Windows 11 Search can now call or text someone from a connected Android phone and switch on phone settings such as Do Not Disturb. The feature arrived in Windows Insider Preview build 26340.9843, released to the Experimental channel on 30 October 2026. It runs through Phone Link, the Microsoft app that pairs a phone with a Windows PC.
How phone actions in Windows 11 Search work
With a supported phone linked through Phone Link, you type a request into Search and pick the action from the results. In Microsoft’s example, typing dnd phone brings up a Turn on do not disturb action for the linked handset. Typing call melissa or a text request for the same contact brings up Call and Send actions instead. Each result is labelled with the name of the phone it will run on.
For now, this is an Android-first feature. Microsoft’s release notes say “Android support is available now with iPhone support coming early next year.” Microsoft’s Phone Link supported devices page is the place to check whether your phone qualifies.
As with any Phone Link feature, your PC needs a link to your phone’s contacts and messages for this to work. These results only appear once a phone is connected through Phone Link. The feature builds on earlier Windows tests of phone integration. Those include message previews in the Start menu and a Quick Settings tile that rings your Android phone.
The rest of the Windows 11 Search update, in brief
The same build makes several other changes to Search:
- Inline sliders: adjust volume, brightness and cursor size right in the results.
- File previews: see a preview of a file inside Search.
- Web answers: answers from the web appear among the results.
- Microsoft Store apps: Store app results, controlled by a toggle in Settings > Privacy & security > Search.
- Result filters: narrow results to Files & Folders, Settings or Actions.
- Feedback: rate results with a thumbs up or thumbs down.
When will phone actions reach regular Windows 11?
Not yet. Build 26340.9843 sits in the Experimental channel of the Windows Insider Program, not on stable Windows 11. Microsoft lists phone actions among changes being gradually rolled out, so not every Insider on that build will see them yet. The release notes don’t give a date for a stable release. iPhone owners have a rough target of early next year, per the same notes.
Source: Microsoft
