Your Phone app now works on Windows 10 April 2018 Update PCs (Updated)

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
last updated

Now you can test Your Phone without being a Windows Insider.

Updated August 15, 2018: Well, that didn't last for long. Microsoft isn't quite ready to release Your Phone for April 2018 Update PCs, and the app no longer functions unless you're on a Windows Insider Fast or Skip Ahead build.

Just as August arrived, Microsoft began testing its new Your Phone app, which lets you interact with your smartphone from your PC, with Fast Ring Insiders. But if you're not an Insider and you've been waiting to test the app out for yourself, now's your chance.

As first spotted by Richard Hay on Twitter, the Your Phone app now works with PCs on the Windows 10 April 2018 Update (via OnMSFT). While it's still in beta, you still won't be able to just stumble upon the app in the Microsoft Store, however. Instead, you need to navigate to the app's store listing on the web (opens in new tab) and open it in the Microsoft Store app from there.

To recap, the Your Phone app is fairly limited in its functionality at the moment. You can currently only use it to view photos you've taken on your Android phone, but Microsoft plans to make its feature set more robust in the future, with the ability to handle notifications and messaging. The company will also make some features available for iPhone users, but they'll be more limited in what they can do.

Your Phone - April 2018 Update

I've confirmed that the app can be installed on a Surface Book 2 running the April 2018 Update. Setup is fairly quick, with the app prompting you to install the "Microsoft Apps" app from Google Play, and then going through the process of connecting your devices.

See at Microsoft (opens in new tab)

Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. 

33 Comments
  • When for Windows Phone?
  • you don't need this on Windows phone
  • You do, exactly the same as any other phone. They won't make it work with WP, which is a whole different thing.
  • Actually you don't need it for Windows Phone, I can get all my pictures and text back without the Your Phone app. Granted it's not all in the same place but I can do it. Yes, I am still rocking my Lumia 950XL :)
  • I have these features with my Lumia 950 XL. It is automatic setup when you login with the same Microsoft account on your Windows Phone and your Windows 10 computer 😉 Been using this since I got my Lumia 950 XL. No need to install the my phone app. If you install it. It will tell you that your Windows Phone does not need to be set up when you click the link in the sms.
  • The guy who works this for Microsoft told me it's not going to support WP.
  • Then he is wrong.
  • Whats Windows Phone?
  • Windows 10 mobile of course
  • What is the point of all these? These half baked apps helps no one. By the time, the app will become full featured, the trend would have changed. Same old story. Seems like they are not hitting refresh properly.
  • Well technically Redstone 5 isn't officially released So there's still some time to add in the messaging/ notifications.
  • Well, this article is for Redstone 4, but who is to say people won't use it for the photos feature? That it will be more useful later does not mean it's useless now.
  • Exactly! I've already used it for the photo function...quick, easy, and effective. Sure, I want the text functionality too, but since it's a separate function, why wait?
  • Doesn't work for me. As usual Windows phones are not included so I can't use my Lumia 830 and while I do have an Android phone, it is an older phone running 5.1.1 and cannot be upgraded to Android 7 or higher which is required for this app to function. I use HiSuite with my Android phone which allows me to text message and access pretty much all functions from my PC as long as the phone is connected by USB.
  • you don't need this on Windows phone
  • Why not? What about Windows Phone negates the need for this?
  • The simple fact ms does not give 2 ***** about windows phone. That’s what .
  • The simple fact is that this is already a part of Windows Phone. Perhaps some people simply don't notice their screen pop ups on their computers when receiving messages on their Windows 10 mobile?
  • Doesn't do much right now, but definitely a promising direction.
  • Agreed, more features will be added before too long
  • Limited but very promising! I have high hopes/expectations!
  • Annoyingly for me the darn thing will not connect to my phone, have tried it on a few networks, never had issues with connectivity between my Surface and SG8. In fact am running Dell Mobile connect and works great. Oh well stick to Dell till they turn it off.
  • My GS8 doesn't work with Dell's app. The only thing that works is the dialer, everything else doesn't work. I'm hoping this works, if not, guess I'll try Samsung version. If MS would just make a photos app for Android that synced, and had features to delete files backed up to cloud storage, there wouldn't be much of a need for this app. If it can mirror my phone, with zero lag touch input, we are into something...... I'll give it a try tonight and report back
  • I hope this will work with whatever that Wifi Direct connecting thing is (The WiFi access point that my Surface transmits). I'm often not connected to the internet and need to scan a document with my phone and get it onto my Surface. It would be incredibly useful to be able to use Phone's OfficeLens --> Surface's OneNote in as few clicks as possible and without a dependency on the internet. Of course if MS cannot get all this stuff installed with as few apps as possible, the general public will never figure it out. How is my wife even supposed to know what apps she needs.
  • Not working for me, Your Phone app says 'Your phone is linked. To use this app, install the latest Windows update on your PC. If your PC doesn't have RS5, you can still send webpages from your phone instantly to your PC..." Limited to US perhaps? I am Canadian.
  • Same here. Dont even know where to start from.
  • Are you a Windows Insider and running a preview build? If not, that is the message you will get until RS5 is officially released. Nothing unusual about that.
  • Nope, I'm in US, have same issue, installed all updates, reset app, cleared cache, data, etc.
  • My Pixel 2 has been running the Microsoft Launcher since the day I said goodbye to my Lumia Icon and downgraded to Android, but when I install the Your Phone app, it just sits and spins. Tried logging out of the launcher app on the phone, and signing back in, several times, to no avail. It just doesn't connect.
  • Not working for me.
    I have installed the Microsoft Apps through link that was sent to me and signed in with the same Microsoft account as on my laptop but the wait spinner keeps spinning and the app dose not progress to next step.
  • I have downloaded the app on 1803 but it says... "To use the app install the latest windows update on your PC"
  • I get the same message when I start the app and I have the April update installed.
  • I already get all my S8+ pics and texts on my laptop (via OneDrive and Cortana); why do i need this?