Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 Insider build turns the taskbar into a small but meaningful continuity hub — letting supported Android phones hand off active browser tabs and Microsoft 365 Copilot documents to a PC so you can “resume” work with a single click.
Background / Overview
For years Apple’s Handoff set the user expectation that work begun on one device should be pick‑up‑able on another. Microsoft’s route to that same experience has been longer and patchier: what began as notification mirroring and photo transfer through Phone Link (formerly Your Phone) has steadily evolved into a
metadata-driven continuity model that hands off activity descriptors rather than streaming or emulating a phone’s UI. The most visible step in that evolution is Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7271 (delivered as KB5070307), which expands the cross‑device “resume” capability to additional real-world scenarios. Microsoft’s approach deliberately treats the phone as the authoritative runtime and sends a compact activity descriptor (an AppContext) to Windows. Windows then resolves that descriptor to the best desktop handler: a native desktop app if available, or a browser fallback. This reduces bandwidth, narrows the attack surface compared with full UI streaming, and preserves native desktop behavior. The design and developer requirements are documented in Microsoft’s Continuity / Cross Device Resume guidance.
What changed in Build 26220.7271 (KB5070307)
The headline resume expansions
- Browser handoff (vivo): vivo Browser can hand an active tab to Windows and surface a “Continue on PC” taskbar alert that opens the same page in the PC’s default browser.
- M365 Copilot file resume (multiple OEMs): the M365 Copilot mobile app on several OEMs can now surface online Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files for one‑click continuation on a linked PC; files open in the desktop Office app if installed, otherwise in the browser. Offline files that live only on the phone are not supported.
Microsoft released these features in the Insider Dev & Beta channels as gated, toggle‑controlled experiments; availability is server‑gated and tied to OEM/app onboarding. The OEM list has been adjusted during preview — Microsoft initially included Huawei and later removed it from this specific section while adding Xiaomi into the partner list — underscoring the fluid, partner‑first nature of the rollout.
Other notable items bundled with the same build
Build 26220.7271 also contains non‑continuity items being piloted with toggles: point‑in‑time restore, File Explorer refinements and background preloading to reduce launch latency, Fluid Dictation in voice typing (NPU‑accelerated on‑device models), and early tests of a “Click‑to‑Do” command bar. These changes signal Microsoft’s push to combine productivity and AI enhancements with cross‑device workflows.
How Cross‑Device Resume actually works — technical breakdown
The components
- Link to Windows (LTW): the Android companion that pairs phones to Windows and proxies AppContext messages.
- Continuity SDK (XDR): the Android library OEMs and approved apps integrate to produce AppContext payloads. Integration is a Limited Access Feature (LAF) that requires Microsoft approval.
- Cross Device Experience Host (CDEH) on Windows: receives AppContext objects and surfaces a resume affordance in the taskbar or shell. Windows resolves the best handler and opens the corresponding app or web endpoint.
AppContext — the compact handshake
AppContext is a lightweight metadata packet that describes what should be resumed. Key fields and constraints documented by Microsoft include:
- contextId (required): unique identifier for the activity.
- type (required): indicates resume activity vs other types.
- createTime (required): timestamp for the activity.
- intentUri / weblink: a deep link or web endpoint that the desktop can use to reopen the context (intentUri takes precedence).
- appId and title (required): package name and title for display.
- preview (optional): preview image bytes.
- lifetime (optional): default maximum is five minutes for ongoing scenarios; AppContext values beyond the limit will be shortened.
This short, ephemeral model preserves privacy and performance by transferring only resolvable pointers and small previews rather than full app state or raw files.
Resolution flow on the PC
When an AppContext arrives:
- Windows attempts to resolve the intentUri to a native desktop handler (protocol activation).
- If a native app and handler are available, Windows launches it to the corresponding document or playback state.
- If no native handler exists, Windows opens the weblink in the default browser.
- If neither path resolves, Windows can surface a Store app install suggestion as a fallback.
This prioritization keeps the desktop experience native whenever possible, instead of emulating Android UI.
Supported devices and ecosystems: fragmented but pragmatic
Early preview availability is intentionally partner‑first. That’s a consequence of Microsoft’s LAF requirement and the OEM‑centric nature of the Android ecosystem.
- Early confirmed OEMs in the preview include Samsung, vivo, Honor, Oppo, Xiaomi (added during preview), and previously listed Huawei (later removed from the list in the post update). Availability is dependent on the OEM integrating LTW with the Continuity SDK and completing Microsoft’s onboarding.
