In a beta update, the Redmond-based operating system giant Microsoft has announced a new Windows 11 feature: My Phone. It will appear as a dedicated button in the Windows Share section, allowing users to transfer files from their PC to their Android phone with little hassle. Although the feature is currently available in beta, implying that only Windows Insiders can access it, My Phone could soon come out as part of a stable Windows update.
Hence, it’s a good time to talk about how to use the feature and, more importantly, the prerequisites for sending files from your Windows PC to your Android smartphone. For those catching up, the feature was announced on June 14, 2024, in this Microsoft Blog post, which also contains several other features making it to the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2785. “We are rolling out the ability to easily share content to an Android device from Windows Share window,” reads the blog.
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Do This Before Sharing Files From Your Windows PC To Your Android Phone
“The feature requires you to pair your Android device to your Windows PC using the Link to Windows app on Android and Phone Link on your PC.” Per Microsoft’s official support page, the Links to Windows app is available on the Google Play Store (or the Samsung Galaxy Store). Using the app, select Android, Samsung, Honor, Oppo, and Asus devices can connect to a Windows PC via the Phone Link experience that comes pre-installed on Windows 10 or Windows 11.
Hence, before sharing files between your PC and smartphone using the My Phone feature, you’d need to install the Link to Windows mobile app on the Android device. With that out of the way, let’s discuss the steps involved in linking the two devices.
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How To Link Your Windows PC And Android Smartphone?
- In Search, type Phone Link, and select the appropriate result. If required, sign in to your Microsoft account.
- Open the Link to Windows mobile app on your smartphone and sign in with the same Microsoft account you used for Phone Link.
- Now, on your PC, select “I have the link to Windows app ready” and then hit “Pair with QR code.” A QR code will appear on the screen.
- In the Link to Windows app on the Android device, select “Link your phone and PC.”
- Upon seeing the option “Is the QR code on your PC ready,” hit Continue.
- Grant the permission to access your smartphone’s camera and point the in-app scanner to the QR code on your PC.
- Grant the other permission that the app asks for, including but not limited to storage, as it is required to send files from your phone to the PC and store the files that your phone receives on its storage.
- Follow the on-screen instructions and finally select Done. Once you have successfully connected the two devices, return to the PC to explore the Phone Link app.
- Now, while sharing files from your PC to your Android phone, you should see the My Phone option in the Windows Share window.
With the Phone Link feature set up, you can access your smartphone’s texts, calls, and notifications on your PC. You can even respond to them directly from the computer without having to open a specific app on your phone.
Now, according to Microsoft’s blog post, these are the steps required to get the My Phone option in the Windows Share window. Since the feature is currently in beta, regular users won’t be able to access it. However, even when the feature arrives for everyone, the steps should remain the same.
Once users get the My Phone option in the Windows Share window, they can send files directly to their smartphone without opening another app, similar to how Macs can share files with iPhones.
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