How to install and use Intel Unison on any Windows 11 PC
Last September, Intel announced that it was working on an app that would easily bridge the gap between Android or iOS smartphones and Windows PCs. The app, dubbed "Intel Unison", has already been released and has several interesting features. You can access your images and videos from your smartphone to PC, quickly transfer files, answer phone notifications, make calls and more. So if you're interested and want to try an alternative to the Microsoft Phone Link app, check out how to install and use Intel Unison on any Windows 11 PC. Yes, it works even on non-Intel laptops. On that note, let's find out the instructions to download and run Intel Unison on any PC and Android or iOS smartphone.
Install Intel Unison on any Windows 11 PC (2023)
In this article, we have included the requirements to run Intel Unison on Windows 11 PC and shared detailed instructions on how to make it work on your Android or iOS smartphone. You can also find our first impressions of the Intel Unison below. Just expand this table and go to any section you want.
Prerequisites for using Intel Unison with Android/iOS and Windows
1. To use Intel Unison, your PC or laptop must be running Windows 11. The application does not currently support Windows 10 or earlier operating systems.
2. Your PC must be updated to Windows 11 build 22H2 (22621.0 or later). If you are still on the old build 21H2, you can go to the linked guide and update your PC to the latest stable build 22H2.
3. Intel states that Unison currently only works on laptops with Evo processors running on 13th generation Intel processors. However, in this guide, we installed Intel Unison on a non-Evo 8th generation Intel laptop and it worked without any issues. I'm sure it will work on AMD and ARM based Windows 11 laptops as well.
4. Finally, you must have an Android smartphone running Android 9 or later. For iOS users, you must have an iPhone with iOS 15 or higher.
How to Download and Install Intel Unison on Any Windows 11 PC
1. To download Intel Unison, go to the application page. Microsoft Store page and click the "Get in store" button. This will open the Intel Unison listing in the Microsoft Store on your Windows 11 PC. Currently, if you directly search for the Intel Unison app in the Microsoft Store, you won't get any results.
2. In the Microsoft Store app, click Get to download and install Intel Unison.
3. After installing Intel Unison, open the application and go to the welcome screen. Once you get to the pairing screen, it's time to move on to your smartphone.
4. Install the Intel Unison app ( Android / iOS ) on your iPhone or Android phone. You will need to allow a bunch of permissions before you can connect your Windows PC and use the app. After going through the registration screen, click "Scan QR Code".
5. Now scan the QR code displayed on your PC and Intel Unison will automatically start the pairing process. Confirm the code displayed on both your devices. If successful, click "Start" on your smartphone.
5. Your smartphone will now be connected to the Intel Unison app on your PC and you can access almost anything you want. You can transfer files between PC and smartphone; access images, videos and albums from your phone; find SMS messages, make and receive calls; respond to notifications and more.
Intel Unison: first impressions and thoughts
First, I love the fact that Intel Unison is a neatly crafted app with the Windows 11 aesthetic in mind. It's not one of those bloated apps from manufacturers that actually have important features but have terrible UI/UX. Intel has done a very good job on the design, so thanks for that.
Also, as far as features go, I think Intel has pretty much covered all the basics except streaming Android apps to PC. In the future, the company may add the ability to stream apps directly from your phone to your computer, similar to the Microsoft Phone Link app for Samsung phones.
I tested all the features currently available on this app, including PC calls, and they worked just fine. Unlike the Phone Link app, Intel Unison offers all the photo and video albums from your phone, making it easy to export whatever you're looking for.
Next, what struck me was the lightning-fast file transfer speed provided by Intel Unison. It was able to send a 40MB video file from my computer to my Android phone in just 3 seconds using a peer-to-peer (Wi-Fi) connection, which is amazing. Please note that when you are connected via Bluetooth to make calls, the transmission speed will slow down. Therefore, it is recommended to turn off Bluetooth if you want to transfer large files quickly.
In addition, you can access and reply to text messages and display notifications from all applications on your smartphone. You can reply to notifications from the Windows 11 Action Center. Cool, right? Overall, I would rate the Intel Unison app very highly for its excellent file transfer speeds alone. Plus, it's packed with features and they work as intended.
Connect your smartphone to PC with Intel Unison
Here's how you can set up Intel Unison on your Windows 11 PC and Android or iOS smartphone. The installation process is simple, you just need to scan the QR code and grant permissions and you're done. In any case, if you want to use a similar app, the Dell Mobile Connect app on Windows 10/11 is a good one too. And if you want to manually mirror your Android phone to PC and cast apps, you can follow our detailed guide. Finally, if you have any questions, please let us know in the comments section below.