Microsoft Announces App Mirroring To Let You Use Any Android App On Windows 10

At its Surface launch event, Microsoft announced a new feature for Windows 10 that will let Android users use any app on their device on a Windows 10 desktop. Microsoft is referring to the feature as app mirroring, and it appears to only be available for Android users. "It looks to be a significant step in helping bridge Windows 10 and the mobile ecosystem after the demise of Windows Phone," reports The Verge. From the report: We didn't see an extensive demo onstage, but we did get a look at a user exchanging Snapchat messages with a friend on a Surface device using the app mirroring feature. Microsoft says the feature will be available in the new Windows 10 October update.

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Watching the video. BlackBerry Blend for Android?

[SirDrinksAlot]

It seems an awful lot like an Android version of BlackBerry Blend (for BB10), just offering messaging and file access. It seems kinda redundant since my google drive already has all my photos and files, plus the sms in browser feature that's recently been added.

That update is already available

[Anonymous Coward]

So... Out of date /. as usual.

Yo Dawg

[Anonymous Coward]

I heard you like Apps...

Embrace, Extend, Extinguish!

[Anonymous Coward]

And HEEEEEEEERE WE GO! Been nice knowing ya, Android. Actually it hasn't. Android sucks. Hopefully, the inevitable extended incompatible MS Android version will be better with privacy than Google was.

Re: Embrace, Extend, Extinguish!

[Anonymous Coward]

That plan isn't going to work when by far the most ubiquitous personal computer OS is Android. That only worked back in the days when Windows held that title (and it seems even Chromebook is eating into the desktop space.)

I think this is more a response to two things:

- The fact that nobody actually uses the windows store apps
- Microsoft needs to find a way to keep windows relevant to consumers

Re:Embrace, Extend, Extinguish!

[Anonymous Coward]

Microsoft is just selling their apps cross platform so when you buy the Android version, they also give you access to the Windows version, so what? Most people don't even use Microsoft apps any more since Google has offered everything they need without monetary cost for years.

If anything, this is a sign of desperation on Microsoft's part, just like the forced and tricked "update" to Spyware 10 and the soon to be implemented OS subscription (while they continue to collect YOUR data without compensation to make themselves richer).

Re:Embrace, Extend, Extinguish!

[Anonymous Coward]

But aren't they just playing with a remote control to a Android device? One can also just wonder, who would open a remote access to his phone just in case he wanted to look for messages? And if the connectivity is not done via local Bluetooth connectivity, the data naturally goes via Microsoft's service where it can and will be monetized.

Re: Embrace, Extend, Extinguish!

[johnsie]

MS are more intersrted in selling their cloud platform tools these days. They have their own Android Launcher which is actually pretty good. No point in trying to maintain a whole OS when you can just maintain the front end.

Re:Embrace, Extend, Extinguish!

[OneHundredAndTen]

You got it backwards. Such as things are, Microsoft has to do this in order to delay Windows' drift toward irrelevance.

Re:Watching the video. BlackBerry Blend for Androi

[youngone]

It also sounds a lot like that KDE phone thing that I've never quite found a use case for.

Confused

[Anonymous Coward]

Why is having the app on an Android device necessary? Does Windows 10 need more than the APK file?

Re: Confused

[tysonedwards]

Well, in early development, it required the Arrow Launcher itself, so moving to a less significant APK Iâ(TM)d call an improvement for many as they wonâ(TM)t need to learn a new UI on their devices to use convergence.

Linked article's video is not about app mirroring

[Anonymous Coward]

The linked article's video is a special windows 10 app that lets you access data on your phone (examples given are photos and text messages).

Sorry Microsoft, but I don't trust you with that kind of access to my phone.

Rumor of MS Android with no ASOP

[Billly Gates]

Bill Gates (not me) owns a Samsung phone and we know that MS gave up on WIndows Phone then it is no wonder. MS wants a MS flavored Android with Visual Studio Android .NET Ximarian apps and of course a MS store. WSL for Windows 10 to run Linux was from project Astoria that was meant to run Android apps on Windows 10.

