Galaxy Note 10’s ‘Link to Windows’ shortcut already ported to older Samsung phones

Ben Schoon | Aug 15 2019 - 7:41 am PT

The Galaxy Note 10 has quite a few new features, but perhaps the ones Samsung spent the most time talking about at its Unpacked event were those that came from its Microsoft collaboration. One of those features, the handy “Link to Windows” shortcut, is now available on older Samsung phones with a quick workaround. Here’s how to get it.

In case you missed it back on launch day, the Note 10 comes with a suite of features designed for Microsoft users. It can output content to Word, has a plethora of pre-installed Microsoft apps, and more. One of the most interesting features is a shortcut toggle in the quick settings which can be used to quickly activate a connection to your Windows PC.

This new feature is powered by Microsoft’s “Your Phone Companion” app, but it requires an additional app to enable the special features on Galaxy devices. Some users have found out (via SamMobile) that sideloading a single APK from the Galaxy Note 10 also enables the functionality on some older Galaxy devices.

We also can’t stress enough that you should not install this on non-Samsung phones. The results aren’t pretty.

To get started, you’ll need a Samsung device running on One UI. This includes the links of the Galaxy S10 family, Galaxy Note 9, and more. Technically, it should work on any device with One UI, but those are the only ones that have been tested. Next you’ll need to download the Your Phone Companion app from the Play Store and set it up. Finally, you’ll need to sideload the “Link to Windows Service” APK on your Samsung phone from a trusted source.

Once that’s done, the “Link to Windows” toggle should be available as an option in the quick settings, although you’ll need to manually add it. Tapping it may ask for permissions the first time, but after that it should quickly connect your phone to your PC.