Tip of the Week: Connecting Android to Windows for Added Productivity

Windows 10 and Android have played well with one another for quite some time. So well, in fact, that there is a way to access your Android apps from your Windows 10 workstation. Let’s go over the process involved in doing so.

Before we begin, however, it is important that we acknowledge a few prerequisites and restrictions to this capability.

• As of right now, this capability is restricted to certain devices, although more will likely feature it soon.
• Android 9.0 needs to be installed, with the Link to Windows tool enabled.
• The workstation needs to be updated to at least the Windows 10 October 2019 Update.
• Both devices need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

What Can I Do With My Devices Linked?

Basically, this utility pulls your Android apps onto your workstation, eliminating the need for you to switch back and forth between the two. Once you’ve accessed one of your applications via Windows, interacting with it is quite intuitive:

• A single click works the same as a single tap.
• Right clicking works similarly to the Back button.
• Clicking and holding is the same as touching and holding.
• Clicking and dragging works to select content.
• Scrolling allows you to move vertically and horizontally between apps.

While this utility isn’t perfect—some applications simply won’t allow you to cast over their contents, and no sounds are transmitted—it can still offer great utility to someone who frequently bounces between their devices.

What do you think? Is this something you would find useful? Share your impressions in the comments!