6 ways to make Samsung's Galaxy S8 work with Windows 10

More than most Android phones, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is quite attractive to Microsoft fans. Windows 10 is the most used OS in the world, and it's a strong companion to any modern smartphone.

The Galaxy S8 has plenty of Microsoft support built right in by way of preloaded apps and the Continuum-like DeX system. Aside from all that, here are some of the ways you'll be able to use your phone and PC in perfect harmony.

Use Phone Companion for Windows 10 to transfer your photos

The Phone Companion app from Microsoft is a pretty easy way to go between your phone and PC. It can import all your photos from the phone to the built-in Photos app in Windows 10.

The Galaxy S8 will likely take some truly excellent photos, so there's a good chance you'll be using the app quite a lot. The guide linked below will help you keep organized by getting those shots off your phone and onto your PC.

How to transfer photos with Phone Companion for Windows 10
Download Phone Companion from the Windows Store (opens in new tab)

Calendar and Mail with Outlook

You could use your Outlook account with Gmail and Google Calendar. Or you could do yourself a favor and get the Outlook app for Android on your Galaxy S8.

After Microsoft gobbled up Sunrise Calendar, parts of it are slowly appearing in Outlook, such as integrations with third-party services. Outlook contains email and calendar within the same app on Android, and you can also pull in mail accounts from Gmail.

Why use two apps when you can have only one that gets the job done?

Download Microsoft Outlook for Android from the Google Play Store (opens in new tab)

Samsung SideSync

Samsung SideSync is often overlooked, but it's a really useful piece of software for Galaxy phones. It allows you to connect your phone to a PC and get your notifications, or even the entire phone display, mirrored.

It's not like DeX, because it's just a window that represents your phone, hooked up to the PC via Wi-Fi. But it's pretty reliable and a nifty way to transfer files quickly without having to hunt for a cable, or even touch the phone at all.

It will work better over a wired connection to the PC, though, and faster than wirelessly. Whichever way you prefer, SideSync is a great feature to have.

Download Samsung Sidesync (opens in new tab)

Use Cortana as your assistant

Samsung has Bixby on the Galaxy S8, and Google has the Google Assistant, but neither of those can boast the freedom of Cortana. By being available cross-platform, you have some elements of synchronicity between your phone and your PC with Cortana.

You can have basic notification mirroring, and of course the benefits of using Cortana as your assistant, on both phone and PC. If you use Cortana on your Windows 10 PC a lot, it's a no-brainer to download it to the Galaxy S8.

Recent updates have allowed access to the lock screen, and because it's Android, it's a simple process to make Cortana your default assistant.

Download Cortana from the Google Play Store (opens in new tab)

Set up OneDrive camera backup

OneDrive is a terrific cloud storage service to use, particularly if you're also an Office 365 subscriber with that 1TB allowance to fill. The OneDrive app for Android is nicely done, but one feature you should look at enabling is the camera backup.

While moving photos to your PC en masse with Phone Companion is good, if you want to back up to the cloud, you'll have a two-stage process. By enabling it in the OneDrive app for Android, any new snaps you shoot with that awesome camera will be auto-magically sent up to the cloud for you.

OneDrive is also preloaded on the Galaxy S8, so if it's anything like recent devices you'll likely get some free storage added to your account for two years, as well.

Time to relax

If Groove is your music service of choice, not only did you choose well but you'll have a solid experience with the Android app. And if Xbox is your preferred console, the old Smartglass app has now been replaced by the newer Xbox app.

Neither are completely on par with their Windows counterparts, and the Xbox app, in particular, lags behind. But both are important parts of the Microsoft ecosystem, so it's good to know you won't have to relinquish either by using a Galaxy S8:

Download Groove Music from the Google Play Store (opens in new tab)
Download Xbox from the Google Play Store (opens in new tab)

For full coverage of the Samsung Galaxy S8 be sure to stop by Android Central.

