Microsoft’s Home windows Telephone platform could also be lengthy gone at this level, however do not despair: You’ll be able to nonetheless get a implausible Microsoft expertise in your cellular gadget. You simply should look to an unlikely bedfellow.
With Home windows Telephone out of the image, Microsoft has been devoting an ever-increasing quantity of vitality to creating its personal mini-platform inside Google’s Android ecosystem. And given Android’s immense flexibility and customization potential, that opens the door to some fairly compelling potentialities.
With the precise set of apps, the truth is, you’ll be able to mainly create a Home windows-centric atmosphere on any Android gadget — with all the pieces from the providers you like to the phone-to-PC concord you crave.
Listed here are the steps and components that you must get began.
1. Create your Microsoft-focused Android residence display
The core of your Android setup is your house display — and the app that’ll flip that space of your interface right into a hub on your Microsoft-Android expertise is the aptly named Microsoft Launcher.
On the floor, Microsoft Launcher has the identical kinds of options you will discover in different Android launchers — the everyday instruments for customizing your house display’s look, creating gesture-based shortcuts, and so forth. However past that, it provides a healthy dose of Microsoft into the combo, with Bing-powered search by default, built-in entry to varied Microsoft providers, and outstanding placement of advisable Microsoft apps.
After which there’s essentially the most distinguishing component of all: To the left of the principle residence display panel sits Microsoft’s tackle the usual Google Uncover feed — a card-based assortment containing gadgets similar to information, climate, agenda information, and fast glances at your notes, duties, and up to date paperwork from the suitable Microsoft providers.
JR Raphael/IDG
The Microsoft Launcher’s feed and most important residence display panel.
We’ll get into extra phone-to-PC connecting potentialities in a second, however first, an alternate residence display possibility for anybody who’s actually lacking the basic Home windows Telephone look: Attempt Sq. Dwelling. The launcher — which is not truly developed by Microsoft — emulates the tile-centric “Metro UI” from the Home windows Telephone platform. You will sacrifice the tight integration with Microsoft providers supplied by the official Microsoft Launcher, but when your telephone’s interface is a high precedence, you may simply be proud of the tradeoff (even when just for an occasional little bit of weekend nostalgia).
JR Raphael/IDG
A style of Home windows Telephone on Android through the Sq. Dwelling launcher.
2. Set up your Home windows-Android connection
All proper — so your house display is all set with a hearty serving to of Microsoft magic. Now let’s get your PC absolutely related together with your telephone for the complete Microsoft-Android expertise.
The very first thing you will need to do is obtain and set up the Microsoft Hyperlink to Home windows app (previously often called Your Telephone Companion) in your Android telephone. Open it and observe the steps it offers for establishing a hyperlink between your telephone and your Home windows pc. It will be sure to’re signed into the identical Microsoft account in each locations after which immediate you to search out and join the equal app for Home windows to get all the pieces squared away on the PC aspect of issues.
When you do all of that and authorize a handful of pertinent permissions, you can deal with an entire bunch of stuff out of your telephone proper in your Home windows pc — together with:
- Sending and receiving textual content messages
- Making and receiving calls
- Viewing latest pictures
- Adjusting your telephone’s quantity and ringer settings
- Seeing your telephone’s battery and connection standing
- Turning your telephone’s Bluetooth on or off
JR Raphael/IDG
Microsoft’s Hyperlink to Home windows system enables you to work together together with your Android telephone instantly out of your Home windows pc. (Click on picture to enlarge it.)
On an annoyingly restricted subset of Android telephones, together with Microsoft’s Floor Duo and a handful of latest Samsung Galaxy flagships, it’s also possible to wirelessly switch information between your telephone and pc and even open apps out of your telephone in your pc.
Why are these superior choices restricted to such a small pool of merchandise, you is likely to be questioning? For no obvious purpose — that is why. Presumably, it is only a matter of Microsoft making extra cash by conserving these options accessible just for its personal self-made telephones and people which are a part of an settlement between it and Samsung.
Perhaps that’ll change someday — however for now, no less than, it’s what it’s. And we’ve Microsoft to thank for the limitation.
3. Arrange Home windows-Android clipboard syncing
It is confoundingly buried and separate from the Hyperlink to Home windows app, however Microsoft has a useful manner so that you can join your Android telephone’s clipboard to your pc and make it particularly straightforward to maneuver textual content between the 2 techniques.
