Ten years ago, we covered one of Microsoft’s most promising ideas: encouraging Android developers to port their apps to Windows 10 and coordinate notifications through Cortana. It was the look of a company trying to connect ecosystems before “cross-platform” became the default expectation.
In 2026, that vision still feels important. Microsoft’s current AI strategy—which spans Windows, Android, and the cloud—builds directly on the same connective tissue Astoria (Android software emulation) and Cortana (an early AI assistant) represented once. Back then it was about notifications and app parity; today, it’s about intelligent context and seamless device persistence. Some even predict that we won’t need apps in the coming years because AI will take care of everything.
In retrospect, this story reads like the first chapter in Microsoft’s long game to make Windows not just an OS, but the hub for every platform around it. Although it did not work out as expected, we have it Phone Link today to close this gap. – Daniel Rubino, Editor-in-Chief
Original article Microsoft encourages app ports from Android to Windows 10 via Cortana notifications June 10, 2016 By John Callaham.
Microsoft uses the Cortana notification synchronization feature Windows 10 adding an “app request” feature if the notification comes from an Android smartphone.
Notices were first noticed by Reddit user “MrPromaster”. The “Request an app” link goes to a UserVoice page where anyone can recommend an app to be added to the Windows Store.
This new method comes after several months from Microsoft to encourage more Android apps to come to the Windows Store “Project Astoria” has officially canceled plans for a bridge tool this would make it easier for developers to port Android apps to Windows 10.
Notification synchronization between Android and Windows 10 is currently only available to those running Insider builds of Redstone.
Although notifications are configurable on Android, the request is also indiscriminate. For example, after implementing some app updates, we showed the request feature for the Google Play store. For Shazam as well, although the Shazam app for Windows 10 is already available. While this tactic isn’t a slam dunk to get more apps to Windows 10, it’s a pretty smart move to reach the millions of Android users who use Windows PCs every day.
We’ll have to wait and see how well this new strategy plays out once the Windows 10 Anniversary Update rolls out to the masses later this summer.
