In Short
- In a session at MS Build 2025, Microsoft showcased a new cross-device experience between Windows 11 and Android.
- It will allow users to seamlessly resume phone apps on their Windows 11 PCs, similar to macOS’ Handoff feature.
- However, Microsoft has strangely removed the demo from the session recording.
During the MS Build 2025 event, Microsoft demonstrated cross-device experiences between Windows and Android, similar to Apple’s Handoff feature in macOS. In a session titled “Create Seamless Cross-Device Experiences with Windows for your app,” Aakash Varshney, a Microsoft PM said, “When you open the app on your mobile device or tablet, Windows can show a subtle badge right on your app’s taskbar icon.”
Windows watcher @phantomofearth on X was able to capture a screenshot of the demo. Microsoft has strangely deleted the cross-device demo from the session recording. The Verge has quoted Varshney, stating that “It’s a visual nudge that when clicked launches your app directly into the task, delivering a smooth intuitive handoff from PC to phone.“
The demo showed that when you hover over an app like Spotify on the Taskbar, you will be presented with a “Continue where you left” option. The “Resume” option shows up for apps you recently opened on your mobile device. It’s being reported that WhatsApp will soon get a cross-device experience on Windows 11.
It’s worth noting that last year, a “Hand Off” system toggle appeared on Windows 11 in the Insider build. It was supposed to stream phone apps on your Windows 11 PC. Since then, there has been no development on this front. However, with the recent demo, it’s likely Microsoft may be preparing to launch the cross-device experience via the Phone Link app on Windows 11.
