Phone Link
{{Short description|Software application developed by Microsoft}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Phone Link
| logo = File:Your_Phone_Logo_New.png
| logo size = 80px
| screenshot = Phone Link screenshot.png
| screenshot_size = 300px
| caption = A screenshot of the Phone Link interface opened in Windows, showing the Calls section.
| developer = Microsoft
| released = {{start date and age|2018|10|2}}
| ver layout = stacked
| replaces = Phone Companion
| operating system = Windows 10, Windows 11, Android, iOS
| genre = Phone and PC driver
| license = Proprietary freeware
| website = {{url|https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/sync-across-your-devices|Phone Link}}
}}
Phone Link, previously Your Phone, is a syncing software developed by Microsoft to connect Windows PCs to Android and iOS mobile devices to view notifications, make phone calls, use mobile apps amongst others, via the PC.{{Cite news|url=https://www.onmsft.com/news/windows-10s-new-your-phone-app-lets-you-access-phone-texts-photos|title=Windows 10's new Your Phone app lets you access phone texts & photos {{!}} On MSFT|date=2018-10-03|work=On MSFT|access-date=2018-10-19|language=en}} It is a native component of Windows 10 (since version 1809) and Windows 11, where it is a UWP app and consists of a driver that communicates with the Link to Windows{{Cite web |title=Phone Link requirements and setup - Microsoft Support |url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/phone-link-requirements-and-setup-cd2a1ee7-75a7-66a6-9d4e-bf22e735f9e3 |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=support.microsoft.com}} app on the mobile device. Phone Link makes use of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth for voice calls, or mobile data.
Features
Phone Link enables a PC to send (and receive) text messages relayed from the mobile device, including both SMS and MMS, as well as RCS for Samsung Phones using Samsung Messages.{{Cite web|url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/send-and-receive-text-messages-from-your-pc-43189e43-8121-35f6-7930-db095bf938a4|title=Send and receive text messages from your PC - Microsoft Support|website=support.microsoft.com}} It can also access the 2000 most recent photos on the connected phone.
Audio that is played on the phone can also be controlled on the Phone Link interface, so long as the playing apps have media controls in the Android notification area.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/29/21241481/microsoft-your-phone-music-control-app-update-feature|title=Microsoft's Your Phone app now lets you control music on a phone from your PC|first=Tom|last=Warren|date=April 29, 2020|website=The Verge}}
Phone Link can also be used to mirror the screen of an Android device; however this feature is currently only available on select devices with the Link to Windows service pre-installed.{{Cite web |date=2019-03-12 |title=Microsoft begins testing phone screen mirroring with the Your Phone app |url=https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft-starts-testing-phone-screen-mirroring-your-phone-windows-10-19h1 |access-date=2019-07-26 |website=Windows Central |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Setting up and using phone screen in the Phone Link app - Microsoft Support |url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/topic/setting-up-and-using-phone-screen-in-the-phone-link-app-ea853ebc-0856-2f6e-af34-703fe449416b |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=support.microsoft.com}} The app also has a cross-device copy and paste feature allowing users to send copied text and images between devices using the same copy and paste shortcuts on each device.{{Cite web |title=How to Copy and Paste Text Between Your Android Phone and Windows PC |url=https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-copy-and-paste-text-between-your-android-phone-and-windows-pc |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=PCMAG |language=en}}
History
At its Build 2018 event on May 7, 2018, Microsoft presented the Your Phone app, which allowed users to use their PCs to see recent photos on their Android based phones, and to send SMS messages.{{Cite news |title=New 'Your Phone' feature in Windows 10 further links your smartphone and PC |language=en |work=Windows Central |url=https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft-announces-your-phone-windows-10-further-ties-your-smartphone-your-pc |access-date=2018-10-24}} Your Phone was released as part of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update (1809), as a replacement of the legacy Phone Companion app.{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2015/05/26/your-windows-10-pc-will-love-all-the-devices-you-own/|title=Your Windows 10 PC will love all the devices you own
|website=blogs.windows.com|date=2015-05-26|access-date=2022-08-26}}
At Samsung's Galaxy Note10 launch event, Microsoft previewed the additional Your Phone feature of receiving phone calls directly on a PC via Bluetooth. The feature was made available for all Android phones on February 20, 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.windowslatest.com/2020/02/02/windows-10-your-phone-app-call-support|title=Windows 10 Your Phone call support is now available for everyone|website=www.windowslatest.com|date=February 2020|access-date=2020-02-08}} At the same event it was revealed that Your Phone will ship on most Samsung Galaxy devices as part of a partnership with Samsung Electronics.{{Cite web |title=Samsung to bundle Your Phone with its Galaxy Note 10 as part of its extended Microsoft partnership |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/samsung-to-bundle-your-phone-with-its-galaxy-note-10-as-part-of-its-extended-microsoft-partnership/ |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=ZDNET |language=en}}
In March 2022, Your Phone was rebranded to Phone Link{{cite news |last1=Warren |first1=Tom |title=Microsoft rebrands its Android Your Phone companion app to Phone Link |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/31/23004352/microsoft-phone-link-rebranding-windows-11-design-update |access-date=1 April 2022 |work=The Verge |date=31 March 2022}} and the interface was changed.{{Cite web|url=https://9to5google.com/2022/03/31/windows-11-phone-link-android-redesign/|title=Windows 11 revamps 'Phone Link' tool for pairing your Android phone w/ new branding, redesign|first=Ben|last=Schoon|date=March 31, 2022|website=9to5Google}} At the same time, the Your Phone Companion app on mobile was also renamed, to Link to Windows.{{Cite web |last1=Blog |first1=Windows Experience |last2=Team |first2=Gerald Haslhofer, General Manager, Mobile and Cross Device |date=2022-03-31 |title=Evolving the connection between your phone and your Windows PC |url=https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2022/03/31/evolving-the-connection-between-your-phone-and-your-windows-pc/ |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=Windows Experience Blog |language=en-US}}
In April 2023, Microsoft started rolling out support for the iPhone on Windows 11 only.{{Cite web |title=Microsoft starts rolling out iOS support for Phone Link syncing to all Windows 11 users |url=https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-starts-rolling-out-ios-support-for-phone-link-syncing-to-all-windows-11-users-181521677.html |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=Engadget |date=26 April 2023 |language=en-US}}