Microsoft has announced an enhancement to its Phone Connection app, which allows users to control their mobile devices from their PCs more effectively. This update will be generally available to all users by the end of February 2025.
The Phone Connection app, previously known as Phone Plugin, features a refreshed visual design aimed at improving user experience. Microsoft emphasizes that this integration is intended to enhance productivity by enabling users to perform various smartphone tasks directly from their PCs. This includes sending messages, setting alarms and timers, locating places using maps, and accessing contacts without physically handling the mobile device.
To utilize Phone Connection, users must ensure their Windows app version is 1.24112.110.0 or later, install the Link to Windows app on their Android devices, and sign in with a Microsoft account. The functionality allows natural language commands for operations, which makes it easier to navigate tasks. Users are encouraged to check a new setting in the Copilot app to enable the feature, which is designed to work on most PCs.
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Microsoft has indicated that while Phone Connection is not yet available in the web version of Copilot, there are hints in a support document suggesting it may be added soon. Copilot provides various capabilities, such as checking for messages by asking, “Any new messages today?” or setting timers by saying, “Set a 3-minute timer for boiling eggs.” Additionally, users can send messages to contacts or find locations through natural language queries like, “Locate the nearest shopping mall on my phone.”
For Samsung users wanting to access advanced features such as canceling alarms and timers, additional requirements include using a Samsung device running Android 14 or later, the Clock app version 12.3.21.0 or later, and the Link to Windows Service app version 3.0.01.7 or later.
To deactivate the Phone Connection feature, users can go to Profile > Account in Copilot and toggle off the relevant setting. As the feature is undergoing a gradual rollout, users will not see it immediately but can expect it to be available by the end of February 2025.
Currently, Copilot only supports one linked Android mobile device per Microsoft account, and switching devices requires redoing the linking process. The feature is not yet available in the Copilot mobile app, nor is it supported for iPhone users.
Featured image credit: Ricardo Resende/Unsplash
