used the Phone Link app on Windows previously to connect your iPhone to your PC, you'll need to connect the two and you'll get the option to set up file sharing during setup.
How to Connect iPhone to Windows 11 using Phone Link
Connect your iPhone to a Windows 11 system using the Phone Link app and forget about having to pick your phone for every notification.
All Things HowSakshi Garg
Source: Microsoft
  1. If your devices are already connected, you can set up file sharing by navigating to aka.ms/addAccount from your PC's browser.

Sharing files between iPhone and Windows

To share files from your iPhone to your PC,

  1. Go to the file(s) you want to share and tap on the 'Share' icon.
  2. Then, select 'Link to Windows' from the share sheet.
  3. Select the PC with which you want to share the file.
  4. You'll receive a notification on your PC when the file is received. You can choose to open it or show it in the folder.
Source: Microsoft

To share files from your PC to your iPhone,

  1. Navigate to the file(s) you want to share and select them. The files should be stored locally on your PC.
  2. Right-click on the file(s) and select 'Share' from the context menu.
  3. Then select 'My Phone' from the options.
  4. If 'My Phone' is unavailable, select 'Phone Link' instead.
  5. You can find all the received files in the Link to Windows app.