- Android 15 removes sensitive notifications from “untrusted” apps, including Link to Windows, and this will prevent these notifications from showing through Phone Link for some
- Android users, such as Google Pixel and Sony Xperia users, could run into issues if Link to Windows was not pre-installed
- Despite this, Phone Link still works for calls, messages, and apps; sensitive alerts need manual checks
In a moment that reminds us that Google and Microsoft are in fact two different companies, it has been reported that users of Windows Phone Link on Windows 11 and mobile devices running Android 15 may find Phone Link a little less useful than before. Some people who try to do this may find that certain sensitive notifications no longer appear while using Phone Link on their PC while their Android device is connected.
Phone Link is a Windows 11 feature that lets you access your Android device through your PC and do things like view notifications, read and reply to messages, make and receive phone calls, view media like photos, and use some Android apps. You can even use your Android phone as a webcam and sync files between your PC and mobile directly in File Explorer.
What is changing and why?
Google released Android version 15 in October 2024, and with that, the company introduced a new privacy rule: it hides (or “removes”) sensitive notifications, including 2FA codes (those unique codes used to log in securely). that people receive as a message on their mobile) and alerts from banking applications. It will censor notifications from any app that Google considers an “untrusted” notification monitoring app, according to Windows Central.
It appears that some users have been presented with a notification on Phone Link warning them that:
“With the latest Android updates, Phone Link no longer displays notifications containing sensitive information for your protection.”
On Android, you need a companion app for Phone Link called “Link to Windows” and it appears that Google (accidentally or not) has designated it as untrusted. However, this will only affect people who downloaded the Link to Windows app from the Google Play Store and not those who use Link to Windows on devices that come pre-installed. Some phones affected by this quirk include Google Pixel and Sony Xperia models, while Samsung Galaxy AI devices will likely not be affected.
Phone Link is still useful even if you update to Android 15 on a phone that didn’t come with Phone Link by default and you have installed Link to Windows manually from the Google Play Store. You can still check messages, manage apps, and make calls. It’s just that you’ll need to physically check your phone for some sensitive messages after installing Android 15, if you haven’t already.
Phone Link is one of the most useful parts of Windows 11 and allows you to work, for example, on your PC without having to check your phone. If you’re used to checking all your mobile notifications on your PC, I imagine having to adjust them again can be a bit annoying.
I’m also wondering if Google will change this in a future update after reviewing this policy regarding Phone Link, although we don’t have any indication of this yet. Users of Windows 11 PCs and Android 15 devices without Phone Link preinstalled will have to hope for the best (or let Google know they’re not happy with this change).
