Microsoft says Windows 11 will preview messages and notifications from a connected Android phone or iPhone in the Start menu. The idea is that you can see what needs a reply without picking up your phone. The company described the change in an October 15 Windows Experience Blog post, but it gave no release date.
What Windows 11 phone integration adds to Start
The main change lives in the Start menu. Microsoft sums it up in one line of its post:
“Preview messages and notifications from your Android phone or iPhone in Start to see what needs your attention.”
Microsoft, Windows Experience Blog
When a conversation does need an answer, Microsoft says it opens in a chat-focused window on the PC. In practice, you reply from the keyboard instead of switching devices.
Quick Settings is getting phone controls too. Microsoft says you will be able to silence your phone or make it ring from the PC. Earlier this month, Windows 11 was testing a Quick Settings tile that rings your Android phone. The October 15 post folds that idea into a wider set of phone features.
Extra features for Android phones
Microsoft lists three features specifically for a supported Android phone:
- App windows: phone apps open in their own resizable windows on the desktop.
- File Explorer access: you can browse the phone’s files from the PC.
- Photo alerts: taking a photo on the phone can trigger a PC notification to open it there.
What about iPhone?
A footnote in Microsoft’s post says the features need a compatible Android device or iPhone. It adds that features vary by mobile platform. The post does not say which features reach iPhone. Until Microsoft clarifies, iPhone owners shouldn’t count on app windows or File Explorer access.
When will it arrive?
Microsoft’s post does not give a release date for the phone features. It also doesn’t say which Windows builds will get them first.
The same post says a new Windows Search experience is available to Windows Insiders as of October 15. That line covers Search only, not the phone features in Start. Microsoft separately labels the ability to interact with your connected phone from Search as coming soon.
A note on privacy
Message previews in Start mean your texts and notification content will appear on your PC screen. That matters on a shared family computer or a work laptop in an open office. Microsoft’s post does not say whether you can hide the preview text. Once the feature reaches your PC, check the Phone Link settings to see what Start will show.
Sources: Microsoft Windows Experience Blog, Android Authority
