Synqed vs Microsoft Phone Link (Phone Link for Mac)

The short version

Phone Link is for Windows. Microsoft's requirements page lists a PC running Windows 10 (October 2022 update or later) or Windows 11, and an Android phone running Android 10 or later, signed in to the same Microsoft account. Microsoft's Phone Link page notes, in its iPhone section, that it is “not available for iPad (iPadOS) or MacOS”.

Synqed is for the Mac. It needs a Mac running macOS 14 Sonoma or later · Apple silicon and Intel and a phone running Android 13 or later. There is no account to sign in to.

If you use Windows, use Phone Link: it is built into Windows and Synqed does not run there. If you use a Mac, Phone Link is not an option, and Synqed is built for that case.

Side by side

Computer

Synqed: A Mac: macOS 14 Sonoma or later · Apple silicon and Intel.
Phone Link: A Windows PC: Windows 10 (October 2022 update or later) or Windows 11.

Phone

Synqed: Android: Android 13 or later.
Phone Link: Android 10 or later, or an iPhone on iOS 16 or later.

Account

Synqed: None. You pair by comparing a numeric code on both screens.
Phone Link: Sign in to the phone app with the same Microsoft account as the PC.

Connection

Synqed: Your local network: the same Wi-Fi, or the Mac on the phone's hotspot. No relay server.
Phone Link: Android phone and PC on the same Wi-Fi network. Calls also need a Bluetooth connection between the PC and the phone.

Calls

Synqed: Answer, decline, mute and redial from the Mac, with the call log. The audio stays on the phone.
Phone Link: Review call history, search contacts and make calls from the PC, over Bluetooth.

Messages

Synqed: SMS threads on the Mac, live, with replies and new threads to any number. Plain text from the Mac.
Phone Link: Read texts and respond from the PC.

Notifications

Synqed: In macOS Notification Center with app icons, inline reply and action buttons, per-app muting, Do Not Disturb profiles and seven days of history.
Phone Link: Check, pin and dismiss notifications, with customisable banners.

Photos and files

Synqed: Files in both directions, resumable, plus a browser for the phone's storage with thumbnails.
Phone Link: The last 2,000 photos from the camera roll. File sharing is documented with minimum app versions on both sides.

Phone screen and apps

Synqed: Mirror and control the phone's screen in a window on the Mac, approved on the phone each time.
Phone Link: Apps on Android phones in select markets.

Phone Link's column is taken from Microsoft's Phone Link requirements and setup, Setting up calls in the Phone Link and Phone Link pages, checked 13 November 2026. If something here is out of date, tell us and we'll correct it.

What about Apple's own features?

Apple's Continuity features, including iPhone Mirroring, text forwarding and calls on the Mac, are documented for Apple devices only. They do not work with an Android phone. See Continuity for Android phones and Macs for what Synqed covers in their place.

What Synqed does not do

No call audio on the Mac. You answer and control the call from the Mac; you talk on the phone.
No Windows or iPhone support. Synqed is macOS and Android only.
Same network only. There is no relay server, so the two devices must share a local network.

Questions

Is there a Mac version of Microsoft Phone Link?

No. Microsoft's requirements for Phone Link list a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC, and Microsoft's Phone Link page notes, in its iPhone section, that it is not available for iPadOS or macOS.

What can I use instead of Phone Link on a Mac with an Android phone?

Synqed is a Mac app and an Android app that bring calls (answer, decline, mute, redial, without call audio), SMS, notifications, clipboard, file transfer and screen mirroring to a Mac, over your local network with no account.

Guides

Try it on your Mac

The Mac app is free. The Android app has a 7-day free trial, then Synqed Pro is $20 once, plus tax. No account.

Download for macOSGet it on Google Play