Microsoft's Your Phone app is getting an interesting new feature that is currently rolling out to Windows Insiders. Specifically, the app can now show the three most recent apps you have used in the Windows taskbar. This new ability is available on Windows 11 through preview build 22557 on the Dev Channel.
If you're unfamiliar with Your Phone, it is a bridging application that lets users view and use their smartphone on their Windows desktop. Over the years, the app has received increasing functionality and these days most things you can do on your smartphone your can mirror on PC.
However, many features are still linked to a partnership Microsoft has with Samsung. And it was on handsets from Samsung that Microsoft debuted the ability to run multiple Android apps on Your Phone back in 2020.
Requirements
The new ability coming to Windows 11 extends that functionality to show the last apps you were using. Even if you are a Windows Insider, you'll need to meet the following requirements to test this new feature:
- “Your Phone app version 1.21092.145.0 or higher. Older versions will not show recent apps even if you have a supported device.
- A supported Android device. Recent Apps requires a deeper level of integration with the Android device and the team worked directly with Samsung to light this up. It is available on select Samsung devices that have Link to Windows, with OneUI 3.1.1 or higher and Link to Windows Service 2.3 or higher, such as:
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
- Samsung Galaxy S series
- Samsung Galaxy Note series
- Your Android device and PC need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network for apps to launch on your PC.”
Tip of the day: If you have an HP, Dell, or Lenovo touchscreen PC, you'll probably want to enable or disable it at various times. Unfortunately, however, many Windows 10 touch screen laptops don't make this easy.
Thankfully, through some tweaks, you can turn off the touch screen no matter your device. In our tutorial, we show you how to disable a touchscreen on Windows 10. We'll also show you to enable it if you wish, which may help if your HP laptop touch screen is not working, the touch screen is not working on your Lenovo laptop, or you're having problems with any other brand.