It seems MS wants a piece of Android pie which is so weird but makes sense as MS now loves Linux and open source.

Re:Rumor of MS Android with no ASOP

[Anonymous Coward]

MS seem to be trying to make Windows interoperable with everything else. The desktop is still overwhelmingly Windows and really always has been so if that same desktop that has broad hardware and application support can also run your Android programs and your Linux programs in a seamless way it continues to make the platform attractive for desktop users. (and yes I know, im not talking about slashdot people who just hate microsoft and love linux but hate ubuntu and hate systemd, etc...)

Re:Rumor of MS Android with no ASOP

[Anonymous Coward]

MS seem to be trying to make Windows interoperable with everything else.

Remember "Linux = cancer"? To those of us who were around in the 90s, reading the sentence above is akin to reading that the Pope's become a Pentecostal.

My, how times change.

Re: Rumor of MS Android with no ASOP

[Anonymous Coward]

They tried to make powershell for Linux. It ducks. No ps user would go near it. Nice idea though.

The day is coming, slowly, when Windows is something the enterprise uses. For compatibility.

Re:Rumor of MS Android with no ASOP

[johnsie]

MS have their own android launcher. They don't need their own Android

Re:Rumor of MS Android with no ASOP

[Anonymous Coward]

> MS wants a MS flavored Android

They already had one. Just before MS completed buying Nokia phone division, Nokia released a couple of 'Nokia X' phones that were Android Jelly Bean with the Google services replaced by Nokia and MS services. After the purchase MS continued making them as 'Microsoft X' but cancelled them because they may have outsold Windows Phone.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_X

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/07/17/x_marks_the_chop_microsoft_snuffs_out_nokias_android_venture/

Re:Watching the video. BlackBerry Blend for Androi

[Anonymous Coward]

I am seriously afraid those Russian trolls will use those tools to run mobile reverse proxies against my YouTube channel.

View details on my twitter feed:
https://twitter.com/cdreimer

Also, they may use those "mirroring" abilities to mirror my intelectual property videos to some Russian trolls sites like they are already doing!

Anyway, thanks to all decent Slashdot users that have supported throughout the years. Keep on the good work as I do!
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Re:Linked article's video is not about app mirrori

[Anonymous Coward]

LOLOLOLOL but you trust Google or Qualcomm or Broadcom? HAHA!

Re:Watching the video. BlackBerry Blend for Androi

[rtb61]

The reason why, M$ want to datamine the Android apps when you use them and that means datamining everything you do with that app, especially when you use that up on an Android device and then use it on PC with that data from the Android device, so no positives, just eww, don't do it, simply do not do it.

mod 3own

[Anonymous Coward]

to place a pap3r

Just like my Asus Zenfone 2

[Anonymous Coward]

Just like my Asus Zenfone 2.
It came with a nice app that allowed me to control my phone from my Windows SEVEN PC and show the results either fullscreen or in a window.

I'll keep using that, thanks.

Will Fail

[Anonymous Coward]

How's ChromeOS doing? It supports Android right? Yet if you want Android you simply run it on an Android device which are cheap and plentiful.

If they don't buy ChromeOS (Google's own) to run Android, they won't buy Window 10 to run Android, they'll simply buy a smartphone to do it.

The issues of usability on Android tablets aren't fixed by taking another OS around it.

Re:Luddites like ol fashion porn

[Anonymous Coward]

Good luck on your taking refuge in audacity.

Sounds just like Dell's Mobile Connect

[JoeyRox]

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3246087/apps/dell-mobile-connect-app-mirrors-your-smartphone-on-your-pc.html

Not enough

[Blinkin1200]

Not enough for me to let Windows 10 near ANY computer I own.

No thank you.

Re:Not enough

[thegarbz]

Thanks for your input. To help us in the future please provide an itemised list of all the other things you don't want.

