Overview
- Windows Central reported Monday that Microsoft is internally testing expanded Phone Link or Companion features to surface phone activity inside the Start menu and to add a new smartphone icon with a taskbar flyout.
- Planned features in early prototypes include a Start‑menu view that shows recent messages and notifications, a system‑tray phone icon with quick toggles like Do Not Disturb and ring, and hover previews that reveal full message text or photos.
- Developers are also testing drag‑and‑drop file transfers to a connected phone and full clipboard‑history synchronization so multiple copied items move between PC and Android rather than only the last copied entry.
- Microsoft is said to be experimenting with a standalone Messages app for Windows 11 that would surface SMS conversations without keeping the phone app open, but the company has not confirmed any public release plans.
- All items remain in an early prototyping phase and could be changed or dropped before any beta; observers note a larger Windows update such as 26H2 in fall 2026 is a plausible but unconfirmed release window and users should expect details to shift.