Phone Link

You can link your Android smartphone to your PC through your Microsoft account and access some of its key features directly with a Windows 11 app called Phone Link. These include your phone-based notifications, the ability to send and receive text messages, view and share your phone-based photos, make and receive phone calls, and control media playing on your phone.

If you have a supported Samsung smartphone, you can also use a unique screen mirroring feature to access your device remotely in Phone Link and run apps, manage files, access Settings, and perform other phone-based tasks from your PC.

Where did it go?
Phone Link was originally called Your Phone. In addition to its support for Android, that app also offered basic support for the Apple iPhone. But that integration is no longer available in Phone Link.
Link your phone with your PC
Before you can use Phone Link, you must link your PC and phone through your Microsoft account. This is a tedious, multi-step process that involves configuration in the Phone Link app on your PC and a related mobile app that you'll need to install on your phone. Budget a solid 30 to 40 minutes for this configuration.

Ready? Let's dive in.
Install Link to Windows on your phone
Before you can use Phone Link, you have to install the Microsoft Link to Windows app on your phone via the Google Play Store.
This app is preinstalled on Microsoft Surface Duo and select Honor and Samsung smartphones.
Link your phone and PC
Next, run Phone Link on your PC and click the "Get started" button. Confirm that you have installed Link to Windows on your phone and then click "Pair with QR code." Phone Link will generate a custom QR code that you can use to link the two devices.

"Pair" is perhaps a poor word choice: this connection does not establish a Bluetooth pair between your phone and PC, though that process will occur later during Phone Link's lengthy set up process. (You can learn more about Bluetooth pairing the Bluetooth chapter.)
On your phone, run the Link to Windows app and tap the "Link your phone and PC" button. The app will ask you whether the QR code on your PC is ready. Tap "Continue." After allowing the app to access your camera (choose "Only this time"), use your phone to scan the QR code as directed.

With a successful scan, your phone and PC will be linked through your Microsoft account.
Grant initial permissions on your phone
But you still have a lot of work to do: now, you must step through a multi-page wizard on your phone that gives the app the permissions it needs to integrate the two devices. You will be asked to give the Link to Windows app the following permissions:

Your contacts
Make and manage phone calls
Access photos, videos, music, and audio
Send and view SMS (text) messages

You should tap "Allow" for each.

Then, you will be asked to let Link to Windows run in the background so that your text messages and photos will stay up to date on the PC. As ...