Windows 11 is getting a feature to make editing your Android phone photos so much easier

Windows 11 has an incoming new feature that allows Android phone owners to edit recently snapped photos from their handset on their desktop PC.

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Microsoft is taking a new direction with photos piped across from your Android device (Image Credit: Microsoft)

This is a fresh introduction with Windows 11 preview build 23619 (in the Dev channel) although it's only rolling out to a limited number of testers at the moment, so if you aren't seeing it, hold tight.

The idea is that when you take a photo, or a screenshot, on your Android phone, you'll get an instant notification of this on your Windows 11 PC (assuming you've granted the OS access to your Android device, that is, in your settings for mobile devices).

You can then edit the photo in the Snipping Tool on your desktop PC for a much better editing experience, naturally.

It's a nifty ability and one that replaces the remote capture feature that operated via Phone Link, and was tested a few months back. (That idea has been abandoned for this new broader option which doesn't require Phone Link).

In another change you may not be so keen on, Microsoft is testing the idea of inserting Teams into the Start menu in a new way. Namely by having upcoming meetings appear in the Start menu - in the Recommended panel - so you can quickly click to join them.

This is not for everyone, mind, and only those who have Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise and are logged in with a Microsoft Entra ID account will get this functionality.

There are also some minor fixes elsewhere in build 23619 which include tinkering with File Explorer so it launches a bit more swiftly.

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