[Tutorial]Here Is How I Link My Phone and PC

If the Apple ecosystem is remarkably efficient, Android and Microsoft still have a long way to go to make their ecosystems as interoperable. Don’t get me wrong, they are, but not with the intuitive we would have wished. There are hundreds of millions of devices under Windows and Android made by various manufacturers. This fragmentation does not facilitate the seamless interoperability of these devices as in the case with Apple devices. Apple being the one designing its hardware for its software and vice-versa, things are obviously spontaneous. Google and Microsoft could have achieved the same results with their respective ecosystems, but with the death of Windows Phone, and the unpopularity of Chromebooks, Android and Windows are meant to stick together for a while still.

Hence, here are two apps I use to make my PC and smartphone interoperable, thus improving my efficiency and workflow.


Pushbullet

I’ve been using this app for the past three years and has come very handily. With the app on my smartphone, and the Chrome extension installed on my PC (a software is also available) Pushbullet allows me to share links between my PC and my smartphone, but also to share texts, images, and various other file types. However, unfortunately, in this case, the file isn’t automatically saved and will have to be saved manually, thus making it a hassle at times, especially when you are in a hurry to use it ASAP.

Other nice features are the ability to see your phone’s notifications right on your computer screen. This is convenient when you don’t have your phone close to you, but you wish not to miss any notification from your phone. Also, you can answer to text messages (both SMS and WhatsApp) right from your computer, and lastly, you can remotely access computer files from your smartphone.

Pushbullet comes in a Pro version available at $4/months (2,362.88XAF excluding taxes), which in addition to a dark mode, gives you a universal copy and paste feature. This simply means that copy a text on your smartphone, and directly paste it on your PC and vice-versa. This is a nice feature to have to enhance your workflow, especially when you work with your PC and smartphone and switch between them very often while working.

Your Phone Companion

Launched by Microsoft last year, Your Phone Companion doesn’t do much, to be honest. But while Pushbullet only allows you to access files stored on your PC from your phone, Your Phone Apps allows you to access pictures taken on your smartphone from your PC hence complementing each other. Notice I precise “taken”. That’s because Your Phone Companion only allows you to access your camera roll, making it limited, but remains handy, especially for those who edit their photography with professional desktop editing software. Plus, no need to first save your images before using them! A simple copy and paste, or drag and drop and you’re good to go!

Among others, Your Phone Companion also allows you to receive notifications right on your computer screen, and to send and receive SMS from your PC.

The rapid surge in internet-connected devices has led to the advent of Web 3.0 -- the third evolution of the internet. Also considered as the Internet of Things, this interconnection between our devices and the internet has made the world, in this 4th Industrial revolution, much more productive, and enjoyable. Our smartphones and computers represent important components of this era, and their popularity and wide use make their interconnection even more important. Their seamless communication is probably as important as that between humans.

Pushbullet is available on Android and iOS, and Your Phone Companion on Android only.