Microsoft Prototypes 4 Windows 11 Phone Features, Shifting Phone Link Into the Shell
Updated
Updated · tbreak.com · Jul 12
Microsoft Prototypes 4 Windows 11 Phone Features, Shifting Phone Link Into the Shell
3 articles · Updated · tbreak.com · Jul 12
Summary
Four prototype features would move phone controls deeper into Windows 11, including Start menu activity previews, a system-tray phone flyout, full cross-device clipboard history and a standalone SMS app.
The shift breaks up Phone Link by placing its functions in the Start menu, taskbar, File Explorer and system tray, aiming to make a connected phone feel native to Windows rather than a separate app.
The tray flyout would show phone status, offer toggles such as Do Not Disturb and find phone, and support drag-and-drop file sending; the Messages app would let users read, reply to and start SMS chats from the desktop.
Microsoft is testing the changes internally and with Windows Insiders, with no release date and no guarantee all four features will ship in their current form.
Android phones are expected to get the deepest integration, while iPhone support remains more limited, consistent with Microsoft's broader 2026 Windows 11 cleanup and push toward native apps.