At Build 2018 developer conference, Microsoft announced Your Phone app for Windows 10 which is a new way to bring PCs and phones in sync. Microsoft aims to bring the smartphones and Windows 10 closer by allowing users to access notifications, messages and photos from phones on PC.
While it’s easier to make Android notification, messages and photos accessible on Windows PCs, the limitations in iOS makes it a tad harder for any company to sync data.
Microsoft has implemented the feature on Android but it’s not yet possible to implement all of these new sync features on iPhones. Microsoft is, however, willing to work with Apple and bring the iPhone’s iMessage to Windows 10 inside its Your Phone app.
It is worth noting that Windows 10 and iPhone sync will continue to work but it could lack some functionality (iMessage integration) as compared to Android devices. Microsoft is however not giving up on this concept as it’s willing to work with Apple and implement iPhone support as well, the only thing it needs to do is convince Apple.
If Apple agrees to work with Microsoft, the software giant could add soon add support for very popular apps like iMessage.
“Apple does make it a tad harder for messages, but we’re very willing to work with Apple,” Microsoft’s Shilpa Ranganathan said.
“I want to do this in a supported way with a respect for the ecosystem we’re building on and at the same time make it a delightful experience. Messages is one where we’re not currently where we need to be compared to Android, but we need to work with Apple,” she added.
It’s not yet clear if and when Microsoft and Apple will work together to bring iPhone functionalities to Windows 10’s Your Phone app. Surprisingly, Microsoft hasn’t yet approached Cupertino-based tech giant but it might happen soon. It’s likely that Apple would eventually agree to the collaboration as it could help the iPhone customers who use a Windows 10-powered computer.
Apple recently worked with Microsoft to launch the Windows 10 version of iTunes, and it’s likely that a similar collaboration could happen again. Needless to say, the iPhone and Windows 10 integration would eventually help both tech giants grow the user base of their respective operating systems.
