Just as Mac and iPhone users enjoy a tightly integrated ecosystem where their devices effortlessly communicate, Windows users can experience a similar kind of magic by pairing their PC with an Android phone. But here’s the catch—not all Android phones play equally well with Windows.
Over the years, Samsung and Microsoft have forged a strong partnership to bring Galaxy phones and Windows PCs closer than ever. From exclusive Phone Link features and deeper app integration to seamless syncing, Galaxy users enjoy a level of connectivity that makes Samsung phones and Windows PCs a perfect pair.
Galaxy phones get the best Phone Link experience
Use your phone without touching it
Phone Link is one of the best Microsoft apps for anyone who spends most of their day on a computer. Both Android phones and iPhones can use it to sync notifications, make and answer calls, and check text messages without needing to pick up the phone. But those using a Samsung Galaxy device also get a few extra perks.
For starters, Galaxy phones are the only devices that can use Phone Link’s clipboard sync feature. Anything you copy onto your Galaxy can be pasted directly on your PC, and vice versa. It’s a seamless way to move text, links, and more between devices without juggling multiple apps.
Another perk for Samsung users is support for Rich Communication Service (RCS) messaging. As long as Samsung Messages is your default messaging app, you can send and receive richer, more interactive messages directly from your PC.
Then there’s the Phone Screen feature, which lets you mirror your Galaxy phone’s display on your PC. Once connected, you can interact with your phone and use your favorite apps using your PC’s mouse and keyboard. You can even drag and drop photos from your phone’s Gallery app directly onto your desktop.
Samsung also has its own version of Phone Link
Meet Samsung Flow
While Microsoft’s Phone Link is a fantastic way to connect your phone and PC, Samsung offers its own version called Samsung Flow. Flow provides many of the same conveniences as Phone Link, but it’s built specifically for Galaxy devices.
With Samsung Flow, you can receive phone notifications, mirror your phone’s screen on your PC, and sync clipboards. Its file and text transfer works through a chat-like interface, which makes it feel natural and intuitive to move content between devices.
Samsung Flow is not as feature-rich as Phone Link, but it has its own advantages. It’s lightweight, simple to set up, and can even work over a wired connection without relying on Wi-Fi. For anyone who wants a smooth, no-fuss connection between their Galaxy phone and PC, Samsung Flow is a solid alternative.
Microsoft and Samsung apps work seamlessly together
Apps that actually play nice together
Another major advantage of pairing a Galaxy phone with a Windows PC is how effortlessly Samsung and Microsoft apps work together. Take the Samsung Gallery app, for example. It comes with built-in Microsoft OneDrive integration, so you can back up all your photos and videos from your phone and access them directly from File Explorer on your PC. Similarly, the Samsung Files app lets you access your OneDrive files and even manage them without switching apps.
Samsung Notes is another productivity win. Any note you jot down on your Galaxy phone can sync directly with Microsoft OneNote. Similarly, the Samsung Reminder app can sync with Microsoft To-Do. This long-standing partnership between Samsung and Microsoft is also why many of Microsoft’s top mobile apps come preinstalled on Galaxy phones. From OneNote and Outlook to OneDrive and Lens, you get the full suite of tools right on your device.
It gets even better if you have a Samsung laptop
When your laptop and phone are basically twins
All the features we’ve covered so far work on any Windows laptop. However, owning a Samsung laptop unlocks a few extra perks that elevate the Galaxy-Windows experience. For instance, while Samsung offers several apps in the Microsoft Store, most of them only work well with a Galaxy Book.
If you have one of the newer Samsung laptops like the Galaxy Book 4, you can replace Copilot on your Samsung phone with Bixby or Gemini to take full advantage of the Intelligent Connectivity features that Microsoft has introduced. These tools make it easier than ever to work seamlessly across devices. You can read or summarize text messages from your Samsung Galaxy phone directly on your PC, create and send messages without touching your phone, or even turn your phone’s camera into a high-quality PC webcam for Microsoft Teams.
These exclusive features might not be enough to make you switch to a Samsung phone, but they’ll definitely make you envious if you’re using another Android device. And once you experience this level of convenience, it’s hard to go back. Dragging and dropping photos, using RCS messaging, and enjoying smoother interactions make everyday tasks faster and far more seamless.
