Aimed at integrating smartphones more deeply into the Windows 11 experience, Microsoft is reportedly working on a range of new improvements. According to reports, the company plans to expand and enhance Phone Link’s smartphone integration features so they feel more native to the operating system. As part of the update, the Phone Companion panel in the Start menu is expected to display more recent phone activities, allowing users to scroll through them without opening the Phone Link app.

Users may also be able to hover over individual activities to view additional details, such as the full contents of a message or a photo. To further streamline the experience, Microsoft is reportedly testing a new smartphone flyout that will reside in the system tray on the taskbar.

The phone icon will appear whenever a connected smartphone is detected, and clicking it will open a flyout providing an overview of the device’s status.

The flyout is expected to include quick-access controls for features such as Do Not Disturb, Vibrate, Find My Phone, and more. Users may also be able to share files between their PC and smartphone simply by dragging and dropping them onto the phone icon.

Microsoft is also reportedly developing a dedicated Messages app for Windows 11 that would sync SMS conversations from a user’s phone, allowing them to send, receive, and start text chats directly from their PC. While similar functionality already exists in the Phone Link app, the new experience is expected to be offered as a standalone application.