Windows 10 Mobile

Windows 10 Mobile preview brings phone notifications to the PC

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Windows 10 Mobile. Source; Mark Hachman/PCWorld

3 June 2016

Microsoft first brought the feature to Android users, but now folks on Windows 10 Mobile can also get phone notifications synced to their Windows 10 PCs. The new feature was just added as an addition to Cortana in the latest Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview on the fast ring – build 14356.

Cortana can send phone notifications and what Microsoft calls “critical alerts” to Windows PCs with the updated version of Windows 10 Mobile. This includes items that already show up, such as regular text messages and missed call alerts, as well as notifications from other messaging apps (WhatsApp, Line, Telegram, etc.), social media alerts, and other app notifications.

Microsoft says it’s also working on muting notifications on a per-app basis, but that functionality is not ready yet. You can, however, turn off phone notifications globally if you don’t want to fill up Action Centre on your PC with phone alerts. Your Windows 10 PC will need to also be enrolled in the Windows Insider preview programme to see these new mobile alerts.

If you want to check out the improvements to Cortana you’ll need to be on the latest version of the Windows Insider fast ring for both Windows 10 Mobile and Windows 10 for PCs. Otherwise, the new features are expected to roll out as part of the Anniversary Update this summer.

There’s also a nifty little feature that lets you send photos from your phone to your PC via Cortana. All you have to do is say, “Hey Cortana, send this photo to my PC” and it’ll be pushed to your computer.

Microsoft also added a new animation to show that Cortana is listening as you speak. In the current stable version of Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile, Cortana’s listening animation is a bunch of letters that change quickly as if the computer is deciphering each word. It’s similar to the way movies often depict a computer hard at work decrypting a password.

Cortana’s new listening animation looks more like a miniature audio waveform.

Unfortunately, there is still no word on when the virtual personal assistant will be available in Ireland.

IDG News Service

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