Re:Not enough

[Anonymous Coward]

1) Windows 11
2) Windows 12
3) Office 366 - leap year
4) Office 367

Re:Not enough

[ArchieBunker]

I can't think of a single reason of needing to run a phone app on my desktop.

Re:Not enough

[Anonymous Coward]

> I can't think of a single reason of needing to run a phone app on my desktop.

Developers do not want you running apps at phone app prices on a desktop. They want to sell you desktop apps at desktop prices.

Re:Not enough

[Anonymous Coward]

Thank you for your query. Please do the needful and reboot your computer. You may need to reinstall Windows. Kindly revert to me your experience with the above directions. Sincerely, Amit Kundal Microsoft MVP

Re:Not enough

[Anonymous Coward]

it's handy at times - I use Samsung's app that lets me see notifications, etc. Being able ot see if someone sends me a text message and being able to type a reply from my desktop computer while doing other work is handy.

Can't say what other apps it could be useful for.

Re: Watching the video. BlackBerry Blend for Andro

[Anonymous Coward]

One company to rule All data...

Compatibility trap

[Anonymous Coward]

This sounds like the situation with BeOS and Windows applications, but now it's Microsoft shooting themselves instead of their victim.

Re:Compatibility trap

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean OS/2.
But it's not the same thing, this is more like a thin client or Steam streaming or the proprietary protocol to stream an iPhone/iPad to a TV.
If I understand it correctly, it won't work if you don't network your Windows PC with a phone. They're also probably horrified that ChromeOS or Google Chrome browser may allow this, and if they do nothing the kids will all use Chrome or ChromeOS to show or use Snapshit or Whatscrapp on a desktop or laptop, if that becomes a thing.

It'll probably work if we use an Android emulator in the background but we already can use an emulator.

Not such a great deal

[Anonymous Coward]

The title of this article makes it sound like such a great deal, but it applies only to Android software running on an ARM tablet. The article doesn't say that I can run any Android software, installed on an ARM cell phone, on an Intel PC running Windows 10.

Our most frequently used app is restricted to cell phone use only, so it's not as great a deal as the title makes it sound.

Re:Linked article's video is not about app mirrori

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't things like Outlook and Gmail try to play these games between themselves?
For your convenience, let me manage all your mail inboxes from all providers, etc.
Also, Windows accesses your phone's photos already. It's called explorer.exe.

I don't understand

[Anonymous Coward]

If I run Android apps on Windows 10, will it be Google or Microsoft that's stealing my data?

Re:I don't understand

[webmistressrachel]

Both.

Desktop interface for SMS

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe now people will finally stop complaining about not having a desktop client to send an SMS, whenever a messaging client appears. This was something I could never comprehend why anyone would want it but whatever makes you happy.

Re:Desktop interface for SMS

[Anonymous Coward]

It's free and everyone has it even people who don't have Internet.

From a desktop you might also copy-paste a link, a long hex or decimal number, or anything.
"you gotta read or download this [link]", "here's how you reach the IPFS data store / how you reach me on decentralized IM : [garbage-looking number]", or just say "I've sent you an email"

Re:Watching the video. BlackBerry Blend for Androi

[Joce640k]

Who's going to use a phone app on a desktop anyway?

No touch screen, no vertical orientation, yada yada.
.

Scrcpy

[johnsie]

Thanks, but I already run scrcpy on my desktop to control my phone Windows:https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy Debian/Ubuntu: https://xn--joh-9ma.com/contro...

Piece of Android pie

[DrYak]

It seems MS wants a piece of Android pie which is so weird

Not weird at all.

The events has proven that the market can currently only hold a duopoly of ecosyastems (Apple's iOS walled garden, and the Android Google Play Store), there's currently no room for a number 3.
Microsoft tried hard with their Windows Phone stuff and completely failed. (For once they are on the receiving end of the ecosystem's network effect)

To have any chance of survival, a potential number 3 needs to be able to tap into one of the dominant eco-systems (see Jolla's Sailfish), or risk being neglected by consumer because of the "I miss my very-much needed app" situation.

