# Microsoft Phone Link

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/phone-link/

5 people recommended Microsoft Phone Link in Hacker News comments and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 12 months, in 5 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** A free Windows app that brings phone notifications, calls and texts to a PC, which people find convenient and nearly as good as Apple's built-in ecosystem.

Summary written by Claude from 7 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Shows phone notifications, calls and texts (2 comments in the sample): "windows phone link can show me notifications and notice incoming calls while the phone is locked" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46507940)) "I use Phone Link so I can conduct text messaging from my laptop." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48091134))
- Convenient app with many features (2 comments in the sample): "offers the same features and more" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48157603)) "The Phone Link app is convenient" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47344939))

## Other phone companion apps people recommend

- [KDE Connect](https://hackerapproved.com/p/kde-connect/): 64 recommend, 7 mixed, 13 criticize
- [scrcpy](https://hackerapproved.com/p/scrcpy/): 25 recommend, 0 mixed, 2 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Microsoft Phone Link", https://hackerapproved.com/p/phone-link/ (5 recommend, 0 mixed, 1 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.