What’s Link to Windows Anyway?
In typical Microsoft fashion, Link to Windows promises tighter integration across devices and platforms.
You’ve heard this song before – it’s the same old “Better Together” mantra they’ve been preaching for years.
But here we actually have some progress.
The concept is simple: Link to Windows projects your phone’s notifications, texts, photos and more onto your Windows PC.
It’s almost like your phone is virtually docked to your computer.
This allows you to avoid constant context switching and have everything at your fingertips.
Over time, Microsoft has slowly expanded support from Samsung phones to Surface Duo, select Honor devices, OnePlus, OPPO and others.
It even works with iPhones now thanks to a new desktop app.
Still too many exceptions if you ask me, but we’re moving in the right direction.
What Can You Actually Do?
In day-to-day use, Link to Windows delivers on its promises.
You can view photos from your phone right in File Explorer.
Texts and notifications pop up on your PC much like Projecting does with Android phones.
And you get basic phone status and controls for things like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and do not disturb.
This all sounds good on paper. But in my experience, performance is hit or miss depending on your hardware.
There’s nothing more frustrating than flaky phone integration. But I remain hopeful that Microsoft will polish things up over time.
Is This Useful for Business?
For basic notification mirroring and photo access, Link to Windows doesn’t add much productivity value in a business context.
Sure, it’s handy to have phone notifications appear on your PC screen. But it’s more of a convenience than a game-changing business feature.
I don’t see this dramatically changing workflows or processes in most businesses. However, smaller operations may find some time savings from consolidating workflows across devices.
As with all things Microsoft these days, your mileage will vary.
In Conclusion…
Link to Windows shows potential for tighter integration across the Android/iOS/Windows ecosystems.
But as it stands today, this thing still feels quite undercooked in typical Microsoft fashion.
Nonetheless, I remain optimistic that this concept will continue maturing over time.
Let me know your experiences with Link to Windows!
I read all your comments over on Thurrott.com.
