Using An iPhone & Windows PC? Here’s How I Make It Work (And What I’d Change)

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Microsoft and Apple have long felt like the Montagues and the Capulets, but lately, it feels like that feud is gradually mellowing into a cordial, mutual understanding — without needing two young lovers to die to make it happen. We’ve seen earnest overtures in recent years rather than shots across the bow, bringing the platforms closer together without impacting their sovereignty; Microsoft has offered olive branches such as Phone Link for iPhone, while Apple makes begrudging concessions like the upgraded Apple Music app and the iCloud Passwords Windows app. It’s progress, but it’s still not enough — notably if you’re an iPhone user with a primary Windows computer.

Full disclosure, I switched from Windows to Mac, but I still have to keep a Windows PC around in the form of a gaming handheld. It serves as a backup PC, and occasionally I do use it to check emails, watch YouTube videos, and the works. As such, I’ve had to figure out how to get my iPhone cooperating with Windows so I’m prepared in case my Mac, I dunno, bursts into flames (you never know). Having an iPhone and a Mac will always be the superior combination, but if that’s not possible, here’s how to make your iPhone and Windows more like Romeo and Juliet — assuming they had a happier ending.