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Your phone and PC can work together if you set them up properly
Back in 2019, Microsoft finally got its own system for managing Android notifications from Windows. Since then, it has been possible to see notifications from your Android phone on your Windows 10 or 11 PC as they arrive and to pull up your entire SMS history along with any pending notifications on demand. You can even reply to messages and compose new texts right from your computer. Previously called Your Phone, the Windows app has recently (and appropriately) been renamed Phone Link.
Here’s how to get started. (These directions assume you’ve updated your PC to Windows 11, but the process will be similar for Windows 10.) You’re going to be going back and forth from your computer to your phone, so get set.
First, on your Windows computer, make sure you have the latest version of the Your Phone app:
Got it? Good. Time to move to the phone side of things.
Now, back to your computer.
Back to your phone
On your computer
But you’re not quite finished yet. There’s just one bit of setup left, the part that allows notifications to go through.
That’s it! Any notifications you get on your phone will now move into the Phone Link app. You can receive and reply to text messages, view your photos, and even make calls (as long as they are linked via Bluetooth). You can also control four features of your phone via buttons: Do Not Disturb; Bluetooth; volume on / off; and audio player on / off.
Update April 8, 2022, 11:45AM ET: This article was originally published on July 30th, 2019. It has been updated to reflect changes in the app and the operating system.
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