Windows 11 is a great and reliable desktop operating system that many people are familiar with. Now that Windows on Arm is a reality, you may have questions such as: Can I run Windows 11 on my iOS or Android device? The short answer is no. There are no official or third-party solutions that natively support Windows on Android smartphones, tablets, iPhones, or iPads. That said, there are several workarounds aimed at bringing some or all of the Windows 11 experience to mobile devices, with varying degrees of success.
Let’s take a look at how to access Windows from your flagship phone or tablet, starting with the most convenient. Depending on why you use the operating system on your mobile device, it may be worthwhile to implement some or all of these solutions into your workflow.
3 phone link
Although you won’t be running Windows on your Android or iOS device, you will be bridging the three ecosystems.
The easiest and most limited way to use Windows from a mobile device is to use Telephone Link and Link to Windows. Admittedly, this is not a full-fledged way to access your Windows PC from a mobile device. Instead, it’s designed to let you share files, media controls, clipboards, and more between devices. It also works via Bluetooth, so the two devices must be nearby for a successful phone link.
The value of using Phone Link comes from its ease of use. To set up between iPhone or Android devices, phone link app Windows and Link to Windows app Complete in just a few minutes on your mobile device. Additionally, if file and clipboard sharing is the main reason you need to access your Windows PC from your phone, this method will work for you. If you’re interested, we have a complete guide on how to set it all up below.
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2 Winlator and UTM
Two ways to emulate Windows 11 on your smartphone or tablet (results vary)
I know why most of you are here. it is, truth How to run Windows 11 on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. The best way to achieve that goal is using emulation. It’s easier on Android than on iOS due to the availability of Winlator. This is a Windows emulator for Android that is very easy to set up and also has performance features to run PC games on your mobile device. Of course, you’ll be running a desktop operating system on smaller hardware, so you should have some expectations before you start.
There are some hardware requirements and recommendations to keep in mind, such as Winlator favoring a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor over a Samsung Exynos or MediaTek Dimensity system-on-chip. Still, this app is the simplest and closest to a true Windows 11 solution for Android. If you’d like to try it out, check out our beginner’s guide below.
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Winlator is very easy to install, but you will need to change some settings to get playable frame rates.
What about iOS and iPadOS? Emulation is still evolving, but it’s not as easy as Winlator on Android. Apple doesn’t allow just-in-time (JIT) compilation by default, making modern OS emulation and virtualization difficult on iPhones and iPads. The best workaround is to download UTM from AltStore, a third-party app store that is only officially available within the European Union. From there, you need to install AltJIT and manually enable JIT compilation. This is required to virtualize Windows 11.
Simply put, this is not a project for the faint of heart. There is a tutorial for installing AltJIT on the AltStore FAQ page, but it requires the use of the Xcode command line tools, so it is not recommended to attempt it without prior knowledge or expertise.
Another option is to run a build of Tiny 11, a micro-sized version of Windows optimized for small hardware, on UTM SE. This is the version of UTM published for all iOS and iPadOS devices via the App Store, but it lacks JIT compilation. I used UTM SE to run Windows XP on my iPad Pro, but without JIT it’s almost impossible to run Windows 11. Possible Run Tiny 11 builds of Windows on iOS or iPadOS using UTM SE, albeit at crawl speeds.
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1 Microsoft or Chrome remote desktop
The most reliable way to access Windows 11 on your iOS or Android device
Source: XDA / Microsoft
If emulation isn’t your cup of tea, the best way for most people to run Windows 11 on mobile is to use remote desktop software. This can be done using Microsoft Remote Desktop, Chrome Remote Desktop, or another solution of your choice. The mechanism is simple. Create a connection between your iPhone, iPad, or Android device and your home Windows PC. From there, you can instantly take advantage of full-fledged desktop features and remotely control your PC.
Again, running Windows 11 natively on a mobile device is completely different. However, this method is more powerful and reliable than emulation. So this is what we recommend and we have a guide to get you started here. The Windows app is available for Android, iOS, and iPadOS and serves as a home for remote PCs, cloud PCs, and more.
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Will there ever be a real way to use Windows 11 on iOS or Android?
Today, the best Macs use Apple Silicon processors, which are based on the same architecture as the iPhone and iPad. The same general idea applies to Windows on Arm laptops, which use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X platform, which is based on Qualcomm’s remaining Snapdragon processors. Many power users are salivating at the idea of running Windows 11 natively on Arm on their iPhone, iPad, or Android device.
Still, we hold out hope that this will come true. Currently, Microsoft Phone Link, emulation, or remote desktop software are the three best ways to access Windows from your mobile device.
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