Windows 10’s Your Phone app is adding music and audio controls
The handy Windows 10 Your Phone app will soon give PC users the chance to control music and audio playing on an Android smartphone.
WINDOWS 10 UPDATE
The new feature, currently being tested in preview versions of the desktop operating system, places a play bar, title, source and album art within the app. It’ll also enable users to switch between multiple sources using a drop down within the audio player.
Microsoft says the app works with audio services like Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, Google Play Music, YouTube Music, Xiami Music, and Google Podcast.
You’ll need an Android phone running version 7.0+ and a PC-running Windows 10 October 2018 Update or later. Although it’s only available to those running the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19619, revealed today, at present.
Microsoft rolled out the Windows 10 May 2020 Update on May 28th and with it, the company released a list of deprecated features. Now, Microsoft has updated the list to include the Connect app as well.
The app on Windows 10 uses Miracast technology to let users mirror their display wirelessly to a Windows 10 PC. Windows 10 supported Miracast since its debut back in 2015 but Microsoft's solution did not gain traction, especially since there are better alternatives available like Chromecast.
With Windows 10 May 2020 Update, Microsoft has made the app optional for Windows 10 users. This means that the app will no longer come installed along with Windows 10 but users can download it from the optional features menu. If you are someone who actively relies on it then you can follow the steps below to download it again:
- Open the Settings app and navigate to Apps > Optional features > Add a feature.
- Type 'Wireless Display' in the search bar and click on the checkbox beside Wireless display to select it.
- Click on 'Install' at the bottom of the dialog box to install the Connect app.
Once installed, the app can be accessed from the Start menu. You can navigate back to Optional Features to uninstall 'Wireless Display' to remove the app.
The Windows 10 Connect app, which made its debut with the version 1607 of the OS four years ago, has now been officially deprecated by Microsoft. Starting with the Windows 10 May 2020 Update, the app is no longer pre-installed with the OS, and it has been quietly added to the list of deprecated features for this version of Windows 10
For those unfamiliar with the Connect app, it allows Windows 10 users to cast their Android phone to their PC wirelessly. The app only works on modern PCs supporting Miracast, a wireless technology that’s now supported on many smart TVs or streaming sticks.
Even though Microsoft’s Connect app shipped with Windows 10 on PCs that supports Miracast, the app never really got a lot of traction. Even though the app has now been deprecated, it’s still possible to install it from the optional features page in the Settings app. You can find it by searching for “Wireless Display” on that page, where you can find many other legacy apps such as Microsoft Paint, Internet Explorer 11, or NotePad.
Have you ever used Microsoft’s Connect app to project your Android phone on your Windows 10 PC? Let us know in the comments below.
Post a Comment