Microsoft launches Your Phone beta for Insiders in the Fast ring

By Zac Bowden
last updated

Microsoft has started rolling out the first beta for Your Phone on Windows 10 with Insiders testing the latest Redstone 5 builds in the Fast ring. Announced earilier this year, Your Phone allows you to see and interact with your phone without having to pick up your phone to do so.

In this initial beta, users can use the Your Phone app to open photos taken on their Android device and import them directly into documents or share them within apps on their PC. Later versions of the app will be able to send and receive text messages, and even display your phones notifications.

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Unfortunately, the Your Phone app isn't available for iPhone at this time, but Microsoft says iPhone support will be coming later, albeit with less features due to Apple's "walled garden" that is iOS, meaning the Your Phone app won't be able to tap into as much data as it can on Android.

The beta is rolling out now for Insiders in the Fast ring as an app update being pushed through the Microsoft Store. It's rolling out in waves, so if you can't see it yet, you might need to give it a few minutes. Our early impressions are very positive, with photos showing up in the app as if they were local. It's pretty neat!

Zac Bowden
Zac Bowden
Senior Editor

Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch on Twitter: @zacbowden.

19 Comments
  • Working on my Skip Ahead SP3 as well 🎉👍 So far, set up is very easy and straight forward.
    New pictures appear almost instantly. Can't wait for call & sms support to arrive as well.
    Aside from this, to make Phone companionship complete, I'd really like a WhatsApp UWP that doesn't need the phone like with their current app.
  • A Whatsapp UWP would be tricky to do, as it uses your phone number as unique identifier/username. However there are options a)start using a pin system instead phone numbers. b)allow a special instance to be added to individual account but that means you're limited to authenticating on one pc/laptop at a time (mimicking how a sim works in terms of identification). Or C) associate a randomly generated pin with your phone number, you would use this pin to authenticate any whatapp uwp instances. You could have passwords as well however there are pro's and cons - as with anything else. Never the less it is doable as the very nature of software makes it very malleable.
  • So, calling and messaging is not in this? keep using the dell mobile connect then!
  • Not yet but coming soon (yeah I know) according to one of the devs on the program. The Dell one doesn't work on my SP3.
  • I have an SP3 from 2014 and the Dell connect software works. It's not ideal, but it does work.
  • Yep, working on Skip Ahead ring too.
  • Is Cloud Clipboard available now? If so, where is it? If not, when will it be?
  • Should be a Clipboard section in your System Settings, if you have it.
  • So what happens if you still have a Windows phone? Lol
  • You move on and get an android or iOS phone.
  • Lol, I move on to a flip phone. Lol
  • Love the fanbabies again. Flip phone. Love it. Ha ha. Pathetic.
  • I use OneDrive, so I don't see the point of this.
  • It's going to do more than photos at some point. Also, this doesn't use the cloud, and not everyone is going to want OneDrive on their phone.
  • I use OneDrive on my Android phone too, but I want this even for the photo feature as I have found OneDrive to upload my photos from the phone on its own time and not instantly as Zac (and others) have described happening with Your Phone.
  • Given Microsoft and Apple's relationship these days I wouldn't be suprised if they're talking to each other about a solution for iOS users, either opening up iMessage and other system access or through an app that's separate from Your Phone. The continuity functions that exist already in macOS have been used as a selling point up until now but if Windows + Android is going to provide an equal or better experience, they run the risk of losing way more iPhone users than they would theoretically gain Mac users by keeping it exclusive.
  • That's not going to happen. It's not because iTunes is in the store, they are best friends and Apple will unlock their ecosystem to please Microsoft users.
  • Microsoft and apple work closer than you think on some things plus ape are not daft and know they have no fight against windows in the pc market. Plus they won't want to give Android the upper hand to.
  • Is this working on Android Pie phones yet?
    I open the Your Phone app on my fast ring desktop. It keeps wanting to text me a link to install on my phone, which I've done and logged in (Microsoft Apps on Android). But that's as far as I've been able to go.