Windows 11 Search can open Android phone apps straight from the taskbar
Type an app's name in Search and it opens on your phone and shows on the PC through Phone Link.
You can now type your phone app's name into the PC search. The app opens and shows on the big screen. It works with certain phones only.
Hype check
Quieter than it deserves. This one matters more than the coverage suggests.
Our editorial opinion, based on the sources below. How we score
Your call: hype or real?
Real = it will matter in daily use. Hype = louder than it is. One vote, and it can’t be changed.
Our view and readers’ views are opinions, not statements of fact about a product.
Why it matters
You no longer need to open Phone Link first, but it is for some phones only and still experimental.
Watch: experimental and needs a supported phone.
The details
- Apps appear in search results labelled Mobile app.
- You can also call, text and run actions such as Do Not Disturb.
- It is for select Samsung, HONOR, OPPO, ASUS, vivo, Xiaomi, iQOO and Realme phones.
- It arrived in Insider build 26340.9843; iPhone support is expected early next year.
Receipts
One trusted outlet reports it. Not confirmed yet. Open the sources and check us.
Written with the help of AI tools and checked against the sources above. How we work
See a mistake? Tell us and we’ll fix it.
