But what is the Your Phone app, and what can it do for you? Let’s find out.
What Is Your Phone? Where to Download the App
Your Phone is Microsoft’s answer to interacting with your Android device from your Windows system. Out of the box, it comes with everything a casual user might need, such as responding to texts from your system or managing photos.
In terms of features, Your Phone comes lacking compared to premium options. You’ll be able to access the basics, but not as many features as a more advanced option, such as mirroring your Android screen directly.
The advantage of Your Phone, however, is its ease of access. To download, simply head over to Your Phone’s Microsoft Store page and download it from there.
Your Phone’s System Requirements
Your Phone doesn’t require much from a hardware perspective. Aside from the Android app, there are two main requirements.
Your Android device will need Bluetooth, somewhat obviously, but so will your PC. If your PC doesn’t already have Bluetooth, consider picking up a Bluetooth adapter or something similar.
This locks one of the more powerful features of Your Phone behind a specific brand of phones. However, Your Phone can do plenty on its own regardless.
Setting Up Your Phone
Once you’ve installed Your Phone off the Microsoft Store, grab your Android phone and get ready to follow the straightforward on-screen instructions.
The easiest way to pair the devices is by installing the Your Phone Companion - Link to Windows on your Android device. This will generate a QR code that you can use to quickly connect.
Alternatively, there is a web option to follow, that can also generate the same QR code.
Whether you’re using the App or the web option, a QR code will be generated based on your Microsoft account.
Scan this QR code, either using your phone’s inbuilt camera App or the Your Phone Companion app.
This concludes the pairing process. Next, you’ll be prompted to grant some system permissions on your Android device. Allow or disallow whatever you’d like; however, the program works best with full permissions.
The Basic Features of the Your Phone App
Without the additional features of a specific Samsung device, Your Phone allows for four main features.
Texting. Manage and respond to your text messages. Handy for those who prefer to type over texting. Notification Management. All of your notification banners can be viewed from Your Phone, and will even display a notification event in Windows. Any banner with interactive elements (such as reply fields) can be used. Photos. View and save your photos without hassle. Your entire photo library can be viewed and saved at their original, full size. Make and Receive Calls. With further system permissions, you can answer your calls and talk through your phone using your computer’s hardware.
Further, more advanced features, such as certain app mirroring, are unavailable for the wide majority of phones. Still, this is a powerful toolset that is free and easy to use.
Simple and Easy to Use
Microsoft’s Your Phone might not be fancy, and, compared to the competition, might be lacking some pretty crucial features. However, the barrier for entry in terms of setting the program up is minimal, and the average user is guaranteed to get some good use out of it.
Your Phone might act as a decent stop-gap for other more advanced programs or may settle in as a cornerstone of your system. Either way, it can’t hurt to check it out
