I thought linking my phone and PC was pointless, but now I wouldn’t have it any other way

I’m not big on connected devices, so creating an ecosystem where my PC, phone, laptop, and TV can talk to each other doesn’t interest me at all. Lately, however, I’ve started reducing my phone usage during the workday, so that I can finish my work earlier without wasting time on Instagram and WhatsApp. I also find myself transferring photos from my phone to the PC when I need them for my articles. I’ve also been using a screen mirroring app when I need to show a product or article on my phone to my partner, but on a larger screen. This disjointed workflow would have continued in the same way had I not discovered that Phone Link serves each of my use cases.

Phone Link has been part of Windows for years, but I ignored it until now. I always believed that keeping my phone and PC separate was just better, but after two weeks of using Phone Link every weekday, I wish I had converted earlier. Phone Link not only allows clipboard syncing and making calls from my PC, but also notifications syncing and file and app access. It’s a built-in Windows app and is well-integrated with my OnePlus 15, so I don’t need third-party apps anymore.

I can mirror my phone screen without a third-party app

I like the deep integration of Phone Link

Mirroring my Android phone’s screen on my TV has been a pain point for years. While my partner’s iPhone works seamlessly with our Apple TV 4K, I need to mess around with multiple third-party apps to find one that works properly and isn’t paid. On my PC, screen mirroring isn’t as complicated, but I still need to keep an app on my phone for the rare occasions when I have to cast a browser tab, chat window, or app from my phone to the monitor. As you can guess, I don’t like needless apps cluttering my phone, so when I recently moved to Windows 11 and found that I could use Phone Link on my PC and Link to Windows on my OnePlus 15, I regretted not using this system earlier.

Connecting my phone to my PC was quick and simple. A simple QR code scan and some permission access on my phone were all it needed. Then, I could use the Mirror to PC button in the Link to Windows app on my phone to cast the entire screen to my monitor. Keeping Phone Link on the PC set to start with Windows doesn’t add to the clutter at all whenever I reboot the system. And the companion app on my phone hasn’t led to any noticeable battery drain either. While I haven’t found the perfect screen mirroring app for Android on Apple TV, Phone Link has solved the issue on the PC side.

I can access my photos without sharing them manually

It’s way better than it sounds

Writing articles five days a week, I need to click a lot of photos on my phone. These can be shots of my PC, monitor, TV, or router, or some other product I’m reviewing. I use a third-party app called Send Anywhere for transferring these photos to my PC. It’s an app I have to keep on my phone permanently, but since sharing photos is way more frequent than screen mirroring, I’ve gotten used to it. Well, that was until I realized that Phone Link also allowed me to access my smartphone’s photos seamlessly. There’s a dedicated Photos tab which displays all the recent clicks from my phone, any of which I can save to my PC. This eliminates manual sharing between my phone and the PC, and while that’s only a few taps and clicks gone from my workflow, it results in a more seamless and fulfilling experience. I only need to worry about finding the perfect shot, and Phone Link does the rest.

I can glance at crucial notifications without picking up my phone

The most underrated feature of Phone Link

The whole reason I started using Phone Link after all these years was that I wanted to minimize my dependence on my phone. I had started stretching my workday way beyond what I felt comfortable with, and a big factor was my excessive phone usage while sitting at my desk. Doomscrolling on Instagram, chatting on WhatsApp, wishlishting products on Amazon, and reading articles on Chrome were beginning to eat up a lot of my time. That’s when I found that Phone Link doesn’t just sync your files, apps, clipboard, and calls between your phone and PC; it can also display all your phone’s notifications in real time. One of the biggest reasons I kept my phone on my desk during the day was so that I wouldn’t miss a delivery or an important message. Staying on top of everything inevitably led to wasting time on the phone long after I had addressed the “critical” notification or call.

Thanks to Phone Link, I can now keep my phone safely out of reach, outside my PC room, and still stay informed of important texts and deliveries. My focus is only on whether a notification deserves my attention right away. If it doesn’t, I can concentrate on my article; if it does, I can spare a few minutes to respond to the message or approve a delivery person’s entry on the PC itself. Either way, I don’t have the luxury of engaging with the tons of apps present on my phone, waiting to suck my attention and delay my work. This small feature has slashed my phone usage considerably during my peak working hours.

Phone Link was an unlikely addition to my workflow

I never thought I’d say this, but Phone Link has now become an integral part of my workday. I don’t need to stay on my phone 24/7, thanks to the real-time notifications view on Phone Link. I can also share photos from my phone and mirror the screen using the Link to Windows companion app on my phone. This eliminates the need for keeping third-party apps on my phone. I still don’t believe I need an ecosystem of devices, but syncing my phone and PC has given me a taste for it.