Microsoft is about to rename the Phone Link Settings page to Mobile devices. The change may indicate that in the future, you will be able to connect a wider range of devices to Windows 11.
Advertisеment
Phone Link is a companion app for pairing an Android or iOS smartphone with Windows 11/10. It can host your calls, SMS, browse photos from phone, and even launch apps on Windows desktop. (The latter is exclusive to select brands and smartphone models).
On Windows 11, the app comes with a widget that can display notifications from the phone.
A dedicated page in Settings (Win + I) Settings > Bluetooth and devices > Phone link hosts a number of options related to Phone Link. It can allow or prevent the app from starting with Windows, review the connected device, and so on.
That page is getting a slight redesign. First of all, it will soon be called "Mobile devices." Next, it has a new option, Allow this PC to access your mobile devices. Finally, it includes a dialog that may ask you to install an extra software to link your PC and mobile device.
Clicking Install will make it downloading something briefly and then lets the Manage devices button be clicked. It tries to open an app through the ms-crossdevice-settings link (like Phone Link's toggle, toggling the new option on attempts to automatically launch the app).
And from the Store, it downloads the "Microsoft Cross-Device Components" bundle.
By default, the new page is hidden in Windows 11 Build 23590 (Dev). But you can unlock with ViVeTool to evaluate the new look.
Enable the Mobile Devices page in Windows 11 Settings
- Download ViVeTool from its GitHub page and extract it to the c:\vivetool folder.
- Now right-click Start, and select Terminal(Admin).
- Finally, copy & paste the following command:
c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:46619780. - Restart Windows 11.
Once you restart the OS, you will notice the new Mobile Devices section in Settings > Bluetooth and devices.
To undo the change, run the c:\vivetool\vivetool /reset /id:46619780 command, again as Administrator, and restart Windows 11.
H/t to @PhantomOfEarth!
Support us
Winaero greatly relies on your support. You can help the site keep bringing you interesting and useful content and software by using these options:
If you like this article, please share it using the buttons below. It won't take a lot from you, but it will help us grow. Thanks for your support!
Advertisеment
