Having all your devices work in harmony has been a dream for many tech enthusiasts for years, and we’re slowly getting there as cross-compatibility improves across different ecosystems.
We’ve seen Apple and Google’s messaging systems play nice, and Microsoft’s Phone Link and similar apps let users interact with their Android phone on their Windows PC.
While it’s not quite here yet, it looks like Microsoft could be working on a way for Android phones to further interact with Windows products.
Not yet, but it’s in the code
Windows Latest reports a feature that could let Android phones shut down, update, and put your PC to sleep (via Android Authority). The news outlet did some digging into the latest Link to Windows app and found indications that Android phones will be able to better control Windows devices.
The code includes markers for shutting down your PC and putting it to sleep. It looks like once the PC is asleep, users may not have the option to wake it, though. Still, we like this direction. Perhaps the most important command spotted in the code, though, is the ability to update your PC remotely.
There’s the option to update and restart, and update and shut down. These two commands alone could be huge. We’ve all been there. During a busy session, we decline the update and think we’ll get back to it. Yet the next day, we still haven’t done it. This could easily help solve that. You’re getting ready for bed, and you can just send the command from your phone so that the PC can update.
These commands could be a powerful and convenient solution if they ever go live. Again, this is all just in the code for now. So it’s unclear whether this will ever go live or how long it will take. If you’re a Windows PC user, we highly recommend trying the Phone Link and Link to Windows apps right now.
Depending on your phone, you will have access to slightly different features. However, the core experience will pretty much remain the same. If you want to try something a little different but in the same space, we can easily recommend Sefirah. We gave this app a good test, and all the features work on all Android devices.
So, it isn’t as limited as the Microsoft counterparts. It’s free and has no paywalls. And it’s constantly updated to work seamlessly. We have our full breakdown of the app so you can see if it fits your needs.
