Windows 11 Will Now Let Android Smartphone Users Shutdown Or Restart Their Systems Remotely Using The Native Phone Link App - Wccftech
Evidence that Android devices will eventually be able to restart or shut down Windows 11 machines comes in the form of various strings that Windows Latest stumbled across. Additional strings such as “pc_controls_restart_label” and “pc_controls_shutdown_label” indicate that “Restart” and “Shut down” will be a part of Phone Link’s feature set, with more labels like “pc_controls_update_and_restart_label” and “pc_controls_update_and_shutdown_label” suggesting that Microsoft could also be enabling Android users to remotely update their Windows 11 machines. If the action is enabled, you cannot restart or shut down until you unlock your Windows 11 desktop or laptop.
Microsoft’s Phone Link app, pre-installed in Windows 11, already offers tons of flexibility to users in displaying real-time notifications along with the ability to make or receive voice calls directly from your desktop or laptop. However, the company is now enabling Android device owners to remotely shut down or restart their machines when a future update rolls out.
Evidence that Android devices will eventually be able to restart or shut down Windows 11 machines comes in the form of various strings that Windows Latest stumbled across. One of the components labeled “RemoteControlManager” is proof that the feature could arrive sooner rather than later.
Additional strings such as “pc_controls_restart_label” and “pc_controls_shutdown_label” indicate that “Restart” and “Shut down” will be a part of Phone Link’s feature set, with more labels like “pc_controls_update_and_restart_label” and “pc_controls_update_and_shutdown_label” suggesting that Microsoft could also be enabling Android users to remotely update their Windows 11 machines.
Aside from all of these features, a sleep feature is said to be introduced to Phone Link, but there’s an obvious caveat if you want to retain remote connectivity between the smartphone and computer. If the action is enabled, you cannot restart or shut down until you unlock your Windows 11 desktop or laptop.
Whether the feature makes users so lazy that they’ll keep their computers running while restarting or shutting down Windows 11 using their smartphones is another debate, but Microsoft does appear to be taking its OS seriously. Sure, the software giant still has a mountain to climb when it comes to optimizing the platform for 8GB RAM, not to mention making some native apps less memory-hungry, but it appears that the company wants to bring better flexibility to the table first.
There’s no confirmation on when the update will arrive, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed and update readers on the latest.
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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