Richard Devine is a Managing Editor at Windows Central with over a decade of experience. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently, you'll find him steering the site's coverage of all manner of PC hardware and reviews. Find him on Mastodon at mstdn.social/@richdevine

153 Comments

Please no more Samsung.....please.
Enough already! Go to a different topic...
I don't like Samsung, but this world is so cruel, so I buy a Samsung to use it for terrorism and explosion.
Not as funny as you probably intended it. Yes, I know, their phones catch on fire, but still...
Dude I advise you don't make these kinda comments....they are very sensitive and no joke nowadays.
Not to mention, the NSA is always watching.
.... And Google.
And Microsoft
FaceTwit is crawling all over everything all the time... 's'why I won't FaceTwit.
Not funny at all!
I want more explosive batteries please.
The NSA thanks you for this comment and asks you to not offer resistence when the nice people from the FBI show up to take you for questioning. Thank you for your cooperation.
It is like Samsung Central now :-). Unless MS would provide a W10M ROM for S8, Android S8 promotion articles are considered misplaced.
Bitter WMobile clinger detected.
+1
It's like a poor man's Windows Phone.
Not a cheap option for a poor man's WP, but I understand where you're going with that. How about a rich man's MS phone with no other option - yeah, that's the ticket.
$750 & $850? Your definition of poor is different than mine if "poor men" are snatching these up. ☺
That can do everything Windows Phone can and more.
Nop, no Continuum, no constant security updates because on Android theuy are blocked by mobile phone carriers, not the same and shared experience between PC, tablets and mobile, no live tiles
1 - DeX is Continuum done right 2 - My S7 got security updates almost monthly from Samsung. 3 - Stop being an idiot and buying phones from carriers. If you're too poor to afford a certain phone at full price upfront, then you must chose one you can actually pay for. 4 - SquareHome 2. It not only offers the WP interface (and expands upon it) but also offers live tiles.
1.) not useable wireless, much more heat (=energy consumption), not controlable by smartphone, active fan (=louder), not easily to carry around. Besides multiple windows this is not better in any way.
2.) for one or two years. If you have for instance l920, you've got function updates (not only security once) for 5 years and still running.
4.) no android launcher offers the same experience like the integrated solution of an os. It is a bad copy of it.
5.) you throw our data to a company that will sell it in an instance, because it is their main income practice (=Google/Alpha).
4.) is something i can understand, so I think it is not the only way to look at it. I am buying phones i can afford or i will collect money till i can.
Why do people buy phones they can't afford?
Especially Americans.
😫
I get nervous seeing a negative balance oh my credit card.
Why do non-Americans do nothing but ***** about Americans...get a life, loser.
I have a life. I try not to intrude in others lives. Americans could learn that imho.
In my opinion, stop taking aid from us with everything and then we wouldn't have to "intrude". Imho.
Your aid has more to do with your Imperialistic policies more than anything. I mean, who the hell has over 400 military bases around the world for shites and giggles? Stop intruding, stop stealing resources and stop killing innocent brown people.
😡
typical. Dont know how to handle their own problems, blame America for everything, continue to si on your asses, come to a tech forum and cry about Americans. Drop dead, little man.
Pfffftttttt. Ok buddy He's not wrong - maybe the wrong forum for it - but he's not wrong. You sir just get too angry, calm down.
Far from right. He has zero clue what he is talking about. First off, he lumps a group of people together and apparently you guys think that's all right as long as you are grouping 'Americans' together, you bigots. Secondly, he's comments are opinion and that only. Thirdly they are opinions on nothing regard tech. So you calm down, hypocrite.
Shhhhh *pats head* shhhhhh
You rubbing your belly also?
good dream
No ms movies and tv is a big gap for me.
Don't worry, they'll make one, better and more feature rich one than on Windows..
I've been waiting for a movies app from MS on Android for years. It's the one thing I miss from WM.
LooL, more of this!?
No other reasonable explanation than Microsoft must be paying for this and click bait, same apps available on other androis phones but somehow this one warrants multiple articles.......
Agreed
It's a slightly more subtle way of trying to say WINMO is dead & gone for good. Surface Phone never was so move on plonkers
I'm saddened by the unconfirmed truth to this. Buy an S8, get a free 950?
Can you make Cortana work as the default assistant on Android? Does it work with "Hey Cortana"?
For a good amount of Android phones, you can. Haven't tested the Hey Cortana command though.
"Hey Cortana" is only available when you launch the Cortana app on Android. Microsoft ran an experimental version that allowed you to trigger it without launching the app but they eventually pulled it back (likely due to compatibility issues).
Dunno, can you make Google Assistant work as the default on Windows 10? There's your answer. Thanks for playin.
