How to pin phone apps to your Windows desktop for easy access

Want to access your favorite phone apps right from your Windows desktop? Try pinning them to the desktop! Microsoft’s Phone Link feature lets you seamlessly connect your Android phone apps to your Windows PC and pin your favorites for effortless access.

Connect your phone to Windows

Before we get into pinning apps, you need to connect your phone to your Windows PC. This process is relatively easy if the Link to Windows app is pre-installed on your device or your phone is listed as a supported device. For example, features such as phone screen mirroring and app management via Phone Link are only available 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 the Phone Link app is installed on your PC. It comes preinstalled on Windows 11, but can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store if it’s not there.

Next, sign in to your Microsoft account and select your device type.

After you select a device, a QR code will appear on your screen.

Open the Link to Windows application on your phone. You can find it by searching in your app drawer or accessing it from Quick Settings.

After opening the app, pair your device by scanning a QR code that appears on your PC.

Enter the code shown on your PC (if prompted) and sign in with the same Microsoft account you used for Phone Link.

Go to Phone Link on your PC and check the connection to your Android device.

Make sure you grant the necessary permissions on your phone to allow the Phone Link app to access notifications, messages, and other data from your device. Additionally, if you’re an iPhone user, you can connect via the Phone Link app, but you won’t have access to features like managing apps and screen mirroring.

Pin apps to the desktop

Now that your phone is connected to your Windows device, it’s time to pin apps to your desktop. In the opened Phone Link window, navigate to the Apps section.

Next, select the app you want to pin to your desktop. Right-click it and select either “Pin to Start” or “Pin to Taskbar” from the drop-down menu. This action creates a shortcut to the app in 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, note that this app pinning feature is not available for all Android devices. Only certain compatible devices have this feature.

Try these options instead!

If your smartphone does not support the phone screen function, you can explore other options such as: B. Third-party screen mirroring apps. Although these tools don’t 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 easy-to-use option you should try is AirDroid. Trusted by users for years, it offers a seamless experience when managing your Android phone from a Windows PC. The best part is that it’s free and incredibly convenient – you can use the web-based version without having to install anything on your computer.

Another great option is Scrcpy. It is an open-source tool that offers a smooth and responsive way to mirror and control your Android phone directly on any Windows PC.