Microsoft Phone Link, formerly known as “Your Phone”, is an essential app for Windows 11 users with Android phones. It gives you access to your phone’s notifications, messages and photos directly on your PC. We’ll help you set it up.
We will start the process from the Android side. The companion app is called “Link to Windows” and is available on the Google Play Store on your Android phone or tablet. Some Samsung Galaxy devices already have this app installed.
Once installed, open the app and tap “Link your phone and PC” to get started.
Next, we’ll move on to your Windows 11 PC. Open the Phone Link app and click “Get Started.” The Phone Link app comes pre-installed on Windows 11 PCs.
Point: This app is also included in Windows 10. You can use Phone Link on Windows 10 as well as Windows 11 PCs.
Check the box “I already have the link to the Windows application” and click on “Pair with QR code”.
Re-enter your Android phone and tap “Continue” in the Link to Windows app. Point the camera at the QR code on your PC.
Once connected, you will need to grant the Android app certain permissions to function properly. Press “Continue” to proceed.
Necessary permissions include contacts, making and managing phone calls, accessing media, and sending and receiving text messages. Tap “Allow” to continue with each one.
Now that the app has permissions, you may be prompted to allow it to run in the background to stay connected to your PC. Press “Continue” to continue.
A pop-up will ask if you want to allow the app to always run in the background. Select “Allow”.
We are done with your Android phone now. On your Windows 11 PC, the Phone Link app will have a “Continue” button to click.
The Phone Link app will now guide you through setting up some features. We’ll start with “See my notifications”.
To send notifications to your PC, the Link to Windows app must have permission to see Android notifications. Click “Open Settings on Phone” in the sidebar to get started.
Check your Android device for a notification prompting you to open notification settings. Press “Open” to access it.
You will be redirected to the “Device & app notifications” settings. Find “Link to Windows” in the list and make sure “Allow access to notifications” is enabled.
That’s it! Notifications appear in the “Notifications” sidebar of the Windows app. When a notification appears, you can remove it from your Android device by clicking the “X” icon.
The “Messages” tab does not require any additional configuration. It works like any other messaging app. You can read and reply to messages from your PC.
The “Photos” tab also does not require any configuration. It displays recent photos from your Android device.
Finally, the sidebar displays the battery level of your connected device and allows you to adjust certain device settings and control the media currently playing.
You are now ready to use your Android phone from your Windows 11 PC! Phone Link is an invaluable app to save you from constantly switching between phone and PC.
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