Technologies

You might not have to wait for Windows 11 to run Android apps on your PC

Here’s how to access Android apps on your Windows 10 PC with certain Samsung devices.

Windows 11 will release soon with a bunch of new features — including the ability to run Android apps (here’s how to download Windows 11). But Samsung Galaxy owners have already seen the future. Certain Android phone users can currently access Android mobile apps directly from their Windows 10 PC, thanks to an update to the Your Phone app that Microsoft rolled out to the general public last August. Windows 10 also lets you run multiple Android mobile apps side by side on your Windows 10 PC and supported Samsung devices.

This feature lets you pin your favorite Android mobile apps to the Taskbar or Start menu on your computer for quick and easy access. The apps will open in separate windows from the Your Phone app, letting you use them basically the same way you would on your phone — even if the Your Phone app isn’t open. Windows 10 also lets you search for your previously pinned apps from within your Start app list, without needing to install the apps on your desktop or sign into them again.

With many people moving to a remote or hybrid work environment due to the ongoing pandemic, the ability to access phone apps on a larger desktop or laptop screen, with a mouse, pen or touchscreen, could help with multitasking.

Though the feature is available now, at this point it’s available only for Samsung Galaxy phones. Find the full list of supported phones on Microsoft’s support site.

What do you need to run Android apps on a Windows 10 PC?

In addition to a Samsung Galaxy phone (at least for now), you’ll need a PC running the Windows 10 October 2019 Update or later. Check what version you’re running on your PC by going to Settings > Updates & Security > Check for update. (The latest version of Windows 10 is the May 2021 update.) If you still need to upgrade to Windows 10, you can download Windows 10 for free.

You’ll also need the latest version of the Your Phone app, and Link to Windows. On your phone, you’ll need to be running Android 9.0 or greater, with the Link to Windows integration.

Finally, your phone and computer must be on the same Wi-Fi network for the feature to work.

Read more on TechRepublic: Windows 10: A cheat sheet

How to run Android apps on your Windows 10 PC

Once you have everything you need and your phone and computer are connected, the Your Phone app window should appear on your desktop. To open your Android apps on your desktop:

Click the Apps shortcut from the menu on the left. You’ll see a list of all the apps on your phone.
Click the app you want from the list, and it will open in a separate window on your PC.

Note that not every app will work with your mouse or keyboard, but many will.

And here are a few more tips for interacting with your mobile apps on your desktop with your mouse and keyboard, according to Microsoft:

Single click will behave the same as any single touch/tap interaction.
Right-click anywhere on your phone screen to navigate to the previous page.
Click and hold will behave the same as a tap/hold interaction.
Click and hold and drag to select content.
Mouse scroll to move between pages vertically or horizontally.

For more, check out Windows 10 hacks you need to know and the best Android 12 features we’ve found.

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Technologies

Apple’s New Smart Home Display Delayed Until Fall Over Siri Issues

It has been nearly a year and a half since the company announced the AI-powered product.

Your home could get smarter with Apple’s Siri, but it will have to wait a few more months. Bloomberg reported the iPad-shaped AI home hub won’t be ready until September, several months after the company was hoping to launch it this spring. Apple engineers first need to complete work on a new and improved Siri assistant for the home device, code-named J490, according to Bloomberg.

Apple was hoping to release J490 this month, along with a slew of other new devices, including the iPhone 17e, MacBook Neo, MacBook Air M5, new Pro models, and iPad Air M4. Apple first teased the smart home display in November 2024.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Siri is Apple’s virtual assistant that uses voice recognition and AI to fulfill a variety of tasks and commands, along with intriguing uses. You might use Siri to find your iPhone — «Hey Siri, where are you?» — or to hear the weather forecast — «Siri, what will the weather be today?» Siri is available on iPhones, MacBooks and iPads. It was launched in 2011 as a feature of the iPhone 4S.

As CNET reported last month, Apple engineers have struggled to push the upgraded Siri assistant out the door. It isn’t fast enough, gets confused by complex commands and doesn’t interact well with other Apple AI models. The company is also wrestling with how much personal data to access to inform the AI, and the new Siri is not yet able to complete in-app tasks, such as finding a photo and posting it to socials, all with one command.

It has been nearly two years since Apple announced that it would give Siri a major upgrade. In the meantime, competitors like Alexa Plus and Gemini for Home have entered the marketplace.

Tech tester Jon Rettinger, whose YouTube channel has 1.66 million subscribers, says the repeated delays in upgrading Siri can «erode» confidence in Apple’s ability to keep up in the AI race.

«Apple as a whole is still one of the strongest companies on the planet. But their AI play is clearly the weakest link in an otherwise very strong chain,» Rettinger told CNET.

Rettinger said he has had issues getting Siri to complete basic commands, such as setting two alarms at the same time, and that it’s a bit of «a mess» right now.

«Having said that, the iPhone has such massive market penetration that I’m not sure it will actually matter in the end. Which is kind of wild when you think about it,» Rettinger said.

Facial recognition for residents

The hardware for the forthcoming smart home display has already been finished. It resembles an iPad and can be either attached to a wall or rest on a half-domed-shaped base, the Bloomberg report said.

The device will be equipped with facial recognition, so when residents walk up to it, they will be shown personalized data such as music preferences, news headlines, appointments, reminders, tasks and so on.

The screen interface will include a bunch of circular app icons, similar to the display on an Apple Watch. The Bloomberg report said the smart home display will be the first of several home devices by Apple. Future products include a tabletop robotic limb with a 9-inch screen, a smart security camera and a Face ID-enabled smart doorbell.