Microsoft is making it easier to share files between Windows and Android – here's how

Looking for a quick and simple method to share files between Windows and Android? Sit tight because a new trick is headed your way. Currently available in the latest Windows Insider builds, the new option uses Microsoft’s Phone Link and Link to Windows apps to help you send files back and forth.

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Sharing files from Windows to your Android device works through File Explorer, where you simply choose Phone Link as the destination app. On the flip side, sharing a file from Android to Windows uses the standard Android sharing tool, allowing you to choose Link to Windows as the vehicle.

You can already exchange files between Windows and Android in a couple of different ways. One option is to use Google’s Nearby Share for Windows. Another method is to set up the Intel Unison app. But Microsoft’s new method promises to be quicker and easier.

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To try this out now, you’ll need the latest Windows Insider build from the Release Preview channel or one of the other channels. As a test, I tried the process in the current stable version of Windows 10 and 11. I could share a file from Android to Windows, but not from Windows to Android. However, when I ran this in the current Windows 10 and 11 Insider builds, I was able to share a file both ways successfully.

Next, you must set up the Phone Link app in Windows and the Link to Windows app on your Android device. I describe this process in my story, “How to link and sync your iPhone to your Windows 11 PC,” but you can also do this on Windows 10. Before you follow these steps, make sure you’ve downloaded the latest update to Phone Link from the Microsoft Store.

After you set up both apps, and your PC and phone can now see each other, you’re ready to share some files.

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To share a file from Windows, open File Explorer. Right-click the file you want to send to your Android device and select Share from the pop-up menu. In the Share window, select Phone Link as the sharing app. A notification in Windows tells you that the file has been sent. On your Android phone, tap the “View Downloads” notification to see the transferred file.

To share a file from your Android device, open the Files app. Press on the file you wish to share and then tap the Share icon. At the Share window, select “Link to Windows” as the vehicle. At the next screen, tap the name of your PC. A notification will pop up on your PC with two options. Tap Open to open the file in its associated app. And then tap “Show in folder” to display the folder containing the shared file.

Since this new sharing method works in the latest Windows Insider builds, you shouldn’t have to wait too long before it lands in the stable versions of Windows 10 and 11.