14 DAY TRIAL // It’s no longer a secret that Android is playing very nicely with Windows, and Microsoft is investing big in improving the Your Phone app for Windows 10 and Windows 11.
This is the reason the company has decided to advance to the next logical step: make the phone linking experience part of the OOBE.
In other words, when you configure Windows 11 on your device for the very first time, you should now see a dedicated screen that allows you to pair your phone with the PC.
Of course, only Android devices are supported for now thanks to the Your Phone app, and the included features are supported for sending text messages, making phone calls, and depending on your Android smartphone, even mirroring the screen on the desktop.
Android apps on Windows 11
“You can now link your Android phone to your PC as part of the device setup (OOBE) for Windows 11. Linking will give you instant access to everything on your phone, right from your PC. Without needing to constantly swap your attention to your phone, you can use your favorite mobile apps, send text messages, make calls, and more on your PC with the benefit of a full keyboard and mouse,” Microsoft explains.
Microsoft keeps refining the Your Phone app with new capabilities every once in a while, and the effort really seems to pay off.
Furthermore, the company has its very own Android devices on the market, with the Surface Duo recently updated with support for running Android apps on the desktop.
At the same time, Microsoft is also offering Android app support in Windows 11, though for now, this feature is only available as a public preview for users in the United States. There’s no ETA as to when it could be expanded to more regions.