Windows Insiders can try out accessing their Android phone files remotely in File Explorer

Microsoft has already released new Windows 11 Insider builds this week for the Beta, Canary, and Release Preview channels. However, the Insider team is not quite done yet. It has just announced a new release for all members of the Windows Insider program who also own an Android smartphone and who are using Windows 11.

In a blog post, the company says this update will allow them to access the files on their Android phone remotely on their Windows PC. It states:

With this new experience, you will be able to wirelessly browse through all your folders and files, including media that is on your Android phone. You can open them, copy them to your PC, copy PC files to your phone, rename files, move them, and delete them.

There are some requirements for this new feature besides having a Windows 11 PC and being a member of the Windows Insider program. One is that the mobile device must have Android 11 or higher installed. The other is that you have to have the beta version of the Link to Windows app installed on your Android phone, with version 1.24071 or higher.

The blog post added:

To enable this experience, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile Devices and choose “Manage devices” and allow your PC to access your Android phone. You’ll then be able to see a toggle to show your phone in File Explorer. If you do not see this toggle, that means the experience hasn’t yet rolled out to you yet.

As you might expect, there are some known issues with this feature.

• When you delete phone files on your PC, they are moved to a new Recycle Bin folder on your phone. Currently, these deleted files remain in the Recycle Bin for 5 days, even though the dialog indicates 30 days. An update is being made to ensure automatic deletion after 30 days.
• Occasionally, deleted files in the new Recycle Bin folder on your phone may not appear in File Explorer on your PC. This issue will be resolved in a future update.
• Sometimes, operations performed on phone files from your PC may not sync back to the phone. As a workaround, you can log out of your Windows account on your PC and log back in.

Member of the Windows Insider program can send their own feedback on the Android remote file access feature by going into the Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Devices and Drivers > Linked devices.