You can use the Phone link app from Microsoft to connect Android and iPhone to Windows 11 & Windows 10 PC wirelessly. The blog has instructions on how to do that.
“Phone link” earlier known as “Your Phone app” is a nifty app developed by Microsoft using which users can link smartphones (whether it Android or iPhone) with Windows PCs and get access to content available on the phone right from the PC.
Using the Phone link app, you can achieve various things some of which are listed below:
- Make and Receive Calls
- Get access to the phone screen
- Drag and Drop photos from Phone to PC (Vice-Versa)
- Check and make replies to Text Messages
- Control Music and Audio files
To take advantage of all these features you need to link your phone with Windows PC using the Your Phone app. In upcoming lines, you will learn steps on how to do that, but first, make sure to check the following requirements
- For Windows 10, you must be running Windows 10 May 2019 Update or above and Windows 11 (The latest version 22H2 or above is recommended if you want to link iPhone)
- Your Android Phone must be running Android 7.0 or above (The latest version is recommended)
- Your iPhone must be running iOS 14.0 or above
- Although, it’s not a requirement, for a better user experience both your PC and Phone must be running on the same Wireless Network.
Let’s learn how to do that:
Use Phone Link to Connect Android & iPhone to Windows 11/10
Make note that the screenshots added below in this blog post are when the Phone link app is called Your Phone app, but the steps are the same. Check the screenshot shared below to figure out how the pairing screen will look on Samsung devices.
Download the Link to Windows app on your Android and iPhone. Either visit this link (www.aka.ms/your PC) on your phone.
Alternatively, you can directly search it in the Google Play Store for Android and Apple App Store for iPhone.
Once you find the app, install it just like you install any other app on your respective devices.
Important – For the Surface Duo and selected Samsung device, Your Phone – Link to Windows app comes preinstalled. The above link will directly launch the app on your device or you can open it Quick Settings panel by pulling down from the top of your screen and turning on ‘Link to Windows.
Your Phone Link comes preinstalled in Windows 11 & 10 so you don’t have to install it. Make sure, you’re running the latest version of the app.
For that, Launch Microsoft Store > Library > Get updates. If an update is available, then install it.
If you reached this line, then we presume that you have installed the Phone Link app on both Windows and Android or iPhone. So let’s start the pairing process:
Launch Your Phone app on your Windows PC. Out of the box, it comes preinstalled. In case, it’s not available on your device, then you can download it from Microsoft Store.
On the first screen that opens, you need to select Android or iPhone to begin the setup process.
Link Android Phone to Windows PC
Select the Android option and then check the box for an option that reads “I have the Link to Windows app ready“. To start the pairing process application offers two ways using QR Code and Pair Manually. Depending on your requirement the option.
Launch Your Phone Companion app on your Android phone. Tap on the “Link your phone and PC” button.
You will see the screen, “Is the QR code on your PC” ready. Tap on the Continue button.
QR code scanner will open. Use it to Scan the QR code appearing on the Your Phone app screen on a Windows PC.
In case, you don’t want to pair using the QR code method, then tap “Try another way“.
Here, tap on the ‘Sign in with Microsoft’ button and log in using Microsoft account credentials. Make sure, you use the same login details that you’re using on Windows PC.
On Your PC, click on Create PIN code, you need to fill it on your phone when asked.
On your Samsung phone, this is how the pairing and signing screen will look like:
Once pairing between the Android phone and PC is done, you will see the following screen with the message “You’re all set“, Click on Continue to start using it.
Link iPhone to Windows PC
Select the iPhone option on the main screen and a QR Code will appear. Here, you need to open your mobile phone camera and allow Link to Windows to use Bluetooth.
Follow the on-screen instructions:
During the linking process either on Android or iPhone, you will be asked to grant permission for photos, media files, contacts, and others. Make sure to allow all of them.
Once the linking process is completed, you will see the following screen:
This is how Your Phone app home screen looks like:
On the left pane, you will find the tab for a different feature that you can access:
Notifications
Under this, you will get all the notifications that you receive on your Android phone
Messages
The messages section offers an inbox where you will receive all the text messages that you receive on your phone. To send a message, click on the Create message button then type the message and click Send.
Photos
On the right panel of this section, you will see a gallery having all the pictures available on your phone. You can make right-click and save pictures to your computer.
You can also drag-drop pictures from Phone to PC or vice-versa.
You might be interested in reading the blog post on How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Windows 10 using the Dell Mobile Connect app
Apps
It is a nifty feature of Your Phone app using which users can run Android apps right from Windows PC. Switch to the Apps option and you will get the list of all the apps and games installed on the device.
Double-click to launch the app, and grant permission on your phone to access the phone screen. Instantly, the same app will open in a separate window.
It allows you to access phones linked with a PC using Your Phone apps. Not only, you can run apps, but do anything that you do on your phone.
Calls
For making calls, click on the Get Started button Follow the on-screen instructions to give permission. Once all set, you will see the following screen
Here, you can receive and make calls. You will also find call history as well.
Settings
Apart from this, there’s a Setting gear icon available in the bottom left corner from where you can manage different settings related to Your Phone app. Check the following screenshots:
That’s all about Your Phone app. You can follow the steps discussed in this blog ‘Your Phone app is not working in Windows 10‘ to fix issues related to the app.
Your Phone is one of the best additions to Windows 11 & 10 from Microsoft. Why don’t you give it a try to this app and let us know your opinion?
