Microsoft now has a new update for Windows 11 users, which makes it easier for you to resume mobile apps on your PC. Currently, only a select group of services support the feature.
Resume apps from Android on your Windows 11 laptop
Back in May 2025, Microsoft started introducing a "Cross-Device Resume" functionality to Windows 11. Since the feature arrived, it has been limited only to OneDrive. The tool allows files like Word documents to be viewed or edited on your laptop by clicking a notification. That worked if you've been working on the document in the last five minutes on either your Android or iOS device.
This new expansion is only for Android users, however. Windows 11 versions 26100.7701 and 26200.7701 are now rolling out to the Release Preview Channel and bring several more apps that support the functionality.
The new apps that are gaining support for Cross-Device Resume include Spotify, Microsoft's Office suite, and the Edge browser. Vivo's own browser is also supported, as well as files opened in Copilot on your phone (if you have a phone from Samsung, Honor, Oppo, Vivo, or Xiaomi).
The additions to Cross-Device Resume should roll out to the public in the near future.
Would you use Android app resume on Windows 11 if it worked reliably?
Still a long way to go, though
Obviously, the Windows 11 feature still has a long way to go to catch up with Apple's ecosystem-based Handoff feature. However, it's quite nice to see Microsoft continuing to work on the feature since its initial rollout.
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For now, the update is not released on Microsoft's public channels. If you want to use the feature, you have to be a part of the Windows Insider program. The feature is set to roll out gradually, so not everyone will get access to it at the same time. The public is going to start receiving the feature in the coming weeks.
Apple's Handoff is an incredible feature, though, but it works only with Apple devices. You can start a task on one Apple device and continue it on another, and it happens in a seamless and hassle-free way.
Apple's Handoff feature has been around since 2014. | Image Credit - Apple
However, Microsoft has a tougher situation to work with. There are a ton of brands supporting Android, and Microsoft is not the company making it. So, it's more difficult to integrate things, unlike Apple, which controls the entire Apple ecosystem and can do this more easily.
It would be great to see a partnership between Microsoft and Google for this feature to become even more useful. For example, continuing what you've been doing on Chrome's browser would be a welcome thing.
Still, the feature seems to be moving forward. Slowly but surely.
The future is in such integration with mobile tech
I love Apple's Handoff feature, and sometimes it almost feels magical to work like that. To me, it's a must-have feature for the future. Switching between devices in this way is useful, helpful, and quick, and I'm a big fan, obviously.
I understand doing this with Windows and Android is a bigger challenge, but I do believe this can happen, and maybe it's going to come in the near future. That would make Android and Windows 11 more attractive, including to people who are used to Apple's ecosystem.
Obviously, many people want an ecosystem and to be able to connect all their devices seamlessly. So it's a great direction that Microsoft and the others are going in. Yep, Apple figured it out more quickly, but the company's products have other cons, including fewer customization options (unlike Android and Windows) and the lack of some hot new features.
Once Microsoft gets this feature going with more apps and devices, it will definitely look tempting to me to try out.
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Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master's degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She's also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it's walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.
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