18.05.2026
4 min
261
Microsoft is working on new controls that will allow users to remotely shut down, restart, or put their laptops to sleep using a smartphone.
The feature will work through the Link to Windows app, which connects a phone to a computer and allows users to view calls, messages, and photos. The new capability is not yet available, but it has already been discovered in the app’s code, where it remains inactive. This may indicate that Microsoft plans to launch it in a future update.
Link to Windows already allows users to lock their computers using a smartphone. Microsoft may now expand this feature by adding the ability to remotely restart, shut down, or put a device to sleep.
The new controls were discovered during an analysis of the Link to Windows Android APK file. Researchers found several clues in the code, including a description of a component called RemoteControlManager, Windows Latest reports.
The analysis confirmed that the feature is already present in the app but currently remains disabled. Strings found in the code also reveal how it will work. The new controls are expected to appear next to the existing “Lock PC” button.
In particular, the code contains the labels pc_controls_restart_label and pc_controls_shutdown_label, which correspond to the “Restart” and “Shut down” commands.
Users will also be able to put their laptops to sleep remotely. However, once the computer enters sleep mode, it will lose its connection to the smartphone, meaning it cannot be woken remotely.
Before executing the command, the app will display the following warning:
“After it’s asleep, it will be disconnected from this device. You need to go to your PC to wake it up.”
If a user attempts to restart or shut down a computer during an update, Link to Windows will warn them about the potential loss of unsaved data:
“A restart is needed to finish an update on your PC. Any unsaved work in open apps from your PC will be lost. Since you’re away, you won’t be able to save it from here. Do you want to restart anyway?”
