Windows 10: Windows 11'Cross Device Resume feature will soon let Android users continue where they left...

macOS users may be familiar with a feature called Handoff, which lets them switch from using an app on iPhone, and continue the same on Mac. Microsoft is working on a similar feature of its own for Windows 11, it's called Cross Device Resume.

Windows Central reports that this feature works between Android and PC. Microsoft revealed it during a video demo during the Build 2025 developer conference. But it has deleted the relevant section from the video for some reason. However, notable Windows leaker, PhantomofEarth, managed to capture some details about the app, including a screenshot.



Microsoft's demo had showcased Spotify playing a song on an Android phone, and the Spotify icon on the Windows 11 Taskbar has a phone icon on the badge. Hovering over the icon displays a pop-up that says "Resume. Recently opened on your mobile device". It shows the Spotify icon and has an option to "continue where you left". Clicking on this option will open the app on PC and continue playing the song seamlessly. This can be useful for users who want to switch to their PC or laptop, which can make things easier to use thanks to the keyboard and mouse.

It is unclear which apps will support the feature. Xenopanther mentions that WhatsApp is among the list of third-party apps that will support Cross Device Resume in an upcoming build of Windows 11.



Microsoft is also preparing to let users share content across apps and devices easily with a feature called Cross Device Share. It is possible that these multi-platform features were once a part of Project Rome, Microsoft's cloud-based experience, which was originally announced in 2020. We will need to wait from an official announcement to learn when these options will be available in the Windows Insider Program.

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How to add Iphone to Microsoft Account as a Device

I have been researching this problem for a while now with no obvious answer or method.

How do I add my iPhone to my Microsoft account as a device so I can continue what I am doing while crossing over from windows to smartphone or vice-versa? I keep seeing articles like this -

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-use-the-continue-on-pc-feature-in-windows-10/ on how to do it but I am starting to believe this is only for android. And furthermore, I am beginning to think there is no way to add a iOS device to a microsoft account.

Steps I've taken -

1. I've signed in to my microsoft account with Microsoft Edge and OneDrive on my iPhone 13 - No success.
   
2. I've added iTunes on my Windows 11 PC and signed it to sync my iphone. Didn't think this was going to work or what I was trying to do but tried it anyways - No success.
   
3. Added my microsoft account on outlook, office 365 and microsoft authenticator on both windows 11 and iPhone 13 - no success
   
4. Tried to link my iPhone via accounts.microsoft.com/devices - No success
   

Any other options or suggestions would be incredibly helpful.

^But this petty feud between Apple and Microsoft to prevent each their users' the freedom to cross platforms between each other is downright idiotic.

 

Use Windows Subsystem for Android in Windows 11

Windows Subsystem for Android i.e. WSA allows your device to run Android apps natively in Windows 11. This article explains how to set up WSA in Windows 11 to Run Android Apps. WSA runs as a virtual machine using Hyper-V and is based on AOSP version 11. Also, The feature is only available for Windows Insiders in Beta Channel as of now.





WhatsApp for Android, WSA and Amazon App Store installed in Windows 11

Requirements

As of now, WSA has some specific requirements. With time, some pre-requisites like Region would be eased. See the following requirements:

1. Your Device must be running Build 22000 and meeting the requirements for Windows 11, including supported processors.
   
2. The Computer must support virtualization and be enabled in BIOS/UEFI and Optional Features.
   
3. The device must have at least 8GB of RAM and SSD as a Storage device. For WSA, a Hard drive is not supported.
   
4. The Store version must be 22110.1402.6.0 or higher. Go to Store Library to update.
   
5. The PC's Region must be set to the US.
   
6. The Amazon account you plan to use must be US-based.
   
7. Your PC must be in Windows Insider Program Beta Channel.
   

If these requirements are met, follow the steps below to set up and use Windows Subsystem for Android.

Getting started with Windows Subsystem for Android

1. Open the Amazon App store from this link.
   
2. Click Install. It would download Amazon AppStore and Windows subsystem for Android.
   
3. When done, you would see the Windows subsystem for Android on your app list, together with Amazon AppStore.
   
4. Open the Amazon AppStore, and sign in with your US-based Amazon Account on the screen that shows.
   
5. Locate your App in the catalogue and click Install. At the time of writing, only around 50 apps are available in the Store, but Microsoft will update the list over time.
   

Amazon AppStore starting using WSA

Windows Subsystem for Android Settings.

There are also a bunch of Android Settings you can customize as well, which are as under.

1. Files show the files which Apps download to the Device.
   
2. Subsystem Screen reader helps accessibility wise, like screen reading on in Android apps you plan to run.
   
3. Developer mode helps you to sideload an APK file manually using ADB. See .
   
4. Resources: If the Subsystem is selected As needed, no resources are used in the Background, so as a result, apps open slowly. If a continuous option is selected, resources continue to be used in the Background, and Apps open quickly.
   

To conclude, these steps can help you get started with running Android apps using Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11. Hopefully, it would be available for the general public soon.

In addition, if you are outside the United States and wish to try out WSA manually, you can follow this guide:

Install and configure Android apps in Windows 11 - Your Windows Guide

1. Download WSABundle from here.
   
2. Move the file to the root of the C drive.
   
3. When it is finished downloading, open an elevated PowerShell window. To open an elevated Powershell, Press the Win+R keys on the keyboard and type Powershell in the dialogue box. Afterwards, press Ctrl+Shift+Enter and press yes when prompted.
   
4. Type the following command to change the Directory to the root of the C drive.
   
   CD /
   
5. Then install the MSIX Bundle using this command:
   
   Add-AppxPackage 2.msixbundle
   

Follow the rest of the steps on APK installation in the article link.

Do read:

Introducing Android™ Apps on Windows 11 to Windows Insiders | Windows Insider Blog

Announcing Android™ apps on Windows 11 Preview for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel | Windows Insider Blog

Windows Subsystem for Android™ (microsoft.com)

 

Bing Chat Microsoft Launcher Integration and Continue on Your Phone

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