Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
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TL;DR
- Microsoft has rolled out a new Insider Experimental Preview Build that lets you open apps from your Android phone using Windows 11’s taskbar Search.
- Opening an app from Search launches the app on your phone and mirrors it on your PC through Phone Link.
- The feature works with select Samsung, HONOR, OPPO, ASUS, vivo, Xiaomi, iQOO, and Realme phones.
- Microsoft has also made it so that you can call or text and access phone actions from Search.
Microsoft wants to bring Windows 11 and Android closer together. This year, the company has worked on a number of changes, like adding a new Mobile devices tile and improving clipboard history syncing between PC and phone. Taking another step in that direction, Microsoft has made opening phone apps on PCs much more convenient.
This weekend, Microsoft released its latest Insider Experimental Preview Build (version 26340.9843). The change notes state that you can now use the taskbar Search to call or text a friend and access phone actions, like Do Not Disturb. In the example Microsoft shared, a user types “dnd phone” into Search to bring up an action to “Turn on do not disturb.” The tech giant says this feature is available now for Android, and iPhone support will come early next year.
Not mentioned in these change notes is the ability to use Search to open Android apps. Spotted by Windows Latest, a user can type the name of the app they want to open into Search. That app will appear in the results with “Mobile app” located right under the name. Clicking on the option launches the app on your phone and mirrors it on your PC through Phone Link.
While you could already open supported Android apps through Phone Link, this change streamlines the process. Previously, you had to open the Phone Link app, open the app, and then mirror it. This way, you just have to type the name of the app in Search and click Open.
Unfortunately, this change won’t be available for all Android owners. You’ll need to have a supported phone, which includes select Samsung, HONOR, OPPO, ASUS, vivo, Xiaomi, iQOO, and Realme phones. The device will also need to be running on Android 11 or later. You can check out the full list of supported devices on Microsoft’s support page.
