Using Keyboard Shortcuts for Phone Link on Windows 11

Why Use Phone Link Keyboard Shortcuts?

Using keyboard shortcuts means you don’t have to rely on 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 a few key presses. It makes managing your phone from your PC much smoother and faster.

How to Find Keyboard Shortcuts in Phone Link

You can easily find all the phone link shortcuts right within the app itself. Just press Ctrl and the period key together (Ctrl + .) inside the Phone Link window, and a list of all available keyboard shortcuts will pop up.

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, 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

Switching between different parts of the Phone Link app, like Messages, Calls, or Photos, is much faster with keyboard shortcuts. Instead of clicking, you can use simple key combinations to jump directly to the feature you need.

• 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.

You can quickly jump between Phone Link’s different sections, like Messages, Calls, and Photos, using number keys.

Press Alt+1 for the first feature (usually Messages).

Press Alt+2 for the second feature (often Calls).

For the third feature, try Alt+3 (typically Apps on Android). This might not appear on all phones or for iPhones.

Press Alt+4 for the fourth feature (often Photos on Android). Remember, this might vary for non-Android phones.

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

Controlling Your Phone with Your Keyboard

Phone Link lets you control some of your phone’s settings straight from your Windows 11 PC using keyboard shortcuts. For example, you can quickly turn Do Not Disturb on or off for your Android device without touching your phone.

• 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.

To toggle Do Not Disturb on or off, press Alt + D.

To turn Bluetooth on or off, press Alt + B.

Clearing Notifications Quickly

You can clear all your phone notifications from the Windows 11 Phone Link app with a single keyboard shortcut. This helps you quickly manage alerts on your PC without needing to grab your phone.

• 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.

Clear all notifications: Press Alt + N.

Faster Messaging

Typing messages in the Phone Link app on Windows 11 gets much faster with a couple of handy keyboard shortcuts. You can quickly start a new message or add a new line within your text without interrupting your flow.

• 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

Send message: Press Ctrl + Enter. This sends your message.

Insert line break: Press Shift + Enter. This inserts a line break, allowing you to format your message more cleanly instead of sending it immediately (which typically happens when you press Enter).

Working with Photos

Managing your phone’s photos on your Windows 11 PC through the Phone Link app becomes simpler with keyboard shortcuts. You can easily share or delete photos directly from the app, saving you time.

• 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 + ,

  Open full-size photo: Press Spacebar. This opens the currently selected photo in a larger view.

  Close Photo View: Press the Esc key. This closes the photo you are currently viewing.

Managing Calls

Handling phone calls directly from your Windows 11 PC using the Phone Link app is more efficient with keyboard shortcuts. You can quickly mute or unmute your mic, end a call, or even answer or decline incoming calls.

• 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.

Answer incoming call: Press Ctrl + Spacebar.

Decline incoming call: Press Ctrl + Esc.

End current call: Press Ctrl + Spacebar.

Reference:

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

Summary

Using phone link shortcuts on Windows 11 can significantly speed up how you manage your phone from your PC, covering everything from navigation and messaging to calls and photos.