Windows 11 now allows users to connect to hotspots on their smartphones without touching their phone’s settings.
New feature coming through Phone Link app (formerly Your Phone) to connect a Windows 11 PC to a smartphone. It will come in handy when you are traveling and need quick access to your smartphone’s internet connection.
If your phone is within range, it will appear in your PC’s list of available wi-fi networks. One click will turn on the phone’s hotspot and the PC connected to it.
The new Windows 11 feature takes a leaf from the MacOS announcement of offering hotspot connectivity to iPhones.
Phone Link is fully supported by most Samsung devices and this also applies to the new hotspot feature.
Currently, only Samsung devices have Android 12 and later (One UI 4.1.1+) are compatible, but Microsoft generally extends support for Phone Link features to other Android devices over time.
“No more remembering and entering passwords or searching for hotspot settings on your phone. This provides an easier and faster way to stay connected to your hotspot while you’re on the go” Microsoft said in a blog post.
To use this feature, the PC needs to be running Windows 11, version 22H2 Build 22621 or later and Phone link desktop app must be version v1.22082.111.0 or later. The Link to Windows Phone app – pre-installed on Samsung devices – must be v1.22082.142.0 or later.
Microsoft has also released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25231 to the Dev Channel. It contains a few minor changes and improvements. The construction includes Taskbar optimized for tablets and System Tray tweaks to modernize the experience.
Improvements to the Settings app include fixing the look of UWP app icons and making fonts in the wi-fi section of Quick Settings consistent. Users will see that network cameras are being added when selected in Bluetooth & Devices > Cameras.
Microsoft also fixed a bug that caused applications like Paint and Windows Terminal to hang when users tried to display tooltips.
