What Is the Microsoft Phone Link App for Windows?

Plus is it worth using it?

Many people spend their day switching between computers and smartphones to field emails, calls, and other work. The Phone Link app (formerly Your Phone) helps you access your phone via your PC, so there’s no need to take your phone out of your pocket.

In this article, we’ll take a look at what Microsoft’s Phone Link app is, how it works, and whether it’s worth using or not.

The result of a partnership between Microsoft and Samsung, the Phone Link app lets you connect your smartphone to Windows. You can make texts and calls, check your notifications, and access your Android’s files via your PC. While sitting on your PC, you won’t need to keep pulling your phone out to see what’s going on.

The idea behind the app is to make multitasking easier and increase your productivity at work.

While it works best for Samsung devices (such as the Samsung Galaxy or Samsung Duo), it does work for other Android phones, too—though with limited functions. You can also link iPhones and other iOS devices through Phone Link, though there are severely limited functions for Apple users.

To avoid confusion, the Microsoft Phone Link app is the PC app, while the cognate app for Android devices is calledLink to Windows.

For the Phone Link app to work, you need to have it installed on your PC. It comes pre-installed on Windows 10 and 11 and can also be downloaded via the Microsoft Store.

You need to have the Phone Link Companion app installed on your Android device. Some Samsung devices come with this pre-installed; otherwise, you can find it on theGoogle Play Store.

To set up Phone Link:

Your phone should now be connected to your Windows PC.

Note:You can connect to your PC via Wi-Fi or your mobile data. To allow access via mobile data, openSettings>Advanced features>Link to Windows, then toggle onUse mobile data.

There are five primary features of the Phone Link app, one of which is only accessible by Samsung users.

For those who need to maintain constant contact with their phone, either for work or otherwise, the Phone Link app can be a helpful tool—especially for Samsung users. In fact, if you have a Samsung phone, you will be able to keep a window open that mirrors your phone’s screen, meaning that you can use your phone as usual.

One of the commonly reported issues with Phone Link is that it disconnects often. This makes the app pretty useless, and there doesn’t seem to be a consistent fix for the issue.

The pros:

The cons:

For many users, Phone Link is the long-awaited productivity-boosting app. Accessing your phone through your PC, rather than alternating between both, makes multitasking far easier. It’s easy to set up and even easier to use, and we recommend giving it a go if it seems like the kind of app that could help you work more effectively.

Jake Harfield is an Australian freelance writer whose passion is finding out how different technologies work. He has written for several online publications, focusing on explaining what he has learned to help others with their tech problems. He’s an avid hiker and birder, and in his spare time you’ll find him in the Aussie bush listening to the birdsong.Read Jake’s Full Bio

Welcome to Help Desk Geek- a blog full of tech tips from trusted tech experts. We have thousands of articles and guides to help you troubleshoot any issue. Our articles have been read over 150 million times since we launched in 2008.

HomeAbout UsEditorial StandardsContact UsTerms of Use

Copyright © 2008-2024 Help Desk Geek.com, LLC All Rights Reserved