Um...nice attempt at minimizing someone's honest question. Your comparison doesn't work. Microsoft makes their stuff available to Android. Google doesn't make their stuff available to Windows.
Wow are you ever a dick for no reason.
Thanks for the responses guys. It was helpful. I prefer Cortana and switched to iOS due to apps. Siri is horrible by comparison and since I can't replace it with Cortana I was thinking that maybe one could on Android. I have heard Android gives people more options to customize than iOS and was hoping this was one of them. If I do switch to Android I would give OK Google a try of course.
Why are they trying to push so much? This applies for you too windows central. Nobody wants this.
I agree
I was wondering the same thing. Unless Microsoft applies some sort of skin over Android that allows the Windows phone Start menu navigation and a simple swipe over to a list of all the rest of my apps in alphabetical order, I'm not really interested in moving away from the Windows mobile platform. For me, the user interface of Windows is the main appeal of the operating system over iOS and Android. Just having Microsoft's apps pre-installed doesn't seem like a great selling point.
That already exists, it's a launcher called Squarehome http://www.androidcentral.com/getting-more-microsoft-apps-and-feel-your-...
I use launcher10. There's a live tiles option, but I didn't buy it for the moment. I plan to.
I tried that once, but I found SquareHome to be more intuitive. Your mileage may vary though.
I like this for fun
Because the S8 is going to sell millions of units and it's highly likely that a majority of them will also own Windows PCs, so they'll see value in this article. Remember that they changed their name to just WINDOWS Central for a reason...
I do believe there's this place called Android Central where this can be published. No need to polute the Windows site with this.
It'd not pollution if the ecosystem is already dead...
After all the Surface Phone BS they've been spreading here, they now realise the sad truth and are trying to break it to us gently.
MICROSOFT has moved on.
More S8 articles please, can't get enough of them!
I will wait for S9, when Windows Central and Android Central are merged into one site.
This site was fun when I got my first WP..
Don't be so sure. CrackBerry is still a thing and is part of the Mobile Nations network.
Why would people even buy Microsoft edition S8? You can get the same apps on other S8's and that too wont be bloatware which cannot be deleted! Neither is there any Microsoft branding on the phone for geeks
At least you know they will have stock.
That is funny. Or painful.
Groove on Android is horrible. Get way too many 'This song can't be played on this device.' messages.
I thought Microsoft only made bad quality UWP apps, but it seems that bad quality Android apps either. I will try Groove although it is pointless as I have no music stored on my device, maybe storing some song on OneDrive
I think the MS UWPs are outstanding....
For the last month or so, WC is busy planting hatred in the hearts of the W10M users... Looks like some illuminati plan (😂) to just shut down W10M once and for all 😭
If Windows 10 Mobile is finally shut down then Microsoft will finally move on to something that will be far more successful.
Or (more likely) will die all together. Ever thought about why word, excel, powerpoint and cloud was that successful? Because it came preinstalled on a OS and was fully integrated. On Android or ios they are not native. Why use an bad app if you have a fully integrated solution like google drive or google docs? Ms have/had the key. In many countries they've got 10% and up market share when the 640/640xl was released... Nadella needed to fire people and needed to get rid of the ideas of the guy before (so he could say: See what i have done) and there he did wrong. Many talented people left ms and while it was a short term success, it is like always with these kind of hire and fire stuff: Strategically it is a bad idea and will do much more harm than good.
Made my day 😁
Oh oh someone's bitter. Might as well face facts that Android won the mobile war, WMobile lost, and you'll have to replace your crappy WM eventually.
Cool, so you like monopols and being sold to anyone who has money... How stupid and shortsighted can someone be?
Open source monopoly?! If you dislike monopolies, you really must not have been a Windows fan the past 20 years.
Thank you Microsoft, Windows Central, Samsung, and of course, Google ;)
I though this is Windows Central, and not android central or samsung central. 👎
I am not sure I know enough about the S8. Do you guys think the same?
I am not sure I know enough about the S8. Do you guys think the same?
I have been a windows phone user as my primary device (920, 1020, and 950) for the past 5 years and am making the switch to the S8. I will still be using one drive, groove, office, and cortana. I currently have a Note 3 as a secondary device and use these MS apps on it. My only issue with groove on android (and WM) is that it can't be played natively on chromecast.
I just preordered the S8 with AT&T to replace my L950. I won't be using all of the MS services. Groove will be replaced with Amazon. OneDrive will be replaced with something...maybe Amazon's Prime unlimited photo storage and Google drive for docs. Skype? Nope. No Cortana for me either. Going 1st party for maximum integration like I did with WinMob.