The important thing lies within the SwiftKey keyboard app, which Microsoft purchased again in 2016 and has slowly however certainly been placing its stamp on ever since. As soon as you put in SwiftKey in your telephone and undergo its preliminary setup course of, you will should dig up and activate the clipboard-syncing possibility:
- Faucet the horizontal three-dot menu icon within the keyboard’s upper-right nook.
- Faucet “Settings,” then “Wealthy enter,” then “Clipboard.”
- Flip the toggle subsequent to “Sync clipboard historical past” into the on place.
Then, in your Home windows pc:
- Open the Home windows Settings app.
- Click on “System” after which “Clipboard.”
- Make sure that the toggles subsequent to each “Clipboard historical past” and “Sync throughout units” are within the on place.
Simply notice that you will should be signed into the identical Microsoft account each in SwiftKey and in Home windows. So long as you might be, you must then see something you copy on one gadget routinely seem and be accessible for pasting within the different gadget’s keyboard for one hour — after which current within the system’s clipboard historical past space, if accessible, onward from there.
4. Embrace Microsoft’s Android browser energy
For essentially the most Microsoft-like framework on your Android-based internet searching, you will need to seize the official Android Microsoft Edge app.
The Edge Android browser makes it straightforward to maneuver content material between your telephone and PC. And past that, it routinely syncs your historical past, favorites, and collections — a built-in system for saving articles to learn later — so you’ll be able to seamlessly hop between totally different units whereas working.
JR Raphael/IDG
Microsoft’s Edge browser offers a well-recognized internet searching atmosphere with seamless syncing between your telephone and PC.
5. Arrange entry to your Microsoft storage on Android
Microsoft’s OneDrive is constructed instantly into Home windows — and with a pair fast faucets, it may be constructed into your Android gadget, too. Seize the OneDrive app and have straightforward always-synced entry to your information, irrespective of the place it’s possible you’ll roam.
6. Set up the Workplace/Microsoft 365 pack for Android
Microsoft’s Workplace apps (now renamed Microsoft 365 apps) on Android have come a good distance. Lately, the Android variations of Phrase, Excel, and PowerPoint — accessible as particular person downloads or as an all-in-one Workplace (Microsoft 365) app package deal — are absolutely featured, polished, and nice to make use of. Plus, should you’re already residing in Microsoft’s universe, they’re going to offer you a very constant expertise together with your desktop-based software program and allow you to work in your information from any gadget with out the necessity for any conversions or changes.
(Notice that you will want an energetic Microsoft 365 subscription as a way to make the most of the entire apps’ options — and to make use of them in any respect for enhancing on any large-screen cellular units.)
Do not forget, too, that Outlook and OneNote are each accessible on Android. For those who’re utilizing both program in your Home windows desktop, you will most likely recognize having it in your Android telephone as nicely.
7. Flip your Android telephone right into a Home windows authentication key
Make your life a bit simpler and let your telephone function the important thing to your Home windows pc with the Microsoft Authenticator app. Authenticator can act as a daily two-factor authentication code generator, but it surely additionally has the flexibility to allow you to keep away from getting into your Microsoft password totally and as a substitute authorize entry to your pc just by unlocking your telephone and approving a notification.
8. Think about another Microsoft-Android odds and ends
The apps and procedures above are essentially the most important items of the Microsoft-Android puzzle, however Microsoft has a handful of different noteworthy choices that additionally is likely to be price your whereas:
- If you end up needing to scan bodily paperwork or whiteboards typically, the Microsoft Lens app is as much as the duty. It will crop and clear up such snapshots and save ’em as PDFs, Phrase information, or PowerPoint information — in OneNote or OneDrive and even simply in your gadget’s personal native storage.
JR Raphael/IDG
Microsoft Lens simplifies the method of capturing bodily paperwork and saving them to your Microsoft storage.
- It is not one of the best all-around to-do app on Android, however Microsoft To Do has the distinctive benefit of syncing up with the remainder of Microsoft’s ecosystem — together with the same-named app on Home windows.
- Need to translate languages with out leaning on Google? Microsoft Translator is standing by and ready to say bonjour.
- Final however not least, should you’re really going all in with Microsoft, the Microsoft Bing app will make certain Microsoft’s full search setup is at all times only a faucet away. It is the closest equal you will discover to the self-named Google app that comes put in on most Android units out of the field.
All that is lacking at this level is Clippy — and I believe we are able to all agree his absence is an excellent factor.
This text was initially printed in March 2018 and most not too long ago up to date in November 2022.