How to Run Android Apps in Windows 10 [Updated]

Update 8/24/202o: After a few weeks in beta, the new Your App update is rolling out publicly for Windows 10, and it looks like Microsoft is extending the feature to include non-Samsung devices as well . This article has been updated to reflect those changes.

One of the coolest announcements Samsung displayed at its Unpacked 2020 event was new functionality coming to the Your Phone app on Windows 10 that will give you full control of your Android device on PC.

The Your Phone app already lets Android users view notifications, texts and files on their Windows 10 PC, but many Android devices can now run apps and mirror the device’s screen directly to your PC’s desktop. The list of compatible phones only includes Samsung devices at the moment, but Microsoft says further device support is rolling out and will continue expanding over time.

Android apps will behave like a native Windows application; they run in their own app windows and can be pinned to your Windows taskbar and Start menu. And since everything runs off your phone, you won’t need to install the apps on your PC. You can even mirror your device’s main screen in a separate window on your desktop while other apps are running.

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Only select phones—like the Samsung Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra—will be able to run multiple apps simultaneously on desktop, but the other features will work on supported devices running Android 9 pie or higher and can be linked to Windows 10 via the Your Phone app.

How to connect your Android phone to Windows 10

The new Your App features entered beta in early August, but should now be available to users who have installed Windows 10 version 1809 or later. The exact availability of the feature will vary for all users, but here’s how to connect your Android phone to Windows 10 once you receive the update:

1. Make sure your phone and PC are on and connected to the same wifi network.

2. Install the Your Phone app on your Windows 10 PC (Microsoft Store).

3. Run the app and sign in with your Microsoft account when prompted.

From here, things will work slightly differently based on your device’s OEM.

• For Samsung users: Swipe down on the screen to open the quick-access menu and tap the “Link to Windows” icon. Sign in with your Microsoft account again, then follow the on-screen instructions.

• For other Android devices: refer to this guide for connecting your Android phone to Windows 10.

How to open and control Android apps in Windows:

Once your phone and PC are connected, the Your Phone app window should appear on your desktop. Here’s how to open your apps on desktop:

1. Click the “Apps” shortcut from the left-hand menu to see a list of all applications installed on your device.

2. Click an app from the list to run it on your PC (note: some apps may not have full keyboard/mouse support, and may have visual/audio display errors).

3. You can also click “Open Phone’s Screen” to mirror the device’s screen in a separate window.

Once the app is open on your desktop, you can drag it around or swap to other programs, as with any other Windows 10 application window. To control the apps on desktop:

• Single-click to single tap

• Double click to double tap

• Click and hold to tap/hold

• Right-click on the screen to return to previous page/screen

• Click and drag to select content

• Mouse scroll to scroll the screen

• To add an open app to your taskbar, right-click the icon in the taskbar and select “Pin to taskbar.”