Apple's iMessage for Windows is available to set up, and this could effectively help users send, receive, and get notified on their new chats even on computers powered by the Microsoft OS. While this is a feature that Android users enjoy with their Microsoft Windows PCs, and Apple is known for its exclusivity for this feature on the iPhone and Mac, it is still available to set up. 

However, it is important to note that the experience would not be as seamless compared to the iPhone and Mac computers' shared connection via an Apple account. 

Apple's iMessage on Windows 

Digital Trends reported that it is possible to connect Apple's iMessage to your Microsoft Windows PC via the Phone Link app for iOS, offering a way to bring the data from the iPhone's Messages app to the computer. However, there are a few caveats when doing so, first off, the past messages received before the linking of the iPhone to the PC will not appear. 

Only the messages received and sent after linking the iMessage to Windows will appear on the computer's history logs. 

Additionally, first messages from first-time senders would also not appear on the Windows Phone Link app on the PC said the report.

Read Also: Apple Antitrust: US DOJ Puts a Spotlight on iMessage's Green Bubbles, Lack of RCS

How to Setup iMessage on Windows

To set up iMessage on Windows, users need to have their devices updated to at least iOS 14.

• Next, users need to download the Phone Link app for both devices including the iPhone or Windows platform. For Windows, users may search it on their PCs and they will be directed to the Microsoft Store. Alternatively, download it manually from this link. 
• Launch the Windows Phone Link app on the computer and choose the iPhone as the device to set up.
• Next, users will be given a QR code to scan on their iPhones, and this requires both devices' Bluetooth to be turned on. Choose Open on the Pair your devices setting and proceed with Bluetooth pairing. 
• Pair the devices using the specific codes given by Microsoft on the Phone Link app. Enable the required settings like Notifications and syncing Contacts from the iPhone to the PC. 
• After completing the setup, users may now access the iMessage on Windows via their iPhones, allowing them to message contacts that send blue bubbles via the Microsoft platform. 

Microsoft Windows Phone Link

Windows' Phone Link went a long way since it was introduced in 2022, and brought the iOS version in 2023. It recently added a feature where Windows PCs can use the Android camera as its webcam, similar to Apple's Continuity Camera. 

However, the iOS version of the Phone Link was met with controversy last year, as a software maker warned about cyberstalkers using this application to spy on their iPhones, first getting access to the passcode, and then to files and other information. 

In this new feature, users who own a Windows PC are given the chance to experience the Mac-like feature that connects the iMessage to computers. It is now available on Microsoft's platform to send, receive, and get notified on their iMessages right to their PCs. 

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