Microsoft is advancing its vision of a more interconnected digital ecosystem with a new feature for Windows 11 called “Cross Device Resume,” which aims to bridge the gap between Android smartphones and Windows PCs in a way reminiscent of Apple’s Handoff functionality.

The Handoff-Style Feature Coming to Windows

Recently at Microsoft’s Build 2025 developer conference, the company demonstrated this upcoming capability that will allow users to seamlessly continue their app activities between Android devices and Windows PCs. According to reporting from TechSpot, the feature was briefly showcased in a demonstration that was later removed from the official video stream.

Cross Device Resume works by displaying a badge next to supported app icons in the Windows taskbar when content from that app was recently accessed on an Android device. When users click this badge, they can immediately resume the activity exactly where they left off on their mobile device.

In the demonstration that was captured before being deleted, Aakash Varshney, Microsoft’s Senior Product Manager of Cross Devices and Experiences, showed how the Spotify app on Windows could resume playing a song that had been paused on an Android phone. As reported by AndroidAuthority, hovering over the Spotify icon in the Windows 11 taskbar revealed a pop-up notification stating “Resume. Recently opened on your mobile device” along with an option to “continue where you left.”

Implementation Timeline and App Support

While Microsoft has not officially announced when this feature will be widely available, insider information reported by Windows Central suggests that Cross Device Resume will begin rolling out via OneDrive later this month, with full taskbar integration to follow.

The initial rollout appears to focus on a limited set of applications. According to information shared by the Windows leaker known as “phantomofearth” and reported by gHacks, Spotify and WhatsApp are expected to be among the first third-party apps to support Cross Device Resume. The scope of app support beyond these initial offerings remains unclear at this time.

Microsoft’s Ecosystem Strategy

This development represents Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to create a more cohesive experience across devices, similar to Apple’s tightly integrated ecosystem between macOS and iOS. As Neowin points out, the feature provides “a visual nudge that when clicked launches your app directly into the task, delivering a smooth intuitive handoff from PC to phone.”

The Cross Device Resume feature appears to be part of a broader strategy that includes another upcoming feature called Cross Device Share, which will facilitate content sharing across apps and devices. These multi-platform capabilities may trace their origins to Project Rome, Microsoft’s cloud-based experience initially announced in 2020.

Industry Context

While Windows will likely never achieve the same level of smartphone integration that Mac computers enjoy with iPhones—largely due to Microsoft’s minimal presence in the mobile hardware market—these software-based approaches represent the company’s determination to improve cross-device experiences for Windows users.

This move comes as the boundaries between mobile and desktop computing continue to blur, with users increasingly expecting seamless transitions between their devices. By focusing on software integration with Android—the dominant mobile operating system globally—Microsoft is leveraging partnerships to create ecosystem benefits that might help retain and attract Windows users who are increasingly working across multiple devices throughout their day.