Don’t take me wrong, I love Microsoft’s native Phone Link experience, but there is no feature parity between different Android devices. For example, the app’s Phone Screen, the feature that allows you to stream and interact with your Android apps on Windows is exclusive to select Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo, and Asus phones. Similar is the case with the Instant Hotspot feature in Phone Link.
Hence, I am always on the lookout for Phone Link alternatives on Windows that can deliver a truly cohesive experience between my Android phone and Windows 11 PC. I’ve tried the Intel Unison app in the past, but it lacks some of the essential features. In this regard, Motorola’s Smart Connect app caught my attention.
While Smart Connect is exclusive to Motorola and Lenovo phones, sideloading the APK lets you access almost all of the features on any Android phone. I got it running with my OnePlus 7T, and it truly impressed me with its seamless experience. Here are all the Smart Connect features that worked flawlessly for me:
Smart Connect Features That Work with Any Android Phone
Access Phone Storage on Your PC
With the Smart Connect app, you can access the internal storage of your Android phone right on the PC. Simply click on “Files” and a File Explorer window opens up with all the Android directories and files. You can copy, paste, and manage Android files and folders right on your PC.
I transferred a 435MB video file from my Windows 11 PC to my Android phone, and it only took 11 seconds with a transfer speed of around 40 MB/s, which is great. And all of this is happening wirelessly without any glitch. The transfer speeds are even faster than Microsoft’s Phone Link and Google’s Quick Share transfer speeds.
For quick and seamless file transfers between Android and Windows, this is a fantastic feature you will find in Smart Connect.
Share Hub
Share Hub is my second favorite Smart Connect app feature that lets you quickly transfer files and folders between your Android phone and PC. You can right-click on any file on your PC and choose “Add to Share Hub”. You can choose to drag the file to the Share Hub overlay, which appears at the top of the screen, if you choose to enable it. It sends the file to your phone in a jiffy. On your phone, you get an overlay of Share Hub where you can tap and download it right away.
Similarly, on your Android phone, select a file and share it to “Share Hub” and the file becomes readily available on your PC. I find this feature really cool as it removes the hassle of accepting a transfer request.
Smart Clipboard
While Smart Clipboard is offered by many such apps, Smart Connect’s experience is very seamless. You can copy a text or image on your Windows PC, and it’s copied to your smartphone’s clipboard.
Similarly, if you copy something on your Android phone, it’s copied to your PC. The continuity enabled by Smart Connect between my Android phone and PC is truly unmatched.
Use Your Phone’s Camera as a Webcam on PC
With Smart Connect, you can also use your Android phone’s camera as a webcam on your PC. While Windows 11 comes with an Android webcam feature, it’s pretty barebones right now. Smart Connect lets you apply the Studio light effect, choose between front and rear cameras, and adjust the camera zoom as well. I tested the webcam feature on Google Meet and Zoom, and it worked out of the box.
Phone on PC
Finally, we come to the “Phone on PC” feature that lets you mirror your phone on your PC. This feature, sadly, didn’t work on my OnePlus device for some reason. I tried to give all sorts of permission, but it simply failed to stream apps from my phone.
I asked a couple of my friends to further test this feature with more OEMs, but it also didn’t work with Samsung and Oppo phones. That said, many users have reported that Phone on PC works on their non-Motorola and Lenovo phones. So go ahead and try out the feature on your Android device.
How to Install the Smart Connect App on Any Android Phone & Windows PC
Follow our guide below to set up Smart Connect on your Android phone and Windows PC.
- First, download the Smart Connect APK from APKMirror (visit) and install it on your Android phone.
- Next, install the Smart Connect app on your Windows 11 PC from the Microsoft Store (visit).
- Once installed, launch the app on your Android phone and grant all the necessary permissions.
- On your PC, click on “Go to dashboard” when asked to sign in with a Lenovo account.
- Now, tap “Get started” in the Smart Connect app on your Android phone, and scan the QR code displayed on your PC.
- Your phone will be paired with your Windows PC instantly. Now, you can start using all of the features we highlighted above.
This is how you can install the Smart Connect app and bridge the gap between your Android phone and Windows PC. I have been a Phone Link user for a long time, but it seems Moto’s Smart Connect app has given me ample reasons to switch. But what about you? Would you be moving to Motorola’s Smart Connect app? Let us know in the comments below.
