While well-nigh people employ more than one type of device throughout their day, plenty of people spend the bulk of their day staring at a computer screen. While it's fine to pick up your phone and send a message or browse the web, phones accept a relatively small screen when compared to a PC monitor. It stands to reason, then, that linking your phone and PC together could be a huge boon to productivity, too as make communication and multitasking easier.

Microsoft Your Phone App Windows 11 © Provided by Android Central Microsoft Your Phone App Windows 11

That'south where the Microsoft Link to Windows app comes in: Link to Windows helps link your phone and PC together in a way that helps you go on track of what's happening on your smartphone without having to constantly pick it upward. The Microsoft Link to Windows app helps link your PC with your Android phone in a way that's similar to how Apple links macOS with iOS, or how Google links Chrome OS with Android.

It helps yous read and respond to text letters, view and manage photos on your phone, manage and interact with notifications, make telephone calls, and even use Android apps on your PC with certain supported phones. Some phones work ameliorate than others, and Samsung smartphone owners will find they get lots of sectional features that other Android-powered phones don't. Want to get that crick out of your neck from looking down at your phone too much? Information technology'southward time to use the Microsoft Link to Windows app.

Where to get the Microsoft Link to Windows app

Get-go, you'll need to identify what type of Android phone you have. If your Android phone is made past Samsung, it'southward likely that Link to Windows is already installed and tin can be accessed by following these steps:

  • Open organization settings by pulling downwards the notification shade and clicking the gear icon, or by selecting settings in your app drawer.
  • Curl down to and select avant-garde features.
  • Tap Link to Windows at the height.
  • Enable Link to Windows by tapping the slider to the on position.
  • Follow the on-screen prompts to sign into your Microsoft account and pair with your PC.

Other Android phones will need to download the Link to Windows app from the Google Play Shop. This app is 100% complimentary and does non incorporate whatsoever ads or purchasable content.

The Microsoft Link to Windows app does not piece of work with iPhones or other iOS-based devices at this fourth dimension.

To finish things upward, you lot'll need to also have it running on the PC you desire to link your phone with. The Microsoft Link to Windows app comes pre-installed on Windows x and Windows 11, but is chosen something a little different on the PC side. Just open up your First Menu and type in "Phone Link," then click on the app when it appears in the search box.

Getting gear up upwardly

Microsoft does a great job at getting y'all fix up through the Link to Windows app on PC. Upon opening it for the first time, you'll be directed to download the companion app on your Android phone. Each app needs to be set upwards in guild to go your PC and phone linked, but yous'll desire to start with the Android app first.

Upon starting time opening the Link to Windows companion app on Android, you lot'll be asked to grant permission for the app to admission your text messages, contacts, and photos. The but permission the app doesn't need is your location. At the blank minimum, you'll need to grant admission to the post-obit permissions:

  • Contacts
  • SMS
  • Files and Media

One time you've got those set up up (just follow the in-app prompts), you can move on with the setup. The Link to Windows app uses your telephone's camera to link with your PC hands via a QR code. That QR code is generated during the setup of the Link to Windows app on your PC, and will add your Microsoft account to your smartphone in lodge to manage all of your data wirelessly.

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Later on pairing via QR code, you lot'll need to grant permission for the Link to Windows app to run in the background on your smartphone. Accept the prompt when it appears. Yous'll also need to grant notification access to the app, which can be done hands by selecting the "See my notifications" button during the setup of the Link to Windows app on PC. If you accidentally skipped through this, just select Notifications on the left-hand carte of the Link to Windows app on your PC, and follow the instructions.

Additionally, if you're going to be making calls with the Link to Windows app via your PC, you'll need to get Bluetooth connectivity set upwards betwixt your PC and your smartphone. The app on your PC will walk you through this process the starting time time you select Calls on the left-hand carte of the Link to Windows app on your PC. A pop-up on your phone volition get in like shooting fish in a barrel for your PC to detect your phone and pair with information technology via Bluetooth.

What can you practise with Link to Windows?

Any Android-based telephone running Android 7.0 or higher will be able to utilise the Link to Windows app and should exist able to perform the post-obit functions:

  • Receive and manage smartphone notifications on your PC.
  • Respond to any app that supports replies via notification.
  • Ship and receive SMS and MMS text letters.
  • Access your contacts.
  • Brand a phone call from your PC.
  • Share content from your phone to your PC via the standard Android share dialog.
  • Pause, play, or skip any music playing on your phone.

You may find that certain functions work amend with some Android phones compared to others. On a Google Pixel, for instance, making phone calls from my PC wasn't exactly a smooth experience. This is likely due to Bluetooth pairing compatibility between my phone and PC. It's possible that other functions of the Microsoft Link to Windows app could also be problematic on some PCs or phones.

Samsung-exclusive features

In order to become the nigh functionality from the Link to Windows app, however, you'll want to be using a Samsung smartphone. Samsung and Microsoft have, historically, had a very practiced working human relationship. This has resulted in several exclusive features simply available on Samsung phones, the most of which is existence able to run Android apps on your PC vis-a-vis your Samsung telephone. In fact, this exclusivity is such a big deal, that Link to Windows tin be institute in the phone'south settings, not just as a separate Google Play app.

While you are able to apply Android apps natively on Windows 11, that experience is powered by the Amazon Appstore, and not the Google Play Store.

The Samsung-sectional version of the Link to Windows app actually lets y'all completely mirror your telephone's screen onto your PC. Samsung phone users will also be able to drag files between their smartphone and PC, besides as copy and paste content between these devices.

In other words, a virtual version of your Samsung phone can be kept in a little window right on your desktop, making it easy as pie to use your phone exactly as you're already used to — just within a window on your PC, instead of a physical object in your hands.

Yous tin fifty-fifty run your telephone apps correct from your desktop individually in their own windows, making them feel more than similar native Windows apps. Run into the epitome to the right for what that looks like with the YouTube Music app.

Microsoft maintains a listing of supported Samsung phones which, at this fourth dimension of writing, includes several dozen models beyond the spectrum that Samsung manufactures.

Managing notifications in Link to Windows

Once you lot link your phone, at that place'southward little doubt that you'll quickly exist inundated with lots of notifications that you're not used to receiving on your PC. Many times, these could even be duplicate notifications that your PC already delivers, such as a new email coming into your Gmail account. Thankfully, Microsoft allows you to completely mute notifications from whatever app installed on your phone, and can be done in one of ii ways.

The easiest mode to mute notifications is by selecting the iii dots button whatsoever fourth dimension a nuisance notification appears, so select the option to turn off notifications for that app. This will mute all notifications for that app in the future, keeping you from pulling your pilus out.

The second way is to more granularly select which apps are allowed to display notifications from the list of apps within the Link to Windows app. Since Link to Windows has admission to all notifications on your smartphone, it tin can see all the apps that you have installed and help you narrow down which you lot actually desire to encounter on your PC. To find this list, select Settings on the bottom right of the Link to Windows app. From there, select Features, followed past Choose which apps I get notifications from.

Getting more washed

Microsoft Link to Windows is a fantastic manner to get more than done in your day without constantly picking upwardly your phone. It's the easiest way to respond to text letters, keep up to date with all your social media channels, or even make phone calls right from your PC.

The best part is that it'southward completely free and only takes a few minutes to gear up up. Samsung owners will get even more out of Link to Windows, which oftentimes comes pre-installed on Milky way devices and opens upwardly a completely new level of interaction between your PC and smartphone. Looking for a way to level upward how you communicate? Link to Windows might just be the right tool for you lot.