Microsoft has launched Your Phone, a new app built into Windows 10, which links your Android or iPhone to your desktop computer. While such systems exist for devices inside the same ecosystem — iOS and MacOS for example — Microsoft’s version is more versatile.
Announced alongside new Surface computers, and part of the latest version of Windows 10, Your Phone gives instant access to photos, texts, and other information right on your computer, and stops the need to share data in alternative ways, like email.
Features vary depending on the mobile operating system. Those with Apple iPhones can send web pages from the mobile browser to the desktop, while Android owners can view and edit images taken with the device right on the computer.
Microsoft writes:
“Pausing a task on your PC to respond to a text or notification on your phone can instantly break focus and take you out of your flow. The Your Phone App brings instant access to your texts and photos from your Android phone right on your PC, enabling you to stay productive and maintain your focus.”
To use Your Phone, an app must be installed on the device itself and then linked to the computer. The new Your Phone app is found in the Windows 10 October 2018 update.
