Use your Samsung smartphone to unlock any Windows 10 PC

As long as you have a Samsung smartphone running Android Marshmallow or higher, you can now unlock any Windows 10 PC using Samsung Flow.

Apple has had Continuity for years now. The idea is simple – Apple lets its devices communicate with one another so that you can start a task on your iPhone and pick up right where you left off on your MacBook. That’s something that a company like Apple can do relatively easily given its products – both hardware and software – are created and updated by one entity: Apple itself. Samsung unveiled its own version of Continuity called Samsung Flow a few years ago, but there was a big catch. Sadly, it only worked with the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S.

Well, in March, we reported that Samsung would officially update its app to support all Windows 10 computers, and although it’s taken a few months, it looks like the update has finally arrived. According to the company’s website, Samsung Flow should work with any Windows 10 PC as long as you have a Galaxy smartphone running Android Marshmallow or higher. A Galaxy tablet running Nougat or higher works as well.

With Samsung Flow, not only can you log in to your PC using the fingerprint scanner of your portable device, but you can also transfer content and tasks from one device to another, meaning you can even access text messages on your phone right on your PC. Another nifty feature Samsung has added is the ability to auto-enable hotspot on your mobile device so that you don’t have to rely on Wi-Fi availability all the time.

One of the biggest barriers for Apple users who are thinking about switching to Android is precisely this lack of seamless transition from one device to another. Consider iMessage, for instance, which is one of the most frequently cited reasons as to why Apple users say they will be sticking to Apple devices: not only do iPhones communicate with one another on it, but Apple offers effortless transition from your iPhone to your iPad to your MacBook.

However, with Samsung’s latest update to Samsung Flow, things might change a little. Yes, mirroring a default SMS app on a computer screen isn’t quite the same as iMessage, but Samsung happens to be the largest Android OEM in the world, and Windows happens to be the most popular operating system for desktop and laptop computers. Although it’ll largely depend on just how effective and pain-free Samsung’s software is, this cross-platform device-connecting app might offer just the right experience to retain current Windows and Android users and even attract those on the other side.

What are your thoughts on Samsung’s latest update for Samsung Flow? Do you think it could provide users with a similar experience to what Apple does with Continuity? Let us know by leaving a comment below!