When it comes to device interoperability, the world may be Apple's oyster, but Windows PCs have tricks up their sleeves, too. If you're looking to connect your phone and PC for a little more flexibility when using them together, Microsoft's Phone Link app might be what you're looking for. Phone Link might not be for everyone, though, so here's a quick look at what Phone Link can do, how to get it all set up and where it might fall short.
What Phone Link does
Microsoft's Phone Link is basically a window into your phone that can live on your Windows computer. It works with texts, calls, photos and more. For example, you can mirror your phone's screen on your PC, giving you a full view and simple navigation as if your phone were right there (and it's especially nice if you have a touchscreen laptop). You can access and view apps naturally. It essentially lets you use your phone via your PC. That's with Android, anyway. With iPhones, Phone Link is more limited, but still lets you engage with texts, calls and notifications.
The Phone Link software has deep integration with phone and messaging apps, letting you make calls, turn on Do Not Disturb mode, view text threads and respond all within the Phone Link interface. Notifications on your phone are also sent to Phone Link, where you can view, respond to and dismiss them from either device. If your phone is playing audio, there's even a playback control interface and the option to stream the audio to your computer instead. The program also shows a feed of your photo library and lets you drag and drop photos to quickly transfer them to your PC. A tool called Instant Hotspot quickly turns on your phone's hotspot feature and links your PC to it.
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Some of the interoperability works in reverse, too. From the app on your phone, you get a few more options. You can lock your PC, choose files to send, view clipboard content and find files sent to your phone from your PC. Sending said files is as simple as right-clicking on them on your PC and selecting "Send to My Phone" from the drop-down menu. Files sent from your PC will show up in the "Received files" section in the Link to Windows app.
There's also a phone finder feature that will let you play a sound on your phone for 20 seconds in case you've lost it in the couch.
If your phone ever disconnects from your PC, you can quickly reconnect with a click inside the Windows program.
How to set up Phone Link and enable its full capabilities
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