Audiovox SMT 5600, HTC S710, HTC Diamond Pro, Lumia 800, Lumia 920, Lumia 640. Win 7 was so bad I went to a Blackberry for a year before getting the 920. 8.1 was good but lacking. Windows 10 Mobile on 640 has been painful for 2 years. Every build has bugs. It just crashes. I've lived a decade of Windows Mobile 'Soon'. It's just not coming. My work iPhone just works, everytime. I hate it for it's goodness. My Surface Pro 2 gives me hope, hope for a Surface Phone... Soon.
Unless Microsoft make a live tile launcher on Android that works just like my 950 then I'm not for turning.....yet
Microsoft didn't make it, but SquareHome works just as you'd expect http://www.androidcentral.com/getting-more-microsoft-apps-and-feel-your-...
Not the same experience...
Update: Microsoft Photo app. Perhaps there is a photo of a Microsoft Galaxy S8? Downloading now.....
It's funny Google care not for Samsung but Microsoft is kissing Samsung rear end just to upload a few apps. Cant wait for windows 10 on arm process to come out so I can flash it on the Samsung galaxy s8
If I get an android I definitely will not be using windows apps unless I have to. Stop harassing us with all this Samsung s8 crap, six articles on this phone in one day is only allowed on android central.
Well your talking a though you're the editor. Oops, you aren't. A business decision was made. More views, more comments, more revenue.
There are only so many fantasy Surface Phone stocked you can write in a week you know...
I have a 950 on insider and a Samsung galaxy. Groove on Samsung is ok. Groove on my 950 is much better. Trying any Microsoft app on Samsung. The app is not as good as it is on Windows phone. Hopefully Microsoft keeps it that way until they get their Windows Phone platform going. (hopefully soon)
Groove sucks on Android - cant save music to SD card, and it seems to crash all the time. As soon as this month is over, im canceling my subscription, and going to start populating my Amazon Music account (considering I pay for Prime anyways). Outlook mobile app on Android, or Windows doesn't sync draft folder with my work PC exchange account, weirdly, the Samsung mail app does. I do hate how you cant have shortcuts to different accounts on your home screen. In order to do that, you have to use separate apps. The app quality, selection, and general functionality of Android is so far beyond anything MS has at the moment on mobile. I would go as far to say that the UI has drastically improved on Android. I still love the transparent Live Tiles on W10, but the store just got so frustrating. Wont give up on my Surface though - thats not going anywhere anytime soon.
I wish all Android phones had Living Images (or Live Photos if you prefer to use Apple's name). I usually don't like when companies blatantly copy but Living Images add a lot to certain photos. Apple copied Microsoft (or Nokia at the time) and other companies don't want to just copy Apple I guess (since most people don't realize that Lumia had it first).
This article belongs on their Android channel... I, for one, would never use an Android device.
Aw come on, how long are y'all gonna keep this up? Haha
Enough is enough ☹
Put W10M in the phone, and then write up an article on the S8. Make the phone affordable, and watch W10M, make a comeback. As it stands now, Windows Phones are not that affordable.
Maybe there trying to become elitist's, aka iphone.....
What a mess nadella made.
Yes he's using an iPhone.
Balmer made this mess. Nadella just inherited it.
Why all this Samsung bull??? Make it go away.
I love Android phones for there crazy applications and I want MS to do so too.
WIndows phone are very nice,hard and strong but its applications is not equal to Android applications.
Too bad they wouldn't make a Win10 Ativ S version of this.
Now would definitely be the good moment
**** samsung
Ffuucckk samsung
And androoiidd
I thought it was how to install Windows 10 on S8. That would be interesting... 🙂
Just go ahead and start a new website already. samsunggalaxys8central.com
That SideSync app is what I've always wanted to do with my Lumia paired with laptop.
Thanks for the S8 articles WC, I'm looking forward to getting mine and knowing how to transfer my MS services/data across from my 930 should be helpful. It's clear that even Microsoft wants its users to be on iOS or android, I can't fight the reality any longer and I just want to get on with life!! Hopefully the WC app on android runs better than on WM though, it's sluggish and constantly crashes on my 930 (ironically).
I understand Ms as a service being platform agnostic, but I'm not interested in any android phone, the os is poor and the privacy and security is a joke. Yes there are plenty of apps but how many include spy or malware?
Probably 0.001% of S8 buyers will install Cortana rofl. Why would anyone? Good luck Microsoft with your dumb mobile strategy.
I'm staying on Windows mobile going you get a brain...
What's with the ongoing stories on the S8? It's just as much of an Android phone as any other Android phone.
Microsoft isn't directly selling other Android phones. This one has a connection with Microsoft.
Probably not a popular opinion, but I really don't like the design of this samsung. Proportion between height and width are not beautiful for me. I would rather go for a meizu or a honor if I had to go droid. But I do not plan to change my 950XL, cause you know,I can make calls and do all I need with it.
