Microsoft has decided to merge Apple’s iCloud storage service with the Photos app for users of Windows 11, according to TechCrunch. As a result, Apple TV and Apple Music apps will be available soon on Windows PCs, and users will be able to download them from the Microsoft Store.
“For the last few years, Windows customers who have Android phones have experienced that promise with integration across messaging, calling and photos directly to their Windows PC, bringing the two most important devices in their lives closer together,” Microsoft officials said. “We’re making it easier than ever for customers to access their iPhone photos and the entertainment they love from Apple on their Xbox and Windows devices.”
The Apple collaboration is also branching out to include personal data. Users will be able to view their iCloud Photo Library while in the stock Windows Photos app. In addition, early beta previews of the Apple Music apps will launch on the Microsoft Store soon, according to 9to5Mac.
After users install the iCloud for Windows app from the Microsoft Store, they can then select the option to sync iCloud. iPhone users who have Windows devices can subsequently view their photos and videos from their iPhones in Photos.
The most up to date iCloud for Windows app, which allows for the integration, is available now for Windows users who are participants in the Microsoft Windows Insiders program, and Xbox users can use the new options now. They will also be available on Windows next year, according to The Verge.
Both Apple Music and Apple TV will be offered in preview versions for Windows as well. As a result, subscribers to Apple will be able to access music and TV shows on Windows without having to use options on the web or the iTunes app.
The new Apple service partnership with Windows and Xbox is arriving after the launch of Apple TV on Xbox consoles which took place nearly two years ago. The new options are a big perk for people who own iPhones and also generally spend most of their time on a PC or a Windows laptop.
