Using Surface with iPhone, iCloud, and iTunes

Connect your iPhone and setup iTunes and iCloud on your new Surface.

Microsoft Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 and iPhone devices running iCloud app

Will my iPhone work well with Surface?

Don't worry, your iPhone and Surface will get along really well. If you use iCloud to back up your photos and other content, iCloud for Windows will make that content available to Surface.

If you've been manually syncing your iPhone with your Mac via iTunes, you can do the same with Microsoft Surface. Simply download iTunes to your Surface, plug your iPhone’s sync cable into the USB port of Surface, and follow the on-screen instructions.

Will I still be able to access my photos and files stored on iCloud?

Of course! When you install iCloud for Windows, Surface and your iCloud content connect in the following ways:

  • Your iCloud photos (both new and old) are added to an "iCloud Photos" folder inside the "Photos" folder on Surface. After installing iCloud for Windows, if you want to download your existing photos, open the iCloud tray app and select Download Photos.
  • Your Safari favorites are added to Microsoft Edge (or another web browser of your choice).
  • Your iCloud mail, contacts, and calendars sync with Microsoft Outlook (if you have Microsoft Outlook installed).
  • An "iCloud Drive" folder, with any files you have stored on iCloud, is added to the "Quick access" section in the left pane of File Explorer.

Don’t forget, you can also visit iCloud.com to view your iCloud Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Photos, iCloud Drive, Notes, Reminders, and more.

What happens to all the music and movies I’ve purchased in iTunes?

When you download and install iTunes on your Microsoft Surface , you’ll be able to download and play all of your iTunes-purchased music and movies. Just authorize Surface to play your iTunes content and you’ll be good to go!

Authorizing a computer in iTunes

To authorize Surface for playback of iTunes content:

  1. Click the menu icon in the top left of the window.
  2. Select iTunes Store and Authorize This Computer… in the menu.
  3. Enter your Apple ID and password in the new window, then click Authorize.
Microsoft Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 with Surface Pen

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