Microsoft is significantly expanding the scope of the Your Phone feature in Windows 10, which allows you to easily and wirelessly connect your phone to your PC, transfer files, and receive calls and messages on your PC.

An update to the Your Phone app will allow Android apps to be used alongside Windows 10 apps on the desktop. This move builds on the phone mirroring that the Your Phone app already offers.

Currently available only to members of the Windows Insider program, which provides early access to features Microsoft is testing for Windows 10, updates to Your Phone are expected to be included in the full release version.

In its current beta version, Your Phone pulls Andoird apps from a connected phone and displays them in a separate window on the Windows 10 desktop. From there, you can access WhatsApp, Netflix, Instagram, Google apps, and many other apps.

This could be a very useful tool for those who want to access smartphone apps on their PC, but don't want to disrupt the flow by stopping to pick up their phone.

However, not only do you need to be a Windows Insider to get early access to this new feature, you also need a Samsung phone. Microsoft plans to support a variety of Android devices, but Samsung phones are the only devices so far that support the new Your Phone feature.

This is due to the close partnership between Microsoft and Samsung, as demonstrated by the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. As part of this partnership, the aforementioned phones will have access to Microsoft's Project xCloud game streaming service when it becomes part of Xbox Game Pass, which Note 20 buyers will be able to access for free for three months.

Other Samsung phones also have a "Link to Windows" option in the drop-down menu. In addition, Samsung phones often come bundled with Microsoft apps in addition to Google's native apps and Samsung's own software, further deepening the partnership between Samsung and Microsoft.

Microsoft regularly develops features for Windows 10. However, with something like the Microsoft Surface Duo on the horizon, we can expect to see closer ties between Windows 10 and Android devices as the OS evolves.