One of the goodies we get to enjoy after the Windows 10 Anniversary Update is the ability to receive Android notifications on a Windows PC. If you find this feature useful, I hope you like Cortana, since that’s what powers it.
As a result, you need to have Cortana enabled on your Windows PC, as well as the Cortana app for Android installed on your mobile device. And yes, there’s also Cortana for iOS, but for now your iPhone’s notifications can’t be mirrored on a Windows computer so this feature is exclusive to Android.
How to receive Android notifications on a Windows PC
After you’re done configuring these notifications you will receive them in the Windows 10 Action Center. The alerts include missed calls, received texts and even a low battery notifications.
Furthermore, you will receive notifications from your installed Android apps, and you can send voice commands to your mobile device via Cortana’s desktop version.
With that said, here’s how to receive Android notifications on a Windows PC
The first thing you need to do is download and install Cortana on your Android device. Here’s the Play Store link for Cortana:
Download Cortana for Android (Google Play Store)
Be aware that Cortana is officially available only to US users. However, you can download Cortana from APKMirror (link below) if you live outside the US. Just make sure you have “Unknown Sources” enabled in your device’s Security settings to be able to sideload the app.
Download Cortana for Android (APKMirror)
After you install Cortana, open it and sign in with your Windows account.
Then, tap on the hamburger icon in the upper left corner and navigate to Settings -> Sync notifications.
There are four types of notifications you can sync. The first three are enabled by default (although you can disable any of them). Nevertheless, the fourth one which sends you alerts from your installed apps is disabled by default, so if you find it useful you will need to enable it manually.
Now you need to open Cortana on your Windows 10 computer or tablet. Click or tap on the Start button and type “Cortana”. Go to Cortana’s Settings and find the “Send notifications between devices” option. Make sure it’s enabled since it’s needed if you want to get notifications from your Android device on your Windows 10 computer. That’s it!
