Don’t get 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 lets you stream and interact with your Android apps on Windows, is exclusive to select Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo, and Asus phones. It’s a similar story with the Instant Hotspot feature in Phone Link.

Therefore, I am always on the lookout for Phone Link alternatives on Windows that can provide a truly unified experience between my Android phone and my Windows 11 PC. I have 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 allows you to almost all the features of an 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 flawlessly for me:

Smart Connect features that work with any Android phone

1. Access the phone storage on your PC

With the Smart Connect app you can access the internal storage of your Android phone directly on your PC. Simply click on “Files” and a file explorer window will open 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 only took 11 seconds with a Transfer speed of around 40 MB/swhich is great. And all this happens wirelessly and without interference. The transfer speeds are even faster than Microsoft Phone Link and Google Quick Share.

For fast and smooth file transfers between Android and Windows, this is a fantastic feature you will find in Smart Connect.

2. Share Hub

Share Hub is my second favorite feature of the Smart Connect app, which lets you quickly transfer files and folders between your Android phone and PC. You can right-click on any file on your PC and select “Add to Share Hub.” You can also drag the file to the Share Hub overlay that appears at the top of the screen when you enable it. It will send the file to your phone in a snap. An overlay of Share Hub will appear on your phone, which you can tap and download immediately.

Select a file on your Android phone and share it to Share Hub and the file will be instantly available on your PC. I think this feature is really cool as it saves the hassle of having to accept a transfer request.

3. Smart Clipboard

While Smart Clipboard is offered by many of these apps, the experience with Smart Connect is very seamless. You can copy a text or image on your Windows PC and it will be copied to your smartphone’s clipboard.

If you copy something on your Android phone, it will also be copied to your PC. The continuity between my Android phone and my PC that Smart Connect enables is truly unmatched.

4. Use your phone’s camera as a webcam on your PC

Smart Connect also lets you use your Android phone’s camera as a webcam on your PC. Windows 11 does have an Android webcam feature, but it’s pretty sparse at the moment. 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 with Google Meet and Zoom and it worked out of the box.

5. Telephone on PC

Finally, we come to the Phone to PC feature, which allows you to mirror your phone on your PC. Unfortunately, this feature is didn’t work on my OnePlus device for some reason. I tried granting all sorts of permissions but streaming apps from my phone just failed.

I asked some of my friends to further test this feature with more OEMs, but it didn’t work with Samsung and Oppo phones either.

However, many users have reported that Phone on PC works on their non-Motorola and Lenovo phones, so try the feature on your Android device.

How to install the 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 Smart Connect APK from APKMirror (visit it) and install it on your Android phone.
• Next, install the Smart Connect app from the Microsoft Store (visit) on your Windows 11 PC.
• After installing the app on your Android phone, launch it and grant all required permissions.
• On your PC, click Go to Dashboard when prompted 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 pair with your Windows PC instantly. Now you can enjoy all the features highlighted above.

Here’s how you can install the Smart Connect app and bridge the gap between your Android phone and Windows PC. I’ve been a long-time Phone Link user, but Moto’s Smart Connect app seems to have given me enough reasons to switch. But what about you? Would you switch to Motorola’s Smart Connect app? Let us know in the comments below.