Using Keyboard Shortcuts for Phone Link on Windows 11

Want your Windows 11 computer to work better with your phone? The Phone Link app helps you do just that. You can see your phone’s messages, make calls, and even view your photos on your PC. But did you know you can use keyboard shortcuts to do things even faster? This guide shows you how.

Why Use Phone Link Keyboard Shortcuts?

Using keyboard shortcuts means you don’t have to use your mouse as much. This can save you time and make you feel more productive. You can quickly switch between different parts of the Phone Link app or control your phone without touching it.

What Happens When You Use These Shortcuts?

When you use these shortcuts, you can perform actions instantly. For example, you can open messages, answer calls, or clear notifications with just a few key presses. It makes managing your phone from your PC much smoother and faster.

How to Find Keyboard Shortcuts in Phone Link

Microsoft put a handy list of shortcuts right inside the Phone Link app. Here’s how to find it:

The Fastest Way: Press Ctrl + . (that’s the Control key and the period key together). A window with all the shortcuts should pop up. Keep this shortcut in mind! If you forget a command, just press Ctrl + . again.

Using the Menu: If you prefer using your mouse for a moment, open the Phone Link app. Look for the “More options” button in the top right corner. It usually looks like three dots (...). Click it, then choose “Keyboard shortcuts” from the list.

Moving Between Phone Link Features

Phone Link has different sections for your phone’s features, like Messages, Calls, and Photos. You can jump between these sections using number keys instead of clicking.

• Open the 1st Feature (usually Messages): Press Alt + 1.
• Open the 2nd Feature (usually Calls): Press Alt + 2.
• Open the 3rd Feature (often Apps on Android): Press Alt + 3. Note: This might not be on all phones or for iPhones.
• Open the 4th Feature (often Photos on Android): Press Alt + 4. Note: This might not be on all phones or for iPhones.

Keep in mind: The exact features and their order can be different depending on your phone model.

Controlling Your Phone with Your Keyboard

You can do more than just switch screens. You can control some phone settings right from your PC.

• Turn Do Not Disturb On/Off (Android Only): Press Ctrl + Shift + D. This is great for when you need to focus without interruptions.
• Refresh Content: Press F5 or Ctrl + R. Sometimes the Phone Link app needs a refresh to show the latest info from your phone. Be careful not to refresh too often, as it might use more data or battery.
• Control Audio Player (Android Only): Press Ctrl + Alt + P. This can pause or play music or podcasts from your phone.
• Cycle Through Volume Settings (Android Only): Press Ctrl + Alt + V. This changes your phone’s volume to loud, vibrate, or silent.
• Open Phone Screen (Some Android Devices): Press Ctrl + Alt + S. This shows your phone’s screen on your PC, and you can use your mouse and keyboard to control it. Note: This feature works best with certain Android phones.

Clearing Notifications Quickly

Too many notifications can be annoying. Phone Link has a shortcut to clear them all at once from your PC view.

• Clear All Notifications: Press Ctrl + Shift + C. This will clear the notifications shown in the Phone Link app. This is useful when you want a clean slate on your PC.

Faster Messaging

If you use Phone Link for texting, these shortcuts will speed things up.

• Start a New Message: Press Ctrl + N. This opens a window to write a new text message.
• Add a New Line in a Message: When typing a message, press Shift + Enter. This adds a line break so you can format your message better, instead of sending it right away (which usually happens with just Enter). For example, you can create a list like this: First item Second item

Working with Photos

These shortcuts help when you’re looking at your phone’s pictures in Phone Link.

• Share a Photo: Press Ctrl + Shift + S. This opens sharing options for the selected photo.
• Delete a Photo: Press the Delete key. Be careful, as this might permanently remove the photo. Always double-check before deleting photos you care about.
• Copy a Photo: Press Ctrl + C. This copies the selected photo to your clipboard.
• Open a Photo: Press Enter. This opens the selected photo in your computer’s default photo viewer.
• Save Photo As: Press Ctrl + Shift + S. This opens a window to save the photo to your PC.
• Move Between Photos:
  • Next Photo: Press the Right Arrow key or Ctrl + .
  • Previous Photo: Press the Left Arrow key or Ctrl + ,
• Close Photo View: Press the Esc (Escape) key. This closes the photo you are currently viewing.

Managing Calls

These shortcuts make handling calls through Phone Link easier.

• Mute / Unmute Call: Press Ctrl + M. This quickly turns your microphone on or off during a call.
• End Call: Press Ctrl + E. This hangs up the current call.

Reference:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/keyboard-shortcuts-for-phone-link-594bc20e-1701-47fe-a5fa-8483a5095698

Summary

Using keyboard shortcuts with the Phone Link app on Windows 11 can make managing your phone from your PC much faster. You can navigate between features, control settings, manage notifications, send messages, and handle calls with just a few key presses. Remember, you can always see the full list of shortcuts by pressing Ctrl + . inside the Phone Link app. Practice the shortcuts you use most often, and you’ll become a Phone Link pro in no time!