- iOS / iPhone is not supported for Continuity SDK integration at this time; Apple’s Handoff remains a distinct Mac/iOS capability that Windows cannot match without iOS‑side cooperation.
- App support is limited to apps that have been approved for Continuity SDK use. Spotify was the first real‑world partner for audio resume; the M365 Copilot app and vivo Browser are the early document and browsing partners. Expect more partners, but only after LAF approval and OEM testing.
How to try it today (Insider requirements and steps)
If you’re an Insider and want to test the new resume flows, follow these steps:
- Join the Windows Insider Program and select the Dev or Beta channel.
- Update to Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7271 (KB5070307).
- On your PC, go to Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Mobile devices and enable pairing and the Resume options.
- Pair your phone with Link to Windows (LTW) — ensure LTW is allowed to run in the background on the phone.
- On a supported phone and app (M365 Copilot, vivo Browser, Spotify, etc., open an eligible online document or browsing tab, then watch for the small taskbar resume card on the PC. Click it to continue.
Practical note: even when configured correctly, the feature may remain hidden because Microsoft is deploying it via server‑side gating; identical device pairs can behave differently depending on rollout state. Community testers have documented uneven availability during the phased experiment.
The benefits — real, practical, immediate
- Faster task switching: one‑click continuation removes copy‑paste, email, or manual cloud navigation to move a context between phone and PC.
- Native desktop fidelity: the desktop launches the appropriate native app where possible, preserving features and local integrations (e.g., desktop Word’s UI and macros).
- Lower resource cost than streaming: because Windows receives a small descriptor and not a full UI stream, the approach is efficient and avoids battery‑heavy mirroring.
- Developer control over links: apps can provide intentUri or weblink to control how content opens on the PC.
For many users, these practical conveniences mark a shift from “nice to have” to “useful every day” — particularly for hybrid workflows that mix on‑the‑go mobile editing with desktop finishing.
Risks, limitations, and governance concerns
No continuity platform is purely frictionless; Microsoft’s design choices trade some capabilities for manageability and safety — and those tradeoffs create real risks to be managed.
Privacy and data handling
- Microsoft’s phone‑to‑PC resume pipeline is designed to transfer metadata and resolvable endpoints, but Microsoft documentation acknowledges that data transferred to linked devices may be processed through Microsoft’s cloud services to ensure reliable delivery. Administrators and privacy‑sensitive users should note that such transient metadata may transit cloud infrastructure depending on configuration. Don’t assume purely local-only transfer.
- AppContext must not contain sensitive tokens or raw secrets. Microsoft explicitly warns developers to avoid sending access tokens or private keys in AppContext. The default AppContext lifetime is intentionally short (five minutes) to limit exposure.
Corporate / enterprise exposure
- Enterprise administrators will require clear MDM controls. Cross‑device resume can surface document titles and previews on a linked PC; in a managed environment this could be an unacceptable surface unless IT can centrally disable resume or control which accounts and apps may use it. Enterprises should test and define policies before enabling broadly. Community guidance already recommends piloting in test rings and verifying data flows.
- The feature currently targets personal and OEM partner scenarios rather than enterprise‑wide deployment. Until Microsoft exposes granular admin controls and telemetry insights, large organizations should treat the feature as experimental.
Coverage and UX gaps
- Offline phone files are not supported. Only shareable online documents with resolvable URIs are resumable today; files stored solely on the phone remain inaccessible to the PC via resume.
- Vendor fragmentation and gating mean that many users — even with modern phones — may not see the feature until OEM cooperation, app integration, and server‑side enablement align for their account and region. The user experience will be inconsistent while the feature scales.
Developer and OEM considerations
For third‑party apps and OEMs, the path to integration is explicit but controlled:
- Limited Access Feature (LAF): developers must request access and provide UX descriptions, screenshots, package IDs, and Play Store links to wincrossdeviceapi@microsoft.com to be approved for integration. Microsoft vets scenarios to maintain UX quality and reduce potential abuse.
- Minimum technical prerequisites: Android apps must target a minimum SDK level and use specific Link to Windows releases; Microsoft’s docs list minimums (Android SDK 24, set Link to Windows release baseline). Desktop apps must be available on Windows 11 and register protocol handlers as appropriate.
