How To Get iPhone Messages on Your Windows PC

Lee Stanton October 26, 2022

Apple isn’t famous for playing nice with others. While its ecosystem of products works seamlessly, integrations with devices outside of it aren’t the best. This can be inconvenient if the iPhone is your daily driver, but you don’t want to switch from a Windows PC to a Mac.

How To Get iPhone Messages on Your Windows PC

By default, you can’t get iPhone messages on a Windows PC. The good news is that there are some effective ways around this.

1. WhatsApp Web/Windows App

This method gets as close to the iPhone-Mac message integration as it gets. That is, as long as you’re willing to settle for WhatsApp messages without SMS.

Here’s what you have to do.

Go to WhatsApp’s website on your PC, and click on WhatsApp Web in the top menu. The web app will start immediately and show you a QR code.
Open WhatsApp on your iPhone, and tap the gear icon in the lower-right corner.
Go to Linked Devices > Link a Device. When prompted to use Face ID/Touch ID, tap OK.
Point the camera toward the QR code on your PC.

Your iPhone and PC will sync all WhatsApp messages, so you’ll see them immediately.

You can also download the WhatsApp app for Windows from the website. Go to Download, and you’ll see the download button on the right. Once installed, the app will let you link accounts the same way as explained above.

2. Email Messages

Your iPhone lets you email conversations through the Messages app. However, you can only export them one at a time. While it might not be the most convenient method, it can still be useful if you have specific conversations or messages you’d like to see on your PC.

You can email messages to yourself by following these steps.

Open Messages.
Choose the conversation you want to send.
Press and hold any of the messages in the conversation.
Tap More, and tap the forward arrow button in the lower-right corner.
Type in your email address, and tap the sendbutton.

Keep in mind that this will only let you see the messages you’ve selected. You won’t get new messages from the conversation emailed to you.

3. Chrome Remote Desktop

If you already have a Mac but also want to access your messages on a PC, there’s a way to connect them. All it takes is a simple Google Chrome Remote Desktop extension. Here’s how to install it.

Open Google Chrome on your Windows device.
Go to the Chrome Web Store and search for Chrome Remote Desktop.
When you find it, click Add to Chrome > Add Extension.
Repeat the above process on your Mac.
On your Mac, click the Remote Desktop icon in the upper-right corner.
Under Set Up Remote Access, click the blue download icon.
Go back to the main Remote Desktop menu, and click Turn on. You’ll get a code you’ll enter on your PC.
Open Remote Desktop on your PC, and click on Remote Support. Enter the access code, and click Connect.

Your PC and Mac will now be connected through Remote Desktop. When you get a message on your iPhone, it’ll automatically appear on your Mac as usual, but now you’ll also see it on your PC.

4. Third-Party Apps

There are many third-party apps that will let you connect your iPhone and PC. Cydia is among the most popular options, though you’ll have to pay to get messages to your PC. If you find it worth the investment, here’s how to use the feature. (Note that you should use this method as a last resort. It will jailbreak your iPhone, voiding its warranty and exposing it to potential bugs or other issues.)

Go to the CydiaFree website using the Safari browser on your iPhone.
Tap Cydia Download. The website will automatically check if your iPhone is compatible with the app.
Tap Install Cydia, and install the app.
Open Cydia, then go to Settings > General.
Create a new profile and sign in.
Open any browser on your PC, and log into the Cydia website.
Enter your IP address and click Enable.

Connect Your Devices

Hopefully, this article helped you connect your iPhone and PC so you can receive messages without having the phone with you at all times. While these methods might involve some effort, they’ll streamline your communication.

Have you found any other methods of getting iPhone messages on your PC? Feel free to share them in the comments section below.