Microsoft’s Phone Link app makes it easy to get a seamless experience between your phone and Windows PC. The best part? The app is already preinstalled on your machine so you can get started right away.

1

Pairing Is As Easy as It Gets

Pairing your phone to your PC can be a hassle, especially if you’re doing it over Bluetooth. Even if you manage to get through the pairing process, the data transfer speed and features available are both abysmal.

Phone Link has made the pairing process as easy as it gets. All you need to do is download the Phone Link app on Windows (in some cases, it’s preinstalled with Windows) and the Link to Windows app from the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store, and you’re good to go.

The pairing process involves scanning a QR code shown in the Phone Link app using the companion app on your phone. Then you’re done. After that, you can start setting up notifications and an assortment of other options. The entire pairing process takes well under a minute and is extremely easy to follow.

2

It Works Regardless of Your Phone Type or Brand

One of the best things about Phone Link is that functionality isn’t limited to a specific phone type or brand. It doesn’t matter if you have an iPhone, a flagship Android device, or something more budget-friendly: the app works perfectly fine. As long as you have a phone running Android 8.0 or higher or iOS 15 or higher, you’re good to go.

Those are pretty relaxed requirements that cover just about any relatively modern phone.

To be clear, Microsoft has locked some features, like Instant Hotspot, to certain devices, like Samsung phones. So, if you’re using an iPhone, you’ll also lose out on some features, such as wireless webcam support. That said, there’s a decent amount of basic functionality, including notifications, SMS and phone call support, file transfers, and more, that’s shared between Android and iOS devices.

Related

5 Windows Phone Link Features Only Samsung Galaxy Phones Get

Your experience with Microsoft’s Phone Link app would be much better with a Samsung phone.

Whether you’re rocking a Pixel, Galaxy, iPhone, or any other phone, you can pair it with your Windows PC and enjoy the connectivity features. Unlike Apple’s walled garden, Microsoft’s ecosystem isn’t limited to specific devices.

3

Wireless File Transfer Isn’t Painfully Slow

Phone Link lets you wirelessly transfer files between your phone and PC. If you have the Windows 11 24H2 update, you can even see your phone’s storage in Windows Explorer without doing anything extra. This lets you browse your phone’s storage directly in Windows so you can move any files you need.

While I wouldn’t recommend moving 10+ GB 4K video files over Phone Link, it is perfectly adequate for moving a few photos or documents back and forth between your phone and PC. Phone Link’s transfers aren’t a complete alternative to a cable, but it’s perfect for transferring small files.

The data transfers aren’t slow, either. You won’t sit for 15 minutes waiting for a 200 KB document to move from your phone to your PC. They feel reasonably fast and stable when moving around photos and documents. However, if you move a big file, such as high-resolution video recordings, you might end up waiting a bit for the transfer to finish.

4

Wireless Webcam Support

Another useful feature that often comes in handy in a pinch is the ability to use your phone as a wireless webcam. The feature doesn’t require any additional pairing, and your phone simply shows up as a webcam in any supported program. All you have to do is accept a permission notification on your phone, and you’re good to go.

You can use your front or rear camera, apply effects, and pause the video stream when needed. Once the program using the camera is closed on your PC, the camera connection is automatically closed as well.

The video quality is identical to what you see in your phone’s viewfinder, and significantly better than any onboard webcams you might have. The stream is also quite stable. However, you might see some stutters and drops using a slower Wi-Fi or data connection.

5

Phone Call and SMS Support Is Great

Phone Link has by far the best phone and SMS support I’ve seen compared to apps like Intel Unison and KDE. SMS (and messages from other messaging apps) show up as Windows notifications, with the option of responding from the notification itself. If you receive a message with an OTP in it, Windows automatically detects it and gives you a button to quickly copy it.

Calls work great as well, although setting them up is a bit of a hassle. They also require a permanent Bluetooth connection between your PC and phone. Once paired, you’ll have the option of receiving or making phone calls via your PC.

The feature effectively turns your PC into a Bluetooth headset for phone calls. It isn’t the perfect implementation, and it certainly isn’t as good as Apple’s. However, the calls work perfectly with no drops or stutters once you have the feature set up. Just make sure you have a good pair of headphones.

6

Better Windows Integration Than the Competition

Finally, Phone Link has the best Windows integration compared to any other third-party app you can use. It’s already installed and ready to go when you boot a Windows 11 (or Windows 10) PC for the first time and receives frequent updates through official Microsoft channels.

With Windows 11 24H2, you can access your phone right from the Windows Start menu. However, the rollout of this feature has been extremely random, so it might take a while before you get the panel.

From notifications to syncing and ease of use, Phone Link is a solid app that does just about everything you would need to do between your phone and PC. Sure, it doesn’t do everything, and there are ways Microsoft can improve Phone Link on Windows 11. But, for everyday usage, Phone Link is the only phone-linking app you’ll ever need on Windows.