Want to access your favorite phone apps directly from your Windows desktop? Try pinning them to the desktop! With Microsoft’s Phone Link feature, you can seamlessly connect your Android phone apps to your Windows PC and pin your favorite ones for effortless access.
Connect Your Phone to Windows
Before we dive into pinning apps, you’ll need to connect your phone to your Windows PC. This process is relatively straightforward if the Link to Windows app is pre-installed on your device or your phone is listed as a supported device. For example, features like mirroring phone displays and app management through Phone Link are available only on certain supported devices and do not work with all Android phones.
If your device supports the screen mirroring feature but doesn’t have the Link to Windows app, you can download it from the Google Play Store.
Now, open the Phone Link app on your PC by launching it from the Start Menu.
Make sure that the Phone Link app is installed on your PC; it comes pre-installed on Windows 11 but can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store if it is not present.
Next, sign in to your Microsoft account and choose your device type.
After choosing a device, it will show a QR code on your screen.
On your phone, open the “Link To Windows” application. You can find it by searching in your app drawer or accessing it from the Quick Settings toggles.
After opening the app, pair your device by scanning a QR code that is revealed on your PC.
Enter the code shown on your PC (if prompted) and sign in with the same Microsoft account you used for the Phone Link.
Head over to the Phone Link on your PC and verify the connection to your Android device.
Be sure to grant the required permissions on your phone to allow the Phone Link app to access notifications, messages, and other data from your device. Also, if you’re an iPhone user, you can also connect via the Phone Link app, but, you won’t have access to features like managing apps and mirroring the screen.
Pin Apps to Desktop
Now that your phone is connected to your Windows device, it’s time to start pinning apps to your desktop. In the open Phone Link window, navigate to the Apps section.
Next, select the app you want to pin to your desktop. Right-click on it and choose either “Pin to Start” or “Pin to Taskbar” from the dropdown menu. This action creates a shortcut to the app on your taskbar or Start menu. To pin the app directly to your desktop, drag the shortcut from the taskbar or Start menu to your desktop.
However, keep in mind that this feature of pinning apps is not available for all Android devices; only specific compatible devices contain this feature.
Try These Options Instead!
If your smartphone does not support the Phone Screen feature, you can explore other options, such as third-party screen mirroring apps. While these tools do not let you pin apps directly to the Windows desktop, they still provide easy access to your apps from your computer screen.
The first reliable and user-friendly option to try is AirDroid. Trusted by users for years, it offers a seamless experience for managing your Android phone from a Windows PC. Best of all, it’s free and incredibly convenient—you can use its web-based version without needing to install anything on your computer.
Another great option is Scrcpy. It’s an open-source tool that provides a smooth and responsive way to mirror and control your Android phone directly on any Windows PC.