I thought there was an article yesterday that stated that Android is the most OS used in the world...
So, to understand Microsoft capitulates and windows central drives along? Well, then you can at least tell to the people the reality;). This much is at least what they deserve;). Now stop promoting samesung cause is not just not ok, it is actually nasty, and as you can all see, nobody that likes windows wants the nasty stuff, i mean: Stop selling dem a**es for a quick buck;)!
Shouldn't Zac Bowden be writing stuff like this?
I'd have to say that there's only two reasons why I would give two *beep* about Samsung phones on here. 1) Samsung decides to release a Windows 10 version of the S8, or 2) Samsung and MS start letting me load Windows 10 onto an S8 via a ROM. Otherwise, who cares? Leave this stuff on Android Central where it belongs.
Microsoft is directly selling and marketing this device. Why would it not be on a Microsoft based site?
That Snapdragon 835 processor is ripe for some W10 on ARM action. I would love to dual boot a phone.
So basically MS is sleeping with the enemy, there has to be some (hidden) agenda. I m intrigued as to where this may lead.
I miss those days when this site was just wpcentral.com
Not hating on Samsung, but I really wish they had just released a version of the S8 with Windows 10 Mobile on it.
Why can't MS work as fast and efficiently as these other companies? They should've developed their own flagship device years ago like the Galaxy and iPhone. A device that's top of the line and gets better every year
They did. No one bought it.
Can anyone in this company make a decision and stay on track? I'm so sick of this waffling about the frigging phones.
I'm tired of these articles about S8
WC stop ✋ it please we're begging you
I also feel the the Android articles need to go. Unless there is suddenly an S8 running W10M or an article about the Galaxy Book then I am not interested in reading about it on WC.
Looks like they are merging bulldroid central and Windows central together. What's with all this Samsung bs?
We really don't care how many ways etc. This is all about Android. Just dig our latest store update.
Next WC article: How to successfully sell your 950 on ebay using your S8.
If I were to jump ship, which I've thought about many a time, I'd rather go for the Sony xperia xz premium than this S8 bs. But for now, I just can't do it. I loathe using android and ios, meh.
Don't suggest it. I came back from Sony Xperia XZ Premium. After 4 months some important apps didn't work regular. Lots of glitches appeared. Especially whatsapp and instagram experience were terrible. End of the day it's another boring android os. My suggestion get a HP Elite phone or Microsoft 950 XL.
No keep galaxy and windows separate stop with the crap
And yes ameet you hit it right on the nose so glad you see this too ms is in bed with the enemy
Yes, the only reason I would be sleeping with the enemy is if I want something.
Amen oh I love the comment we are true windows fans dont ever ever ever put anything on Windows central thats not Windows and fire nadella please
Its probably nothing ! Though we cant stand it, SamDung is the worlds biggest smartphone seller. So big rival companies have to have some synergies sometimes. Hell , even Honda and Toyota do collaborate when it becomes unavoidable. I wouldnt read too much into it !
When Honda is directly selling the Camry on their lot and discontinues the Civic, then you can make that comparison.
WC is trolling..
Hahaha very soon this site will be called " Electronics central
Best microsoft phones are these without microsoft windows OS :) ohh god why, why could this happend :)
One way to make Microsoft apps work really well.....build a Microsoft operating system on a Microsoft phone and market that instead 😒
I thought I'd clicked on Android Central (who btw, have the very same article). So is this the new normal that we around here just have to accept? I feel like I'm in a bad dream and can't seem to wake up. Reading through the article, the whole experience simply shouts back at me: compromise. Why would I accept that instead of a native Windows 10 mobile? Will the real Microsoft please, please stand up and do something soon to fix this sorry state of affairs. All that Nokia Mobile talent they let go, that was a bad decision on top of bad decisions. Even now, I would eat humble pie, hire them back and start building something to come back from the brink of oblivion and irrelevance (in terms of mobile).
Maybe at least wait until people can actually get hold of these devices before you start flogging the things we need to do with them? Most users won't remember most of this stuff by the time they get one and will even forget where they saw the article in the first place. and I agree with most of the others here... ENOUGH of he SAMSUNG CRAP!!! if we really wanted a Samsung device, most of us would have one.
Someone please guide me to windows central, it seems I am in android central.
This is WINDOWScentral and there is nothing "windows" in this Samsung s8, just a bunch of OFFICE apps, that's all ... Stop tout bullshit
Agree with previous speakers about samsung promotion
Without being able to trigger cortana using a voice command, it's hard to justify switching. Ok google is just easier in that regard.
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The article is misleading - windoze 10 is NOT the world's most popular OS...Android is.

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