Microsoft Your Phone Companion: Unveiling Hidden Features and Tips

Microsoft Your Phone Companion is an exciting addition to the Windows OS that offers a plethora of features such as photo sharing, call screening, and notification mirroring. However, beneath its surface lie a ton of hidden features that can enhance your user experience. In this article, we will explore some of the best hidden features, tips, and tricks of Microsoft Your Phone Companion.

Copy Text from Picture

Your Phone Companion allows you to extract text from pictures, but this feature is currently only available in the “Messages” tab. However, there is a quick hack to bypass this limitation. By using the Your Phone app on your Windows PC, you can send messages and access images stored on your Android device. Simply click on the Gallery icon in the messages tab to view the images on your Android device or browse your PC to send images stored locally. Once you have an image loaded, right-click on it and select “Copy Text from Picture” to extract text and copy it to your clipboard.

Camera Viewer

Did you know that Your Phone Companion can turn your Android device into a CCTV camera? With wireless screen mirroring, you can use your mobile phone as a camera monitor by converting your laptop into a display. This feature is currently supported on select Samsung devices like Samsung Note 9, Samsung S10, and Samsung A30. Simply connect your supported Samsung device, click on the mirroring tab, and select “Display Phone Screen” to view your Samsung phone screen on your Windows PC. This is not only useful for setting up camera shots but also for monitoring your toddler using your Android device as a wireless webcam.

Drag-and-Drop Images

Downloading images from Your Phone Companion app to your computer is traditionally done by right-clicking and selecting “Save as.” However, you can also drag-and-drop images directly from the app to your Windows PC. Although this gesture is limited and does not support multiple files, it provides a convenient alternative to the traditional method. Unfortunately, you cannot drag-and-drop images from your PC to the Your Phone app. If you want to send files from your PC to your Android device, you can screen mirror your supported Samsung phone and perform the drag-and-drop operation for multiple file transfers in any format.

Manage Notifications Better

Your Phone Companion can sync all third-party app notifications from your Android device to your Windows PC. However, if you want to manage these notifications more effectively, you can turn off “Banner notifications.” By disabling banner notifications, you can avoid distractions while still maintaining a copy of the notification in the action center. To disable banner notifications, go to Your Phone settings, click on “Choose which apps show notification banners,” and disable the option for specific apps like WhatsApp or Telegram.

Android Battery Percentage

Do you want to keep an eye on your Android device's battery percentage? Your Phone Companion allows you to view your connected Android device's battery percentage. Simply click on the hamburger menu at the top-left corner of the app, hover over the battery icon, and you will see the battery percentage of your Android device. This feature is particularly handy when monitoring your Android device while it is charging.

Clipboard Sync

One of the most convenient features of Your Phone Companion is clipboard sync between Android and Windows. By turning on the “Cross-device copy and paste” toggle in the app settings, you can sync the clipboard between your Android device and Windows PC. This allows you to copy text or web links from your Android device and paste them on your PC, and vice versa.

Control Audio

Thanks to the latest April updates, Your Phone Companion now allows you to control the music playback on your Android phone directly from your Windows PC. The app automatically syncs the album cover, artist, and song name, and provides options to play/pause and skip music. If you have multiple music players installed, you can easily switch between them using the dropdown menu.

Send GIFs

Sending text messages from your Windows PC using Your Phone Companion is convenient, but did you know that you can also send GIFs? The messaging keyboard in the app integrates with Giphy, allowing you to send GIFs on the go. Simply click on the GIF icon at the bottom of the messaging keyboard to access a wide range of GIFs. Just remember not to spam your friends with too many GIFs!

In conclusion, Microsoft Your Phone Companion offers a wealth of hidden features, tips, and tricks that can enhance your user experience. While there are still some areas for improvement, such as file sharing between synced devices, this app is continuously evolving and becoming more integrated into the Android ecosystem. Give these hidden features a try and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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