iPhones and Macs work seamlessly together in every way, whether you want to control your Apple phone from your Mac or use it as a webcam. Apple calls this suite of features Continuity, and it even extends to the iPad and Apple Watch – so if you stay inside the Apple ecosystem you’re guaranteed to find devices that play well together.
Implementing the features introduced by Apple Continuity isn’t as easy for Google, Samsung, and Microsoft, but everyone who isn’t Apple is busy trying to improve the cross-device experience. Pixels and Chromebooks now offer many useful integrations, just like Samsung Galaxy phones and Galaxy Book laptops.
Those Samsung features managed by the Galaxy Connect app have just been expanded to non-Samsung Windows 11 computers, now more people can take advantage of them. As long as you have a PC running Windows 11 and fitted with an Intel or AMD chip, it’s now available to you (ARM-based PCs are not supported yet).
The expansion was quietly announced in the release notes for version 2.1.6.0 Galaxy Connect App Available on Microsoft Store. Once you install the app, here’s what you can do with it.
Getting started with Galaxy Connect
After downloading and running Galaxy Connect, you will see a prompt to sign in with a Samsung account. You’ll need one of these to use Galaxy Connect, and you probably already have one that you can use with your Galaxy phone. Once this is done, you will be taken to the front page of Galaxy Connect, which has four main sections.
is the first Continue on another device. Its main meaning is to copy and paste, so if you copy something on your PC you can switch to your Galaxy phone and then paste it there (or vice versa). Like all Galaxy Connect features, both devices need to have Bluetooth turned on and be on the same WiFi network.
Galaxy Connect App.
Credit: Lifehacker
Enabling this feature via the toggle switch also means that WiFi network information is synced. For example, if you’ve previously connected to a WiFi network with your Windows 11 laptop, when your Samsung phone comes across it, it will already know the password – you just need to tap to connect.
Camera Continuity is another included feature: Samsung says it lets you “take photos or scan documents on your phone or tablet, then continue working on them in apps like Samsung Notes on your computer.” However, it’s not clear how this works, and I couldn’t figure it out – perhaps Samsung should be working on this.
Enabling cross-device communication.
Credit: Lifehacker
The next item in the Galaxy Connect menu is easy to understand and call storage share. Go to this section, turn on the toggle switch, and you will find additional storage share Entry in File Explorer in Windows 11. (If your phone doesn’t show up, check it Connected Devices > Storage Share is enabled in Settings on your Galaxy phone).
This gives you easy access to everything on your phone, and means you can transfer files between the two devices without syncing apps or messing with cables. In fact, swapping files between a computer and a phone should absolutely be this easy – it took us a few years, but we finally got there.
How “Multi Control” and “Second Screen” work in Galaxy Connect
The other two sections in Galaxy Connect are a bit more complex, and require additional downloads. They are not simply on/off toggle switches, and require some additional configuration. As soon as you select them, you will be directed to the corresponding downloads from the Microsoft Store.
What do you think so far?
is the first multi controlWhich essentially lets you operate your phone from your laptop or desktop: all you have to do is arrange your phone and PC like a secondary display, and then you can send your Windows 11 cursor to the Galaxy phone by moving it off the screen in the appropriate direction.
When the cursor leaves your computer screen and comes to your phone screen, you can use your mouse and keyboard to control the Galaxy handset. This makes typing and selecting much easier, and if you need to bring any text, links or images back to your PC you can drag them off the edge of the screen and back to the desktop interface.
Multi control window.
Credit: Lifehacker
The ultimate Galaxy Connect feature is second screenAnd as you might guess from the name, it lets you use a Galaxy device as a secondary display for your computer — though it only works with tablets, not smartphones, so I haven’t tested it directly. Then, you have the ability to position both of your screens relative to each other.
You get all the benefits that typically come with a second screen, like more space to keep apps and windows off your main desktop until you need them. It’s also useful for keeping anything in the background, like a video or social media feed, without taking up space on your main display.
Second screen requires additional download.
Credit: Lifehacker
Microsoft Phone Link
If you’re familiar with Windows-and-phone synchronicity, you may be wondering where Microsoft’s own Phone Link app fits in here. You can use it alongside or in place of Galaxy Connect (if you can’t get the Samsung app to work for whatever reason). It mimics some of the features you’ll find in the Galaxy Connect, including quick swapping of files and clipboard syncing.
Phone Link also has additional features, such as the ability to mirror your phone’s screen to a Windows desktop, and the ability to manage notifications, texts, and calls from your computer. (Saving you from constantly switching between devices). To find it, look for the Phone link from the taskbar or Start menu, then follow the instructions to connect your handset.
