Almost cinco(!) years ago, the Microsoft expressed his desire to take the iMessage to Windows. Now, something along these lines is finally available with the Link to Mobilean app that takes some smartphone features, such as messages and calls, to PCs with the Redmond giant’s system.
The feature worked, until now, only with Android devices. However, finally the company managed to add the compatibility function for iPhoneswhich is now available to a small — to be expanded — portion of users who are in the testing program Insider.
Microsoft had to get around the limitations imposed by iOS to make it possible to add iPhones to Link to Cellular. Instead of integrating the device with Windows through an application, the system uses Bluetooth to display messages and calls from the smartphone, in a dynamic reminiscent of car media systems.
After choosing the iPhone on the resource configuration screen in Windows, you must scan a QR code and check if the confirmation code displayed on the iPhone is the same as that shown on the computer. Several permissions need to be accepted, such as shared notifications, for the feature to work.
Once the link is complete, your messages, including iMessages, calls, and contacts will appear on your computer. It is not possible, however, to respond to group chats or send media. The past history of messages is also not displayed and the system cannot differentiate between SMS messagesShort message serviceor short message service.”>1 from those sent by Apple’s system.
We send and receive messages via Bluetooth and Apple sends them back as iMessage when they enter your system. It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. The Android experience is quite good and we felt we needed to do something [para o iPhone].
—Yusuf Mahdihead of consumer marketing at Microsoft
It is worth remembering that compatibility with the iPhone is still in testing – restricted to a few users of one of the three Insider channels. It is also necessary to be running version 1.23012.169.0 or higher of Vincular ao Celular. It is likely that the function will be expanded to most users in the near future.
via The Verge