iOS: Solving Apple's Walled Garden

Microsoft | Phone Link iOS

Apple’s walled garden has long limited third-party developers from enabling deep integrations with iOS. For years, this made it virtually impossible to support meaningful cross-device functionality between iPhones and Windows PCs. I co-developed a pitch with my manager and coworker proposing a bold workaround: leveraging Bluetooth to enable seamless cross-device features, inspired by how iPhones interact with modern cars. Our proposal included working prototypes for initiating and receiving phone calls, sending and receiving iMessages, syncing call history and contacts, and displaying iOS notifications—all on a Windows PC paired with an iPhone. The demo impressed leadership all the way up to the Corporate Vice President level (two steps from the CEO), securing executive buy-in to greenlight the initiative.