Android Screen Mirroring Is Coming to Windows
You'll soon find it much easier to control your smartphone from Windows 10.
At the company's Surface event on Tuesday (Oct. 2), Microsoft mobile general manager Shilpa Ranganathan unveiled a new Windows 10 feature that will allow you to mirror your Android phone on Windows 10. When the operating system and Android are paired, you'll see your phone in full view to the right of your screen. Simply open it and interact with it from there as if you were holding your handset.
In the example presented at the event, Microsoft showed how you could engage in a Snapchat conversation from your Windows 10 machine. You can place your cursor in the area to send a chat, type out your response, and it'll automatically go to your Snapchat contact through your phone.
MORE: How to Use Windows 10
That said, some big questions still remain about the feature. Microsoft only previewed the mirroring and didn't say when it might be made available on Windows 10. And since it's not in the just-released Windows 10 October Update, there's a good chance we won't see it for at least a few weeks.
It's also worth noting that the feature appears to be Android-only. It's possible it could work with the iPhone, of course, but the chances of Apple paving the way for its phones to be mirrored in a Windows environment seem slim, to say the least.
- Surface Laptop 2 Hands-on: MacBook-Killing Keyboard, 85 Percent Faster
- Surface Pro 6 Hands-on: Serious Quad-Core Power, Sleek Black Finish
- Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 vs. Surface Laptop: What's New?
Stay in the know with Laptop Mag
Get our in-depth reviews, helpful tips, great deals, and the biggest news stories delivered to your inbox.