14 DAY TRIAL // Few people heard about Microsoft’s Phone Companion app, which was released in 2015 in order to help users configure their mobile devices to work with Windows 10 PCs.
And while the purpose of the app was actually great – to assist users in syncing devices, Phone Companion never did anything, and it was more of a guide that provided basic information for Windows phone, iPhone, and Android users on how to bring phones and PCs closer together.
So it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that Microsoft is now retiring the app, as the company is making the logical step of focusing more on the sync features integrated into Windows 10 at an operating system level, and without the need for third-party apps.
Microsoft has been particularly focused on this synchronization support for phones and Windows 10 PCs, and the latest OS updates brought major improvements in this regard.
Committed to Android and iOS
On iPhone and Android, for example, users can now benefit from a feature called “Continue on PC,” which lets them browse the web on their phones and then continue from where they left off on a Windows 10 PC. The browsing session is automatically transferred to the desktop, and a notification displayed to users allows them to resume browsing in Edge.
Microsoft is also very committed to improving its Android and iOS app ecosystem, so the company rolls out updates for all of its apps regularly.
In addition to Outlook, Cortana, and Office, the Redmond-based software giant is also offering its own launcher on Android, again with features that bring phones and PCs closer together.
Efforts in this regard are likely to continue as Microsoft integrates new phone features in Windows 10, and it makes sense for the company to focus more on the native experience rather than on separate apps. Microsoft is no loner offering its own mobile ecosystem, so bringing Android and iOS in sync with Windows 10 PCs is part of the firm’s strategy to remain relevant in mobile.