Microsoft might’ve ditched Android apps in Windows 11 a couple of years ago, but that doesn’t mean it’s abandoned cross-platform support altogether. A new update is making it easier to resume mobile apps on your PC, but only with a select group of services for the time being.
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If you’ve been dreaming of a life that revolves around just a single device — your phone — capable of replacing your laptop, desktop, and more, a new piece of hardware might give you exactly what you’re looking for. Unfortunately, you’ll need to accept some cut corners to get there.
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While most of us think about a portable PC just being a laptop, HP has another idea. Why not just stuff it all into a keyboard? That’s exactly what the HP Eliteboard G1a does.
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Samsung is introducing another new series of Galaxy Book laptops, with the new Galaxy Book 6 series adding more AI features, new Intel chips, and it also ditches a long-time complaint of the 16-inch model’s keyboard too.
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At CES 2026, HP is showing off some new laptops powered by the latest chips including Snapdragon X2 Elite and Intel Panther Lake coming this year.
Oh, and there are some Chromebooks too.
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After being announced a few months ago, Qualcomm’s next-gen Snapdragon X2 Elite chips for Windows are set to launch in new Windows laptops launching at CES 2026 next week.
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Following its launch earlier this month, the Google app for Windows is now prompting users to uninstall and reinstall the app to get continued updates.
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Outside of Chrome, Drive, and Quick Share, Google rarely makes native desktop apps with everything usually being based in the browser. That’s changing today with a new experimental “Google app for Windows.”
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Microsoft appears to be working to add clipboard sync between Windows 11 and Android through its Phone Link system, and it works with Gboard too.
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Back in 2021, Microsoft announced Windows 11 SE as a lightweight platform to rival Google’s ChromeOS, but now, the company is pulling the plug on the offshoot.
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Like on Android phones, Samsung will be responsible for the Quick Share experience on its Windows PCs.
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If you’re seeing issues installing Google Chrome on Windows right now, you’re not alone, as Google has seemingly broken downloads due to a faulty install tool that “can’t run” on most Windows PCs.
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In a minor change, the “Quick Share from Google” Windows app has been “renamed and rebranded” to just Quick Share.
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The launch of the Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus last year brought a new importance to making Windows apps for Arm-powered PCs, and one notable omission was Google Drive. After launching in beta last year, the Google Drive app for Windows is now widely available for Snapdragon and Arm-powered machines.
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Google is rolling out a new update for the Quick Share app on Windows which improves how you can change visibility settings among other changes and fixes.
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Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips have brought significantly better battery life to Windows laptops, but at a cost. Apparently, though, Qualcomm has plans for an even cheaper “entry-level” Snapdragon X chip that could be in “$600+” machines.
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Following the arrival of new Snapdragon-powered laptops based on ARM, the Google Drive app for Windows is gaining support for these machines via a new beta release.
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Windows already allows Android phone connection in Phone Link, though it’s limited to photo access and a couple of other features. Through a system integration with File Explorer, Windows may soon allow users to view and edit Android phone files through PCs.
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Microsoft has just made a host of big Copilot announcements including new AI features for Windows, updated branding and designs, and more.
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The second wave of Snapdragon-powered laptops is coming, and for a more affordable cost too. Lenovo has just launched its first IdeaPad laptop with Snapdragon X Plus at IFA this week, and for hundreds less than its previous Snapdragon model.
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A few months after Snapdragon X laptops hit the market, Google has confirmed plans for the Drive app to support ARM chips.
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Google Essentials is a “new app that makes it easier for you to discover and install” Google’s first-party services on Windows.
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After initially being put on hold, Microsoft today announced that Recall, an AI feature that takes screenshots of everything you do in Windows, will launch in October.
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Utilizing the existing connection between Android phones and Windows with the Phone Link app, Microsoft is now baking Nearby Share into PCs, starting with the Preview Channel and making its way to public versions of Windows.
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