If you have a Samsung Galaxy phone and Windows 10, you can use this feature, too.
Your Phone app lets Android phones run apps on Windows 10 PCs.
Microsoft is finally bringing Android apps to Windows 11, after months of anticipation. The feature will be available through the Amazon Appstore in the Microsoft Store, which is currently in preview. This is where you can download apps like Audible, Kindle and other mobile apps and games. But, there's another way to use Android apps on your PC, even if Windows 11 hasn't reached your computer yet.
Certain Android phone users can currently access Android mobile apps directly from their Windows 10 PC, thanks to an update to the Your Phone app that Microsoft rolled out last August. (Here's the full list of supported phones on Microsoft's support site.) Windows 10 also lets you run multiple Android mobile apps side by side on your Windows 10 PC and supported Samsung devices.
With many people moving to a remote or hybrid work environment due to the pandemic, the ability to access phone apps on a larger desktop or laptop screen, with a mouse, pen or touchscreen, could help with multitasking. Though the feature is available now, at the time of this article's original publication, it was available only for Samsung Galaxy phones. This story was recently updated.
In addition to a Samsung Galaxy phone (at least for now), you'll need a PC running the Windows 10 October 2019 Update or later. Check what version you're running on your PC by going to Settings > Updates & Security > Check for update. (The latest version of Windows 10 is the November 2021 update.) If you still need to upgrade to Windows 10, you can download Windows 10 for free.
You'll also need the latest version of the Your Phone app, and Link to Windows. On your phone, you'll need to be running Android 9.0 or greater, with the Link to Windows integration.
Finally, your phone and computer must be on the same Wi-Fi network for the feature to work.
Once you have everything you need and your phone and computer are connected, the Your Phone app window should appear on your desktop. To open your Android apps on your desktop:
Note that not every app will work with your mouse or keyboard, but many will.
And here are a few more tips for interacting with your mobile apps on your desktop with your mouse and keyboard, according to Microsoft:
For more, check out Windows 10 hacks you need to know and the best Android 12 features we've found.