Samsung was one of the first Android OEMs to support Microsoft’s Windows Phone Link. Galaxy users can manage phone notifications, reply to messages, and access photos and apps from their Windows PC. However, Android 14 made it harder to stream apps via Link to Windows. It required additional taps, which can be annoying to frequent users. Samsung has addressed this issue on One UI 6.1.1, making screen mirroring easier again.
One UI 6.1.1 makes it easier to stream apps to your Windows PC
With Android 14, Google made it mandatory for users to manually start screen mirroring every time they want to use the feature. You needed to tap a “Start Now” button on your phone, forcing you to reach out to the phone. This had to be done every time you stream an app. Earlier, you needed to tap the “Start Now” button only once per boot. Unsurprisingly, it annoyed users, though Google said it made the change for security reasons.
It appears Samsung has found a workaround. Its Android 14-based One UI 6.1.1 updates bring back the old system, much to the delight of Galaxy users. Mishaal Rahman explained the technical tidbits of how this is done in an article at Android Authority — it’s a change from Microsoft rather than Samsung. But the gist is that the latest One UI update simplifies how you stream apps from your Galaxy phone to your Windows PC.
Of course, other Android OEMs might implement this change to make app streaming to Windows easier. But for now, Samsung’s One UI 6.1.1 devices appear to be the only ones offering a simplified Link to Windows. One UI 6.1.1 debuted with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 last month. It will soon roll out to older foldables and tablets. Samsung will also bring the changes to other phones with a new One UI 6.1 update. The rollout may begin later this month.
Sumit is passionate about technology and has been professionally writing on tech since 2017. He’s a mathematics graduate by education and enjoys teaching basic mathematics tricks to school kids in his spare time. Sumit believes in artificial intelligence and dreams of a fully open, intelligent and connected world.
