GET STARTED WITH YOUR PHONE
GET THE APP
01 First make sure the Your Phone app has been installed on your PC. If you don’t have it already, type Windows Update in the search bar next to the Start button, and select ‘Search for Updates’. Once the Windows 10 October 2018 Update has been installed, the Your Phone app should be available. You can also download the app, for free, from the Microsoft Store.
SET UP YOUR PHONE ON YOUR PC
02 With the app installed, you can now launch it from the Start menu. On opening the Your Phone app for the first time, you’ll be asked to set up the app. From the window that appears, click ‘Get started’. This will begin the process of linking your phone to your PC via the app. In the next screen it will ask you to confirm the Microsoft account you want to use, then click Continue.
INSTALL THE YOUR PHONE COMPANION APP
03 Next, you’ll need to install the Your Phone Companion app on your smartphone. The Android version of the app is more fully featured than the iPhone one, so that’s what we’re using here. Open the Google Play store on your smartphone and search for Your Phone. You’ll see the Your Phone Companion app by Microsoft. Click ‘Install’ to add it to your phone.
CONNECT YOUR PHONE TO YOUR PC
04 With the Your Phone Companion app installed, you can now connect your phone to your PC. Open the app on your phone and log in to the same Microsoft account you used to sign in on your PC. Your phone and PC are connected to each other! You may get a notification asking you to allow your phone to connect to your PC. Make sure you select Allow or the app won’t work correctly.
ACCESS YOUR PHOTOS
05 You can now view the photos you’ve stored on your phone through the app on your PC, without the need for wires or cables! Click ‘Photos’ in the left-hand menu, or select ‘See photos’ from the main window. You may see a message saying ‘We need permission to access your photos’. If so, click ‘Send notification’, then on your phone, click Allow when the notification appears.
VIEW AND EDIT YOUR PHOTOS
06 Your Phone shows recent photos you’ve taken on your phone. If you don’t see the latest ones, click Refresh. Thumbnails of your photos will appear, giving you a quick overview of your images. To get a better look, double-click an image. This will open it in Windows Photo Gallery. Not only does this enable you to view your photo, you can print it out, email it and edit it as well.
GET YOUR TEXT MESSAGES ON YOUR PC
07 Another feature of Your Phone is that it enables you to view your text messages on your PC. To see your messages, click ‘Messages (In Preview)’ in the left-hand menu. The ‘In Preview’ bit means Microsoft is still tweaking the feature. Click ‘See texts’, and you’ll be asked to grant permission, so click ‘Send notification’, and select Allow on your phone when you receive it.
SEND A TEXT MESSAGE
08 To send a text, click ‘New message’. At the top of the window you’ll see a text box with ‘To’ written in it. Start typing the name of the contact you want to message, and the Your Phone app will fill in their details. Then, in the text box at the bottom of the app, type in the message you want to send. Then, either press [Enter] or click on the button with the icon of a paper aeroplane.
TROUBLESHOOTING MESSAGES
09 Your Phone is still in its infancy, and there are sometimes problems with sending and receiving messages. If you can’t send messages, make sure your phone and your PC are connected to the same wireless network. You may also need to change a few settings on your phone to ensure you can view all your messages. Microsoft has a support page at http://bit.ly/2PXEr24.
LOOK FORWARD TO NEW FEATURES
10 While Your Phone is already really useful, Microsoft has big plans for its future. Upcoming features should give you greater control over viewing and editing photos, as well as being able to easily drag and drop files between your PC and phone. You’ll soon be able to add photos and send them via MMS. Microsoft hopes to offer a greater level of iPhone support in future, too.