Microsoft: iCloud Photos, Apple TV and Apple Music are coming to Windows 11

It looks like Microsoft has reached some sort of partnership agreement with Apple and is bringing iCloud Photos support to the Windows 11 Photos app. Microsoft also announced on October 12 that the Apple Music and Apple TV apps are available in the Microsoft Store at some point in 2023.

“We are excited about our partnership with Apple bringing great experiences for iPhone users to Windows and Xbox – with iCloud integration in the Photos app, Apple Music and Apple TV coming to the Microsoft Store!” tweeted Mik Chernomordikov, Group Program Manager for Worldwide Partner and Developer Ecosystem for Windows., during streamed a Microsoft event.

Many of the devices and services that Microsoft showed off during its Fall Surface event on October 12 have already been leaked. There were new Surface devices, new peripherals and company overview a new graphic design tool called Microsoft Designer. But several interesting parts of Apple’s partnership were not made public until today.

Microsoft officials said they are starting to roll out the Windows 11 Photos app update to Windows Insider testers on the Dev channel today. This update (2022.31100.9001.0) will allow testers to add iCloud photos and access them directly from the Microsoft Photos app.

To test this, Insiders need to sign into the iCloud app for Windows on their computers and select Photos. Their iCloud photos will appear alongside photos from other sources in the “All Photos” gallery view, as well as on a separate page accessible from the side navigation pane.

During today’s Surface event, officials also said that Apple Music is already available on Xbox, but that the app will be coming to the Microsoft Store at some point next year, so it will work on PCs as well. They also said that the Apple TV app will come to the Store in 2023, but offered no further details or timing beyond that.

Microsoft had nothing to say about iMessage support coming to Windows 11. Microsoft’s Phone Link service, designed to let Android phone and iPhone users more easily connect to their Windows PCs, is very limited iOS support (thanks to Apple’s walled garden approach, most agree). Microsoft also did not provide an update for the when, how and if it will support Windows 11 running on Apple silicon Macs — something many users were hoping to hear.