Microsoft has just released an update to the Your Phone app on Windows 10 to support running mobile apps on the desktop, as Samsung promised when it launched the Galaxy Note20.
With this update, users will no longer just have to pick up the phone to check social media or order lunch via a delivery app, because at least they can access the mobile app directly from their computer with compatible devices.
Apps run in separate windows to allow multitasking, and users can pin them to the Start menu or the Taskbar if they’re used regularly enough. Besides, users can also use the mouse, keyboard and touch to interact.
However, the user cannot use this feature with any device. In addition to using the latest Your Phone software on a Windows 10 system, users also need a phone with the latest Link to Windows integration. Currently only Samsung phones running Android 9.0 (Pie) and above are supported. The computer and phone need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network, so this won’t be possible if the user leaves the device at home.
Even so, this is a huge step up from the previous phone’s screen mirroring feature. Users don’t have to handle everything in one window or flick through the phone’s operating system just to launch a favorite app.