Windows 11 to add ability to seamlessly resume apps from Android phone on PC

Your Android phone and Windows PC will soon gain a nifty feature that Apple users have enjoyed for years now. The feature I’m talking about is Handoff, which essentially offers continuity functionality to let you start a task on, for example, your iPhone, and pick it up right where you left off on your Mac.

Now, with Microsoft finally rolling out support for a similar feature via the Link to Windows/Phone Link app, expect seamless continuity to arrive for a much broader range of devices.

Announced by the Redmond, Washington-based tech giant in a recent blog post, Handoff-like functionality is currently in testing in Windows 11’s Dev and Beta channels, and it is officially called Cross Device Resume. When exactly it will roll out to the masses remains to be seen, but it’s clear that sooner or later, it is coming. Additionally, at least for now, the functionality is limited to Spotify. However, Microsoft is urging developers to begin integrating the feature into their own apps.

Here’s what you need to get set up

It’s a given that your Windows device and Android phone need the Phone Link and Link to Windows apps, respectively. Additionally, you’ll need to be logged into the Spotify account on both devices.

If you’re already running Phone Link and have a paired device, you should be good to go. If not, you’ll need to go through the full setup process, instructions for which can be found here.

Once paired, simply playing music or a podcast episode on your Android phone should trigger a ‘Resume’ notification in your Windows device’s taskbar. “Continue on this PC,” reads the notification if you have the Spotify app installed. If not, tapping the same notification initiates a 1-click installation from the Microsoft Store and automatically downloads and opens the app for you, as seen in the screenshots above.

We’re expecting the feature to debut in stable within the year.