Microsoft knew it, tried with Astoria, failed to achieve anything workable (but salvaged the efforts into WSL), and now this is their attempt number 2. It won't work for phone (because you actually still need a functional android phone to mirror from), but could be an attempt to feature match Chromebook :
You can run your Android apps on Chromebooks' ART containers ? Well you can now also run them on your Microsoft Windows-powered Microsoft Surface (<tiny>...cough... provided that you bring your own android smartphone...cough...<tiny>)

@Google do a web interface

[Anonymous Coward]

Seriously, many peoples are already using services like https://mail.google.com https://calendar.google.com https://photos.google.com https://messages.android.com/ https://web.whatsapp.com/ etc..
What's is needed is a coherent single Web interface to access all those services.

Re:@Google do a web interface

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd probably be able to make a web 1.0 webpage that links to the stuff you use. With a "control panel" that consists in checking boxes on/off to disable/enable them.

Re:@Google do a web interface

[Anonymous Coward]

My Chrome browser already do that, but it must be configured manually. The idea is to make this available without configuration at all. Just authenticate and get all the stuff. An other possibility could be to let the smartphone itself be a web server that provides those services.

Watch out

[aleck7]

Bluestacks is in danger then.

Re:Watch out

[PmanAce]

Good, they have more bloatware than any other "service" I have ever seen.

Re:Watching the video. BlackBerry Blend for Androi

[pjt33]

Not all Androids are phones. I know that some people use an app I develop for Android tablets in an emulator running under Windows. The interesting question is whether this is better than blueStacks et al.

Re:Watching the video. BlackBerry Blend for Androi

[thegarbz]

It seems kinda redundant since my google drive already has all my photos and files

Leaving aside the fact that not everyone clouds things, access to the file system is the first stage of integration. Access to key apps is the second. MS is already working on mirroring any Android app. Right now the software looks a bit useless. It may get less so going forward.

Re:Watching the video. BlackBerry Blend for Androi

[Bite The Pillow]

Not a desktop. Surface or other tablet with touch interface is the target. And some people might like to access the same tools whatever device they are on st the time. But mostly Surface users with Android phones.

Re: Watching the video. BlackBerry Blend for Andro

[mrchew1982]

A growing number of mobile service workers are forced to use their phones to turn in paperwork (work orders, receipts, quotes, etc). I would imagine that this is aiming at them. At my HVAC company we are forced to use AT&T Workforce Manager, a horrible app with gps tracking baked in. I would love to use a keyboard with a larger screen for submitting my reports.

Re:Watching the video. BlackBerry Blend for Androi

[Anonymous Coward]

Blend was way more advanced and extremely secure. I installed it on my work laptop so that I wouldn't need to check my messages on my phone and InfoSec came running to my desk like, "WTF? We can't see any of this. Uninstall it now!" I loved Blend, how it gave me seamless access to my computer's files on my phone and vice versa, synced up to my MacBook over wifi in the background the minute I got home. It was truly awesome software. They completely screwed the pooch on marketing that. It was at least five years ahead of its time.

Oh, and running Android apps? Yeah, BB10 could do that too. It's a shame how the little Canadian company got bullied out of the market by the Silly Valley Kool kids and their PR agencies even though BB had superior products by far.

Linux was embraced...

[Anonymous Coward]

Now Android is extended...

Get ready for the next step.

Still pretty limited

[Tony Isaac]

After trying this feature, I see some pretty serious limitations.
1. It only does text messages and the "stock" Android photos app.
2. In the messaging app, it does not show any pictures that are in a message thread.
3. It does NOT sync with Google Photos.

I was hoping for something more like a remote desktop, but hey, they're trying.

For text messages on your PC, Google Messages for Web is better--it handles photos as well as text.