Microsoft is working on an update to its Phone Link app that lets you control smartphones with (*11*) 11 by adding a search bar and fixing some bugs.
Available in the Microsoft Store (Opens in a new tab) as well as a companion app in the Google Play Store (Opens in a new tab), the app connects to your Android smartphone where you can access photos, spend and receive calls, drag and drop files, send and receive messages, all in (*11*) 11.
Although Phone Link got a new look and name earlier this year, in the meantime, Microsoft has been targeting other apps for further improvements, such as Paint and (*11*) Media Player. However, Phone Link is finally getting some attention with a new search bar.
This will allow you to browse through your messages with a quick search, without having to scroll through potentially hundreds of messages. Still, while this new feature is welcome, Phone Link could lay the groundwork for something even more exciting, especially with Android apps about to hit the Microsoft Store courtesy of Amazon.
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Granted, it's not Microsoft's best name, but it has a history of bad names with its other products over the years. But Phone Link is one of the company's best apps in recent years, and it could lay the groundwork for more Android apps to be used on your PC.
The pieces are all there: you can already download and run some Android apps on (*11*) 11, and you can manage your phone's content through Phone Link. The next step must surely be running your apps through your phone.
This way, you could play a game on your Pixel 6, for example, and be able to continue playing on your PC thanks to Phone Link at (*11*) 11. Signs suggest that Microsoft is planning to do something like this, but it's known that this throw curveballs too.
Regardless of the company's decision, Phone Link is still an app worth considering if you have an Android phone, and no matter how small the improvements, it still builds on what is a great app.
Via (*11*) Latest (Opens in a new tab)