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Phone Link can turn your Windows PC into a remote control for audio playing on an Android phone. After notifications and one Phone Link setting are enabled, a compact player appears in Phone Link with Previous, Play/Pause, and Next controls. The phone remains the playback device: sound comes from the phone or speakers and headphones connected to it, not from the PC.
If you need the sound itself to come through the computer, use the separate Samsung audio-streaming feature described later. It has different device and software requirements and is not necessary for ordinary transport controls.
What Phone Link actually does
The audio player in Phone Link is a remote control for the active media session on your Android phone. You can pause a podcast, resume a song, skip forward to the next track, or return to the previous track without picking up the phone. Playback continues on the Android device, including any Bluetooth headset, wired headphones, or speaker already connected to that device.
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Microsoft states the limitation plainly: “Audio will play from Android device, or any speakers connected to it, not from the PC.” This means the feature does not, by itself, turn your computer into a Bluetooth receiver or reroute phone audio through the PC’s speakers.
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When more than one audio source is active on the phone, Phone Link can expose a source selector in the player. For example, if a music app and a podcast app both have active playback sessions, use the dropdown to choose which one the controls should operate. Starting playback from a different app can also make Phone Link switch to that source.
Requirements and supported versions
Check these prerequisites before changing settings. They determine whether the player can appear at all, but they do not guarantee that every Android model or every third-party app will expose controls.
| Requirement | What Microsoft specifies | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC | Windows 10 with the October 2022 update or later, or Windows 11 | Phone Link’s current Android integration depends on a supported Windows release. |
| Android phone | Android 10 or later | The phone supplies the media session and notifications that Phone Link reads. |
| Network | PC and phone connected to the same Wi-Fi network | Phone Link uses the paired connection to exchange controls and status. |
| Phone Link | Version 1.20041.75.0 or later for audio controls | Earlier Phone Link builds may not include the audio-player feature. |
| Notifications | Phone Link notifications must be set up, and notifications must be allowed for the individual Android audio app | The Phone Link audio toggle is unavailable until notification access is configured. |
| Link to Windows | Keep the Android companion app current | Microsoft recommends updating it so the phone-side integration matches Phone Link. |
Some Android manufacturers preinstall Link to Windows; other phones require installing it. Microsoft also provides app downloads. Device-specific availability can differ, so treat the table as the general baseline rather than a promise that every handset exposes identical features.
What you need—and what you do not
You do not need a special keyboard, Bluetooth receiver, audio cable, or paid add-on to use the standard player. The phone, the Windows PC, the Phone Link and Link to Windows software, and the required connection are the core setup. A phone stand, media-control keyboard, Bluetooth headphones, or external speaker can make a desk setup more convenient, but none is required and none changes where the sound is produced.
That distinction can prevent an unnecessary purchase. If your goal is simply to pause a podcast while working, the Phone Link controls are enough. If your goal is to hear the phone’s audio through the computer, buying a cable or pairing headphones to the PC is not a documented solution for this feature; use the separate Samsung streaming capability only when your device meets its conditions.
Set up music and podcast controls step by step
1. Allow notifications for the audio app on Android
- Open Settings on the Android phone.
- Open Notifications.
- Select the music or podcast app you want to control.
- Turn on that app’s notifications.
Repeat this for each audio app you expect to use. A notification permission for one app does not automatically grant permission to another. The media player relies on the app’s notification/media session, so an app that is blocked from posting notifications may not appear even while it is playing.
If Android lists notification categories, leave the category associated with media playback enabled. The exact labels can vary by phone maker, but the important check is the individual app rather than only Android’s general notification switch.
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2. Enable the audio player in Phone Link
- Open Phone Link on the Windows PC.
- Open Settings.
- Under Personalization, turn on Show audio currently playing from my phone.
If that switch is missing, finish Phone Link notification setup first. Microsoft makes notification access a prerequisite for the audio setting to become available.
3. Start playback on the phone
- Open the music or podcast app on Android.
- Start a song or episode.
- Return to Phone Link and look in its menu area for the compact audio player.
- Use Previous, Play/Pause, or Next to control the phone’s active session.
The first appearance can take a moment after playback begins. The player reflects the session that Android reports as active; it is not a separate copy of the app running on Windows.
4. Choose between active audio sources
If another audio source starts on the phone, Phone Link switches to it. When multiple sources are active, open the player’s dropdown and select the source you want to control. This is useful when a podcast is paused while a music app has an active session, or when you switch apps without closing the first one.
The dropdown does not combine queues or transfer playback between services. It only selects which active Android media session receives the transport command. To browse a catalog, search for an episode, change an account, or edit a queue, use the original app on the phone.
