With the Phone Link , you can instantly access the Android apps installed on your mobile device right on your PC. Using a Wi-Fi connection, Apps allows you to browse, play, order, chat, and more — all while using your PC’s larger screen and keyboard.
Note: The Phone Link doesn't currently support multiple Android profiles or work/school accounts.
You can add your Android apps as favorites on your PC, pin them to your Start menu and taskbar, and open them in separate windows to use side-by-side with apps on your PC.
Note: For the best experience, we recommend making sure your Android device and your PC are on the same Wi-Fi network and band. Some Wi-Fi networks offer different connection bands, like a 5GHz or 2.4GHz band. Make sure both your devices are connected to the same frequency. Learn more
How do I interact with apps?
You can use your PC’s mouse, trackpad, keyboard, pen or touch-enabled screen to open, type, scroll, and interact with apps. A few tips for using your mouse and keyboard:
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Single click will behave the same as any single touch/tap interaction
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Right click anywhere on your phone screen to navigate to the previous page
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Click and hold will behave the same as a tap/hold interaction
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Click and hold and drag to select content
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Mouse scroll to move between pages vertically or horizontally
Some games and apps might not work with a mouse or keyboard. You'll need to use a touch-enabled PC to interact with them.
If you're encountering issues using Apps, our troubleshooting tips may help.
How do I interact with Recent Apps?
To access Recent Apps from your PC, do the following:
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In the bottom right corner of the Windows taskbar, click the ^ button.
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Click the Phone Link icon.
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In the flyout menu that appears, do either of the following:
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Click the app you want to open.
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Right-click the app you want to use, and then select Open.
To access Recent Apps from the Phone Link, do the following:
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On your device, open the Phone Link .
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Go to Apps.
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At the top of Apps page, look for the Recently used section that's showing up to three of your most recently used apps.
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Click an app to open it, or right-click an app and then select Open.
How do I turn off Recent Apps from the Windows notification area?
Do the following:
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In the Phone Link , go to Settings > Features.
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Under the Apps section, turn off Show recently used apps in Windows notification area.
Known Issue
There is currently a known issue with Recent Apps that prevents the opening of mobile Microsoft Office apps. We will update this article as soon as this issue has been resolved.
How do I know I'm using the multiple apps experience?
The requirements for using multiple apps are:
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A PC running the Windows 10 May 2020 Update or later. For best performance, we recommend having at least 8GB of RAM.
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An Android device running Android 11.0.
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On your Android device, you'll need Link to Windows (pre-installed) version 2.1.05.6 or later, or Link to Windows (pre-installed) version 1.20104.15.0 or later.
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Phone Link version 1.20104.20.0 or later.
How do I pin Android apps into Windows?
You can pin your Android apps to the Windows Start menu, taskbar, or add it to your Phone Link favorites.
To pin an app on your PC:
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Open the Phone Link .
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Go to Apps.
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Right click on the app icon you want to pin or add to your favorites.
How do I remove pinned Android apps from my Windows taskbar or Start menu?
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If you’ve pinned an app to your taskbar, just right-click the app icon and select Unpin from taskbar.
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If you’ve added an app to your Windows Start menu, you’ll need to uninstall the app from your apps list. Go to Settings > Apps & features, search for your app in the list. Select it, then select Uninstall.
Are the apps from my Android device now installed on my PC?
No, apps you open will be running from your Android device. The Phone Link is mirroring apps from your Android device to your PC, meaning you’ll see the same thing on your PC that’s being displayed on your Android device.
Can I access Android apps without linking my device?
No, you'll need to connect your Android device to your PC via the Phone Link in order to use this experience. Learn more
Can I open multiple apps at the same time?
Yes, if you have Android 11 and one of these select Samsung or HONOR devices. For most other Android devices, you can only open one Android app at a time.
How do you stream audio from your Android device?
Now you can stream your audio from your Android device while you are engaging with Apps or Phone screen features. To use audio streaming on your PC:
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Make sure you have a Samsung device and update OS to OneUI 5.0 or higher.
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App versions requirements:
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Phone Link is updated to 1.22092.214.0 or higher.
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Link to Windows is updated to 1.22102.149.0 or higher.
Note: Honor and Surface Duo are currently not supported for this feature.
How can you enable audio streaming on your PC?
You don’t need to set up this feature. When you open apps or phone screen, you will be requested audio permissions in order to hear the audio on PC. Go to your mobile phone to grant the permissions from both Link to Windowsapp and Link to Windows Service app. Then you are all set and able to hear audio from PC.
How can you change the audio output?
You can change whether the audio comes from PC or phone in Phone Link settings.
Open Phone Link on your PC:
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Go to Settings > Features.
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Scroll down to Apps and select Computer or Phone under the drop-down menu of Listen to audio from.
Can I listen to audio via Bluetooth headphones connected to my PC?
Yes, you can. If you connect an external audio device to PC, you will hear the audio from your external device.
What can I do if I hear robotic sound when I use this feature?
Follow instruction here: Fix sound or audio problems in Windows (Add the link to this new content after publishing to https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/setting-up-and-using-phone-screen-in-the-phone-link-app-ea853ebc-0856-2f6e-af34-703fe449416b
How do you stream audio from your Android device?
You can find details on Setting up and using phone screen in the Phone Link.
