Don’t get me wrong, I love Microsoft’s native Phone Link experience, but there’s no feature parity across different Android devices. For example, the app’s Phone Screen, the feature that lets you cast and interact with your Android apps on Windows, is exclusive to select Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo, and Asus phones. The same goes for Phone Link’s Instant Hotspot feature.
That’s why I’m always on the lookout for Phone Link alternatives on Windows that can provide a truly seamless 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 that regard, Motorola’s Smart Connect app caught my attention.
Although Smart Connect is exclusive to Motorola and Lenovo phones, sideloading the APK allows you to access almost all features of any android phone. I got it working with my OnePlus 7T, and it really impressed me with its seamless experience. Here are all the Smart Connect features that worked perfectly for me:
Smart Connect features compatible with any Android phone
1. Access the phone storage on your PC
With the Smart Connect app, you can access your Android phone’s internal storage directly on your PC. Just click on “Files” and a file explorer window opens with all Android directories and files. You can copy, paste and manage Android files and folders directly on your PC.
I transferred a 435MB video file from my Windows 11 PC to my Android phone, and it took just 11 seconds with a transfer speed of about 40 MB/swhich is great. And it all happens wirelessly, without any hassle. The transfer speeds are even faster than Microsoft’s Phone Link and Google’s Quick Share.
For fast and smooth file transfers between Android and Windows, this is a fantastic feature you will find in Smart Connect.
2. Sharing Center
Share Hub is my second favorite feature of the Smart Connect app. It 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 snap. On your phone, you get a Share Hub overlay that you can tap and download immediately.
Similarly, on your Android phone, select a file and share it on “Share Hub” and the file becomes instantly available on your PC. I find this feature really cool because it eliminates the hassle of accepting a transfer request.
3. Smart Clipboard
While Smart Clipboard is offered by many such apps, Smart Connect’s experience is very smooth. You can copy a text or image on your Windows PC and it is copied to your smartphone’s clipboard.
Similarly, if you copy something on your Android phone, it is copied to your PC. The continuity that Smart Connect allows between my Android phone and my PC is truly unmatched.
4. 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 does have an Android webcam feature, it’s pretty rudimentary at the moment. Smart Connect lets you apply the Studio light effect, choose between the front and rear cameras, and adjust the camera zoom as well. I tested the webcam feature on Google Meet and Zoom, and it worked right out of the box.
5. Phone on PC
Finally, we come to the “Phone to PC” feature which allows you to mirror your phone to your PC. This feature, unfortunately, did not work on my OnePlus device for some reason. I tried giving all sorts of permissions but it just failed to stream the apps from my phone.
I asked few of my friends to test this feature further with more OEMs but it didn’t work with Samsung and Oppo phones either.
That said, many users have reported that Phone on PC works on their phones other than Motorola and Lenovo. So feel free to try the feature on your Android device.
How to Install Smart Connect App on Any Android Phone and 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 necessary permissions.
- On your PC, click “Go to Dashboard” when prompted to sign in with a Lenovo account.
- Now, tap on “Get Started” in the Smart Connect app on your Android phone and scan the QR code displayed on your PC.
- Your phone will be instantly paired with your Windows PC. You can now start using all the features we highlighted above.
Here’s how to install the Smart Connect app and bridge the gap between your Android phone and Windows PC. I’ve been using Phone Link for a long time, but it seems like Moto’s Smart Connect app has given me plenty of reasons to switch. But what about you? Would you switch to Motorola’s Smart Connect app? Let us know in the comments below.
