Getting notifications from your Android device on your computer is not a new concept as you are capable of receiving notifications through apps like Pushbullet, but having those notifications come in as a native feature of the OS is certainly something which Windows users have not experienced before. This morning at their ‘Build’ conference, Microsoft announced that they would be integrating the ability to receive smartphone notifications int0 the Windows 10 operating system, which will allow users to stay on top of their missed calls, text messages, emails and more without having to keep their phone nearby. This new feature is part of an initiative to keep Microsoft’s Windows OS compatible with Google’s mobile platform.
Beyond the capability to receive notifications for just about anything on your Windows 10 PC, Microsoft states that users will be able to reply to any incoming notifications like voice calls or messages. This is also something which is not new to Windows users if they are accustomed to apps like Pushbullet, at least for SMS, but having the ability to return calls and reply to messages is a huge break for those who use Windows 10 and might work from their computer the majority of the day, as it allows for a little bit more freedom without the feeling of having to be tethered to a mobile device while ensuring that nothing important is missed.
The integration should be pretty seamless as the notification center on Windows 10 already alerts users to various things like Windows app updates and more, and similar to the way Chrome will send notifications to the desktop for stuff like weather, the notification center will now be able to notify users. The new ability to receive Android device notifications comes alongside Microsoft’s other announcements, like the new set of Xamarin tools for Android development that Microsoft is making available. This new capability also shows that Microsoft is continuing to do whatever they can to allow for interaction between Android-powered mobile devices and Windows 10 PC’s. While this will definitely be a useful feature to have for those that use Windows 10 as their main computer OS platform, Microsoft has not yet announced a release date for the feature.