Sending files from iPhone to Windows just got a lot faster and easier

Sharing files between iPhone and Mac is easy and requires almost no inconvenience. On Google’s side, Android and Chrome have a similarly relaxed relationship. But since Microsoft essentially abandoned the space, Windows no longer has a real stable presence in the smartphone world. But now, the company is making file sharing between Windows 11 and iPhone even easier.

according to Official Windows Insider Blogthe latest version of Phone Link, can quickly share any type of archive between Windows 11 and any iPhone running the latest version. phone link and its Companion iOS app called Link to Windows (Why does this tool have two different names, Microsoft?) It’s already possible to share files over Bluetooth, but anyone who’s actually tried it knows it can be a slow and painful process.

The newer version, built into the latest Windows Insider update, appears to be able to send files over a local or carrier network, in a manner more similar to Apple’s own AirDrop system. It makes it easy to send any type of file to or from any device through an app on your phone or a notification on your computer.

I can’t actually test it myself – I’m an Android user, don’t tell me, I don’t care what color your bubble is – but if you’re running both an iPhone and a Windows 11 PC, it should help close the gap. According to statistics, this is the largest share of iPhone users.

For people like me, transferring files from phone to computer (and vice versa) without unplugging the USB cable is a small but common pain point. In the past, I’ve switched between cloud solutions like Dropbox and Google Drive and more direct services like AirDroid. Depending on how they’re feeling at any given time, sometimes it’s faster to email themselves a photo or file.

So, I’d say this is a promising development… but since the “Link to Windows” app on my iPad still shows up as a small phone app, and the tablet functionality isn’t there anyway Included in this update, I guess I’ll still be waiting for a while.