I prided myself on finishing my workday before 6pm, leaving enough time for the gym and playing squash before dinner. He said, it was clear to me that I was still there I spend a lot of time on my phone during the working day. Whether it was checking something important or wasting time on Instagram and YouTube, I was killing precious time that could have been put to better use.
When I recently switched to Windows 11, I rediscovered Phone Link, a built-in Windows app that allows me to connect my phone to my computer. It has been something that has kept me away from the phone for hours. With the control offered by Phone Link, I was able to choose the distractions I wanted to allow. With my phone out of the picture and everything critical accessible on my computer, my work sessions are more productive than ever.
Cutting back on my phone time didn’t work out so well
I was my own worst enemy
It’s no secret that being off your phone can help you be more productive. Again, I had a bad habit of keeping my phone handy while working so I wouldn’t miss any critical notifications. “Critical” for me meant everything from deliveries and important calls to WhatsApp messages demanding a timely response. The relevance of these notifications is debatable, but the result was that I was always reaching for my phone while typing.
Even if there were no notifications prompting me to pick up the phone, I would proactively glance at it every now and then. I put it on call so I didn’t miss any calls. The problem was, even though these checks only took a few seconds, the hit to my productivity was significant. Within 10-15 minutes of a notification being addressed, I was constantly distracted and doomscrolled on Instagram.
Even keeping the phone out of the room didn’t help, as I still had to get up every half hour to check the screen. It had less to do with my phone and more to do with my addiction. Still, I needed something to distract me from the phone.
Phone Link took me away from my phone
I didn’t have to miss important updates
Phone Link isn’t a new addition to Windows 11, but I’ve never used it before. Having switched to Windows 11 about two months ago, I finally thought about checking it out. Pairing the OnePlus 15 with my Windows PC felt redundant at first, but I went ahead. The main idea behind Phone Link is that you can see everything that happens on your phone on your computer (depending on the phone model, of course).
But what I discovered was that it allowed me to properly disconnect myself from my phone during the work day. There was some friction at first, but as time went on, I didn’t need my phone anymore. I could see all the notifications in the Phone Link app, receive and make calls, and even launch my phone’s apps on my computer screen.
Phone Link’s Android integration is better than iOS due to Apple’s ecosystem limitations, so the experience on the OnePlus 15 was seamless. As far as distractions going from my phone to my PC screen, I could adjust which apps were allowed to show notifications. This way, only truly time-sensitive alerts are allowed to disrupt my focus.
Now, even when my phone is far away, I never feel pressured to reach for it because Phone Link ensures that I won’t miss any important text, call or notification. The the number of distractions has decreasedI’ve shaved an hour off my work day, and the bonus is that my phone screen time has gone down.
Phone Link has a few other tricks
I uninstalled many third party apps from my phone
I don’t use Phone Link’s other features that much, but they are useful. When I click photos for articles, I no longer have to use third-party software to transfer them to my computer. I can just use it Pictures tap the icon in the Phone Connection app to save them to your PC and edit them as needed. It only saves me a minute, but the friction it takes out of the workflow is more than worth it.
Then there’s the cross-device clipboard, which allows me to copy and paste text and images from phone to PC (or vice versa). This helps when I need to share notes, URLs or a saved WhatsApp message from my phone to PC. You can even use your phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot or webcam for your computer, but those features aren’t mine yet.
I use screen mirroring when I need to transfer the app screen, chat window or browser tab from phone to PC. The Switch to Windows the companion app makes it simple and I can also control the phone screen from the computer. If nothing else, I was able to minimize the congestion on my phone by uninstalling the separate mirroring and file sharing apps I used before.
Phone Link is still one of the simplest ways to sync a phone to my computer
Phone Link is a built-in Windows 11 app, which is already a plus. I don’t need to look for third party alternatives to connect my phone to my computer. Being aware of critical calls and notifications on the computer allows me to reduce my dependence on my phone. Additional file and screen sharing features just added to my workflow.
