You'll soon be able to manage your Android device from the Windows 11 file manager

MacOS/iOS users have been living the computer/phone integration dream for years. Windows/Android? Not so much. Soon, however, Android users will get a boost in that category by way of the Windows file manager, File Explorer.

Of course, Microsoft already offers the Windows Phone Link app that you can install directly from the Microsoft Store, which allows you to sync your Android or iPhone to Windows. For those who’d rather not depend on yet another app, Windows 11 will soon allow you to at least browse files on your Android phone as though the phone was directly connected to your computer.

Also: How to link your Android phone to your Windows 11 PC

The feature is currently in testing (via the Windows Insider Program) and, once enabled, will display your Android device in the left sidebar of the file manager. You can connect and transfer files to and from your phone, rename files, and delete files.

If you’re interested in trying the feature before it’s available out of beta, you’ll need a phone running Android 11 or newer, the opt-in beta version of the Link To Windows app installed on your phone, and a Windows 11 machine that is signed up for any of the Windows Insider channels.

Once you have all of this in place, you can enable the features from Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Mobile Devices. From there, choose “Manage devices” and give your PC permission to access your Android phone. You can then click the toggle to enable the option to show your phone in File Explorer. With that taken care of, your Android phone should appear in the left sidebar of File Explorer.

Keep in mind this feature is still very much in beta, so expect some stability issues. Once the feature is rolled out, however, you can expect that it’ll make using Android and Windows together considerably easier. 

You can read more about the upcoming addition to Windows 11 on the official Windows blog.