Want to see and manage files on your Android phone right from your Windows 11 PC? This guide will show you how to do that easily using built-in Windows features.

Windows Mobile devices (sometimes called Phone Link) lets you connect your phone to your PC wirelessly. It’s great for moving files, sending texts, and getting notifications without picking up your phone.

When you turn on “Allow this PC to access your mobile devices”, you can browse your Android phone’s files right inside File Explorer on your PC. You can open, copy, move, rename, or delete files just like they were on your computer.

What You Need Before You Start

Your Android phone must be running Android 11 or newer.
You need to have the Link to Windows app (Beta version 1.24071 or higher) installed on your phone.
Your PC must be running Windows 11 and be part of the Windows Insider Program. Also, your PC should be signed up for one of the Insider Channels.

How to Turn On Android Phone Access in File Explorer

Follow these simple steps to enable or disable access to your Android phone files on your Windows 11 PC:

Open Windows Settings:
Click the Start menu button and select Settings, or press Windows key + I on your keyboard.
Go to Bluetooth & Devices:
In the Settings window, click Bluetooth & devices on the left side.

Windows 11 Bluetooth & devices settings — Bluetooth & Devices section in Windows Settings

Open Mobile Devices:
On the right side, click the Mobile devices tile to open more options.

Windows 11 Mobile devices tile — Mobile Devices tile in Bluetooth & Devices settings

Manage Mobile Devices:
Click the Manage devices button.

Manage devices button in Settings — “Manage devices” button

Enable Access in File Explorer:
In the window that pops up, find the “Access in File Explorer” tile and toggle it to On to enable or Off to disable.

Access in File Explorer toggle switch — Toggle to turn on or off access

Once enabled, open File Explorer on your PC, and you should see your Android phone listed under Mobile devices. Click it to browse your phone’s files just like you do with your computer files!

Android phone visible in Windows File Explorer — Your Android phone appears in File Explorer for easy file access

Summary

Windows 11 lets you wirelessly access your Android phone’s files through File Explorer.
This makes it easy to transfer files back and forth without cables.
Make sure your phone and PC meet the requirements before trying it.
Follow the steps above to turn this feature on or off whenever you want.

Learn more from the official Microsoft announcement: Microsoft Windows Insider Blog

Categories:

Windows