Microsoft recently announced a new feature that just might be a game-changer for Android users: an app mirroring feature named "Your Phone."
Your Phone, an app that comes included in the Windows 10 October 2018 update, will allow people to continue on their Windows 10 PC or laptop what they're doing on their Android phone, 9to5Google reports. With this feature, Microsoft hopes to "bridge the gap" that the discontinued Windows Phone left between mobile devices and the PC.
The feature sounds real promising, but at the start it will only allow users to get instant access to their texts and photos, which are found on their Android phones, while working on their documents on the PC.
This will be a very helpful feature, as sometimes people tend to lose the focus they give to their spreadsheets after they spend a few moments clicking away on a text message they type on their smartphones. Now, with the Your Phone app, people can simply text on their Windows 10 PCs as if they were on the phone.
Of course, this feature won't be limited to mirroring phone messaging and photos only. Microsoft aims to enable Your Phone to allow mirroring of third-party applications as well. During the announcement, Microsoft showed Your Phone mirroring Snapchat, and teased that Your Phone will be able to allow more third-party apps in the near future.
Sometimes you can't stop for a text. Now you don't have to. Get Your Phone app and text right from your PC. Available now in the #Windows10 October 2018 Update. #MicrosoftEvent pic.twitter.com/JCXP3cJ3Zl — Windows (@Windows) October 2, 2018
Though the feature seems promising, it won't be for all. Your Phone will only work on Android smartphones running on Android 7.0 (Nougat) or newer. Those who are still using older Android versions (Gingerbread, anyone?) won't be able to use this -- unless Microsoft works on providing support for older versions.
For those who use iOS devices, don't be discouraged; The Verge noted that Microsoft also announced an ability to transfer webpages from an iPhone to a Windows 10 PC, so it's very likely that the tech giant might also develop the same feature for iOS. iPhone fans, then, are advised to keep their fingers crossed and hope for the a future update that supports iOS to Windows continuity.
The Windows 10 October 2018 update is available now.