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On Windows, Ctrl+Shift+A toggles the Android audio player on or off in Phone Link. It changes the visibility of the player; it does not move playback to the PC and does not replace the Android app’s notification permission.
If the shortcut appears to do nothing, open Phone Link and verify that the audio setting is enabled. A disabled setting or an unavailable audio session leaves the shortcut with no player to show.
What the three controls can and cannot do
| Control or behavior | Result on the phone |
|---|---|
| Previous | Requests the previous item from the active music or podcast session. |
| Play/Pause | Pauses the current item or resumes it. |
| Next | Requests the next item from the active session. |
| Source dropdown | Selects among multiple active audio sources reported by Android. |
| Phone Link audio toggle | Shows or hides the compact player in Phone Link. |
| PC speakers | Not used by this control feature; audio remains on the phone or its connected speakers. |
These are transport controls, not a full desktop version of the phone app. Phone Link does not present the Android app’s catalog, episode list, queue, or account interface through this player. Use the phone app itself for actions that are not exposed by the three transport buttons.
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Controlling audio is different from playing it through the PC
Two Phone Link experiences are easy to confuse:
| Experience | What you get | Device and version conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Android audio player | Previous, Play/Pause, Next, and source selection for audio already playing on the phone | Uses the general Phone Link requirements above; Microsoft does not give it the Samsung-only conditions listed for streaming. |
| Samsung audio streaming during Android Apps or Phone screen use | Audio output from the Samsung phone can be streamed to the Windows PC while using those Phone Link experiences | Samsung device with One UI 5.0 or higher; Phone Link 1.22092.214.0 or higher; Link to Windows 1.22102.149.0 or higher. Microsoft lists Honor and Surface Duo as unsupported for this feature. |
Choose the first experience when you only need convenient controls at your desk. Choose the second only when your goal is actual PC audio output and you have the specified Samsung configuration. The Samsung streaming requirements are not prerequisites for the ordinary Previous, Play/Pause, and Next player.
Which experience fits your goal?
- Remote control only: Standard Phone Link is the simpler choice. Audio stays on the Android phone or its connected speakers, while Windows supplies the buttons.
- Sound from the PC: Check the Samsung streaming feature. It is a separate path with stricter device and version conditions.
- Unsupported phone or app: The ordinary player may still be unavailable even when the general Windows, Android, Wi-Fi, and notification requirements are satisfied.
Do not treat the Samsung version numbers as a universal upgrade checklist for the ordinary audio player. They belong to the streaming experience, whereas Microsoft lists version 1.20041.75.0 or later for Phone Link audio controls.
If the player does not appear
Work through the checks in this order. Each one addresses a different point in the path from the phone’s media session to the Phone Link interface.
Confirm the phone and PC connection
- Verify that both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
- Open Phone Link and confirm that the paired phone is connected rather than paused or disconnected.
- Make sure the Windows edition meets the general Phone Link requirement and that the Android phone is running Android 10 or later.
A disconnected pairing cannot deliver the media session, even if the app is playing normally on the phone.
Check Android notification permission
- In Android Settings > Notifications, open the specific music or podcast app.
- Turn its notifications on.
- If Android offers separate notification categories, do not disable the category used for media playback.
Check every app separately. Enabling notifications for a music service does not enable them for a podcast service.
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- Open Phone Link settings and complete its notification setup if it has not been done.
- Return to Settings > Personalization.
- Turn on Show audio currently playing from my phone.
- Start playback again on the phone.
The personalization switch may not be offered until Phone Link notifications are configured, so searching for the switch before completing that step can be misleading.
Update both sides of the connection
Audio controls require Phone Link version 1.20041.75.0 or later. Update Phone Link on Windows and keep Link to Windows current on Android. After updating, reopen both apps and start a fresh playback session.
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Test whether the app is compatible
Some third-party audio apps are incompatible and will not show in Phone Link even when all permissions and settings are correct. Test another music or podcast app only as a diagnostic; a working second app indicates that the missing player may be an app-compatibility limitation rather than a faulty PC setting.
When a particular app remains absent after notification and version checks, Microsoft recommends submitting feedback through Feedback Hub. Do not assume that an unofficial workaround can add support that the app does not expose.
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Pausing a podcast while keeping the phone in your pocket
Allow notifications for the podcast app, enable the Phone Link audio setting, and start the episode on Android. When you need to stop, click Play/Pause in the Phone Link player. The episode pauses on the phone; no audio stream is created on Windows.
Switching from music to a podcast
Start the podcast on the phone. Phone Link should move its player focus to the newly active source. If both sessions remain active, open the dropdown and select the podcast before pressing Play/Pause or Next.