- Testing and validation: Microsoft supplies validation steps and a private LTW package for integration checking. OEMs must coordinate the LTW integration at the system level for baked‑in browser or system app handoffs.
This controlled approach slows rapid broad adoption but improves the odds that resume flows behave reliably and securely when they reach consumers.
Comparison with Apple’s Handoff: parity and differences
Microsoft’s resume shares the same user intent as Apple’s Handoff — seamless task continuation — but the architectural and ecosystem realities create different tradeoffs:
- Apple Handoff: works within a tightly controlled hardware + OS stack, allowing richer state synchronization (including partial UI/clipboard state) and predictable UX.
- Windows + Android resume: must accommodate a fragmented Android ecosystem and many OEM UI layers, so Microsoft chooses a metadata-first model that emphasizes native desktop handlers and app onboarding control. That makes the experience more conservative technically, but more scalable across multiple vendors once integrated.
In short, the functionality is converging on parity of intent (pick up where you left off), but the delivery model reflects Microsoft’s pragmatic strategy across heterogeneous partners.
Real‑world adoption scenarios and examples
- A journalist opens a draft in M365 Copilot on a supported Samsung phone during a commute; upon arrival and unlocking the Windows 11 laptop, a small taskbar card offers to reopen the same Word draft in desktop Word. One click, and the document opens in the local Word app — complete with styles and local plugins — so editing resumes in a full desktop environment.
- A researcher reading a long article on vivo Browser can send the tab to their PC and continue reading in their default desktop browser without hitting share, copy‑paste, or emailing themselves the link.
- A Spotify user can pause playback on phone and resume it on PC without hunting for the track, a flow Microsoft first introduced and used as a proof case for broader continuity.
These scenarios are simple but compound into significant time savings in daily workflows.
What to watch next — rollout, broader support, and enterprise readiness
- Scaling the partner list: Microsoft will need to open access more broadly to third‑party apps and OEMs for resume to become ubiquitous. Watch for expanded LAF onboarding and any public SDK releases or partner case studies.
- Admin controls and telemetry: enterprises will look for per‑user, per‑app, and per‑tenant controls in Microsoft Endpoint Manager (Intune) and clearer guidance on data handling and auditing. Early pilots will likely surface real‑world governance needs.
- Feature polishing: expect iterative UI changes to the taskbar resume card, longer persists for certain file types, and more graceful failure modes for cross‑account or unsupported scenarios. Microsoft is explicitly running these features behind toggles to collect feedback and refine the UX.
- Timeline: the feature is currently in Insider channels and server‑gated; Microsoft’s blog signals staged rollout and ongoing partner adjustments. A broad public rollout will depend on feedback, partner onboarding, and enterprise governance readiness; expect incremental expansion through 2025 and into 2026 rather than an immediate global flip. This timing remains subject to change.
Practical recommendations
- For enthusiasts: enable the Insider build, pair a supported phone, and try the resume flows; file feedback in Feedback Hub under Devices and Drivers → Linked Phone to help shape the feature.
- For developers: request LAF access early, design AppContext payloads to avoid sensitive data, and validate handlers on the desktop to ensure a smooth user experience. Follow Microsoft’s Continuity SDK guidance for required manifest declarations and testing steps.
- For IT admins: pilot the experience in a controlled test ring, evaluate privacy impacts, and prepare MDM policies to disable resume or limit it by device/account until adequate governance controls are available. Review data handling assumptions where sensitive documents may be involved.
Conclusion
Build 26220.7271’s resume expansions are modest in implementation but meaningful in effect: they move Windows 11 from a phone‑companion toolset toward a
practical continuity platform capable of bridging Android phones and Windows PCs in everyday productive ways. Microsoft’s metadata‑first approach — AppContext, LTW, and CDEH — is a pragmatic adaptation to Android’s fragmentation and a sensible path to native desktop fidelity. The feature’s value will hinge on three things: how quickly Microsoft opens the Continuity SDK to more partners, how fast OEMs integrate LTW robustly, and how well Microsoft exposes admin controls and privacy guarantees for enterprise deployments. For now, Insiders can taste a future where switching devices
feels seamless; mainstream users and IT teams should watch the rollout closely and plan pilots to understand the governance and security tradeoffs before enabling broadly.
Source: hackwarenews.com
Windows 11 strengthens its continuity with Android: resuming apps, M365 files, and more