- Android 15 now restricts third-party apps, including Phone Link, from accessing sensitive notifications like 2FA codes.
- Samsung Galaxy phones with pre-installed Links to Windows can still view these notifications.
- Non-Samsung users, like those with Pixel or Nothing Phones, lose this feature after updating to Android 15.
Phone Link’s ability to display your phone notifications on your desktop has been a convenient feature for users. However, with Android 15, Google has introduced privacy updates restricting third-party apps like Phone Link from accessing sensitive notifications, such as two-factor authentication (2FA) codes. But why?
This change might have been implemented to protect users from potential hackers or scammers who could gain access to sensitive information displayed on your screen. If your 2FA codes are visible on your Windows device, malicious actors could potentially intercept them easily by mirroring your screen. This is why Android’s new privacy updates are aimed at preventing such vulnerabilities.
This change will limit Phone Link’s functionality for many users, especially those who rely on mirrored notifications. However, it primarily affects devices like Pixel, OnePlus, and Nothing Phones where the Link to Windows app is downloaded from the Play Store. Devices with Link to Windows preinstalled, such as Samsung phones with One UI 6.1.1 or later, remain unaffected. Yeah.
Note that Samsung users can still sync sensitive notifications to Phone Link, as long as they properly configure the app and have a Samsung device with the Link to Windows app preinstalled. Most do.
Phone Link has become an essential tool for many users, serving as a companion app on Windows. It allows seamless interaction with key phone features directly from the PC, minimizing the need to pick up your phone frequently.
We hope that Windows and Android can come up with a solution to restore this feature for other OEMs. Many users with desk jobs rely on receiving notifications from phones directly on their Windows devices. Understandably, this change may be disappointing for some users. Share your thoughts with us on X.