Using headphones connected to the phone
Connect the headphones to Android as usual. Phone Link sends control commands to the phone, while the sound continues through those headphones. Connecting headphones to the PC instead does not redirect this feature’s audio output.
Needing sound from the PC’s speakers
The compact audio player cannot provide that routing. Check whether your phone is a supported Samsung model with the required One UI, Phone Link, and Link to Windows versions, then use the separate audio-streaming experience while running Android Apps or Phone screen. If your device is not eligible, Phone Link’s documented control feature still works only as a remote control.
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- App coverage is not universal: Microsoft explicitly notes that some third-party apps are incompatible.
- Controls follow Android’s active session: starting another source can change which app the player controls.
- Playback location does not change: ordinary audio controls leave sound on the phone or speakers attached to it.
- Device behavior can vary: the general Phone Link requirements do not establish identical feature support for every Android manufacturer or model.
- No measured performance claim: version numbers identify compatibility baselines, not adoption rates, latency scores, or audio-quality statistics.
- It is not a second app window: the player does not reproduce a service’s library, queue, episode list, or account controls on Windows.
- Notifications are part of the path: turning off notifications later can make a previously working player disappear.
Questions to answer before setup
Decide whether you need commands or audio routing. If you only want to pause, resume, or skip from the keyboard and mouse, the regular player is designed for that job. If you need the PC’s speakers, compare your phone and software with the Samsung-only streaming requirements before changing anything.
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Also identify every app you plan to control. Each app needs its own Android notification permission, and a service that is unsupported cannot be made compatible by turning on the Phone Link switch. Finally, check the Phone Link version before troubleshooting individual apps; version 1.20041.75.0 is Microsoft’s stated baseline for audio controls.
A quick decision checklist
- Need only play, pause, previous, or next from Windows? Use the standard Phone Link audio player.
- Need to select between simultaneously active phone audio apps? Use the player’s source dropdown.
- Need audio through PC speakers? Investigate the separate Samsung streaming feature, not the ordinary player.
- Player missing? Check same-Wi-Fi pairing, Android app notifications, Phone Link notifications, the personalization switch, software updates, and app compatibility in that order.
- Still missing for one third-party app? Send feedback through Feedback Hub rather than treating the app as universally supported.
- Considering extra hardware? None is required for the control feature; accessories only change comfort or the phone’s own listening setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I control music from my PC with Phone Link?
On Android, enable notifications for the music app. In Phone Link, complete notification setup, then open Settings > Personalization and turn on “Show audio currently playing from my phone.” Start playback on the phone and use Previous, Play/Pause, or Next in the Phone Link player.
Can Phone Link control Spotify or a podcast app?
It can control an audio app when Android exposes a compatible media session and its notifications are allowed. Microsoft notes that some third-party apps are incompatible, so support is not guaranteed for every music or podcast service.
Why is the Phone Link audio player missing?
Check the same-Wi-Fi connection, Android 10 or later, Phone Link notifications, the individual app’s notifications, and the “Show audio currently playing from my phone” setting. Confirm Phone Link is version 1.20041.75.0 or later. If only one app is missing, incompatibility may be the cause; Microsoft recommends Feedback Hub for that case.
Can Phone Link play my phone’s music through my PC speakers?
Not with the ordinary audio player. Microsoft says audio plays from the Android device or speakers connected to it. PC audio output is a separate Samsung feature requiring One UI 5.0 or higher, Phone Link 1.22092.214.0 or later, and Link to Windows 1.22102.149.0 or later.
What controls are available?
The compact player provides Previous, Play/Pause, and Next. When multiple Android audio sources are active, a dropdown lets you choose the source. It does not provide the app’s catalog, queue, episode list, or account interface.
What does Ctrl+Shift+A do?
Ctrl+Shift+A toggles the Android audio player on or off in Phone Link. It changes the player’s visibility; it does not route sound to the PC or replace notification permissions.
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Do I need Bluetooth headphones, a cable, or a special keyboard?
No. The feature uses the phone, PC, and their software connection. Optional headphones, speakers, stands, keyboards, and cables are not required, and they do not make the standard player route audio through Windows.
How do I switch between a podcast and music?
Start the other app on the Android phone. Phone Link can switch to the newly active source. If both sessions remain active, open the player’s source dropdown and select the app you want to control.
The Bottom Line
Phone Link is a convenient Windows remote for Android audio, not a PC audio receiver. Enable notifications for each audio app, turn on Show audio currently playing from my phone in Phone Link, and use the Previous, Play/Pause, and Next controls. Keep Phone Link at version 1.20041.75.0 or later and remember that some apps may be incompatible. For sound through PC speakers, investigate the separate Samsung streaming feature and its stricter requirements.
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