Sharing your files between your iPhone ® and Windows PC is rolling out to Windows Insiders

As announced in today's Windows Insider blog post, we're excited to begin rolling out a new feature that lets you share files between your iPhone ® and your Windows 10 or 11 PC using Phone Link and the Link to Windows app.

Please NOTE: that while the Link to Windows app update is already available for your iPhone® in the Apple App Store, you will only be able to set up & share files once the feature is also available to you in Phone Link. This is currently on gradual rollout to the Windows Insider community.


How do I set up file sharing?

To use this feature, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:

  • An iPhone® running iOS 16 or higher.

  • Link to Windows app on your iPhone ® (version 1.24112.73 or later).

  • Phone Link version 1.24112.89.0 or later.

  • A PC running Windows 10 or 11 and enrolled in Windows Insider Program

How do I set up this feature?

  • If you haven't used your iPhone® with Phone Link before, you'll be offered file sharing during the setup process.

  • If you already have your iPhone® paired with Phone Link, you can set up file sharing by going to aka.ms/addAccount on your Windows PC.

How do I share a file/files from my iPhone® to my PC?

  • Navigate to a file or set of files you want to share on your iPhone.

  • Tap the share icon.

  • Tap “Link to Windows”.

  • Tap the device you would like to share your file or files with.

How do I share a file/files from my PC to my iPhone®?

  • Select the file or files you want to share on your PC (local files only).

  • Right-click on the file and select “Share.”

  • Select “My Phone”

Note: If you do not see “My Phone”, select Phone Link.

Filing Bugs:
Before you file a bug, please make sure that you have the following collected:

  • Description of the issue

  • Repro steps

  • Any screenshots or videos of the bug that you found

Please file a bug using Feedback Hub. On Step #2 in Feedback Hub, select “Apps” ->” Phone Link” and on step #4 try to recreate the problem and attach relevant screenshots and/or videos. 

Known Issue:

  • If you have not paired your iPhone® with Phone Link before, and do not already have the Link to Windows Application installed, you will be presented with the option to “Get Link to Windows” on the phone to set up file sharing during setup. After tapping “Get Link to Windows” a pop up may show to install the Link to Windows App. After installing the app, if tapping “Open” in the pop up does not redirect you into the Link to Windows app and to the next step of set up, tap instead on the App Icon in the pop up. This will take you to the Apple App Store where you can tap “Open” to go to Link to Windows and continue setting up file sharing.

iPhone® is a trademark of Apple Inc

Was this article helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this article?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this article?

Thanks for your feedback.

* Please try a lower page number.

* Please enter only numbers.

* Please try a lower page number.

* Please enter only numbers.

For iPhone, The current version in the App Store (Version 1.24112.76) doesn't have Link to Windows as an option within share in iOS 18.1.1.

Also, it does not show the correct "My Phone" and has "(Android)" next to it when sharing a file via the Phone Link app Version 1.24111.82.0).

932 people found this comment helpful

·

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

I concur (now on iOS 18.2). Regardless, it doesn't work, in either direction. Says not supported yet. Verified I'm on latest versions on Windows and iPhone.

699 people found this comment helpful

·

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

This may be because the feature is being gradually rolled out. Please stay tuned, and thank you for your patience.

441 people found this comment helpful

·

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

I have the latest iOS app on my iPhone 16 Pro Max running iOS 18.2, along with the latest Windows Phone Link app. However, i can't share any files. While I can see notifications, messages, and calls, file transfers are not working!

585 people found this comment helpful

·

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

I agree. I meet all requirements and when clicking on a file to share on my iPhone there. Nothing about “link to windows” and my files won’t go from PC to phone either.

—update. I had to go to settings on the iOS app and click “enable linked computers” and then it let me send a file from the phone to PC but I still can’t send it from PC to iOS.

—-update again. Now it all magically works! Good job Microsoft!

320 people found this comment helpful

·

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

I was able to sign to the Link to Windows app on my iPhone and I toggled on the "Enable Linked Computers" feature.

However, when trying to share from my phone to my PC, I get a message "File failed to send". When I try from my PC to my phone, nothing happens at all.

All other features are working just fine.

300 people found this comment helpful

·

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

i did the insider program dont see the share link on the iphone link app

231 people found this comment helpful

·

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

Doesn't work on iOS 18.2

224 people found this comment helpful

·

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

The app is ****. My iPhone connects to pc and pc to iPhone but try and send a file or pic and it says pc can’t be found. This page doesn’t explain anything

276 people found this comment helpful

·

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

The QR code to do account linking to activate the shared files feature doesn't work, it just redirects to this web page.

I am in Australia on IOS 18.2 and all Win 11 updates applied

I found these steps to activate the feature:

  1. Ensure Microsoft Authenticator is installed and signed in on phone.

  2. Open Phone Link app.

  3. Click Menu button on top left.

  4. Tap the practically invisible sign in on top left. If you are signed in correctly you will see your profile photo and email.

  5. Complete sign in on the pop up web page. Make sure this is the same Microsoft account as the current user on your Windows 11 PC and Microsoft Authenticator app.

  6. I had to do this twice before my profile photo and email appeared.

  7. Check Phone Link on Win 11 also shows your profile photo and email under Settings (top right), Devices.

  8. Phone Link app now shows "Received files. You're ready to receive files".

  9. Good luck now trying to get files between your devices...

On Android file sharing works without these extra steps.

729 people found this comment helpful

·

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

* Please try a lower page number.

* Please enter only numbers.

* Please try a lower page number.

* Please enter only numbers.

 
 

Forum Article Info


Last updated March 31, 2025 Views 2,320,266 Applies to: