New to Windows 10: Picking default apps for file types is about to get easier
Microsoft's latest Windows 10 preview has a surprise for anyone who finds it a hassle to link a specific file type with the default app they want to open it with.
The latest Windows 10 Insider preview build 19608 for the Fast Ring includes a new search box that allows users to scan the file types, protocols, and apps when setting a default app – such as a movie or photo app – to open files of a specific type.
Windows 10
Microsoft has rolled out the new search box to half of the insiders on the Fast ring to get feedback before making it more widely available to fellow testers.
However, Microsoft appears to have jumped the gun by announcing a new Your Phone drag-and-drop feature, which a Microsoft employee flagged on its community forum this week.
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The feature allows Samsung Galaxy owners with the Link to Windows app installed to drag and drop files between a phone and Windows 10 PC if they're on the same Wi-Fi network and the PC has the Your Phone app installed.
The feature is for now only available to Windows 10 Insiders, but some users in the program reported that the feature was not available, even though they were on the latest version of the Link to Windows Android app. The feature is part of a Microsoft and Samsung partnership launched last August.
Among the known issues listed in this Windows 10 preview build is that Samsung hasn't actually rolled out a required update for its own My Files app for most supported Galaxy devices. The only devices currently with the updated My Files app are the Galaxy S20 series and Z Flip.
It does appear that Microsoft wants to let users transfer folders between phones and PCs since its absence is listed as a known issue.
Microsoft also notes that the Galaxy phones must support Phone Screen. These devices include newer Galaxy devices with Link to Windows installed.
The feature has other glitches including the possibility that dragging a file too quickly from the phone results in a failed transfer. Also, the feature requires the You Phone app to be open while transfers are happening or else the transfer will be cancelled.
And, not only are transfers limited to 100 files at a time, but users have to wait until the first batch has finished before attempting another transfer.
"This feature is gradually rolling out, so it may take a few days to show up in the Your Phone app (YP version 1.20032.104)," the Windows Insider team noted.
Also, a Your Phone feature for copying and pasting between devices that Microsoft announced in March is now available for the Galaxy S10e/S10/S10+, Note 10, and Fold devices. It was previously available for Galaxy S20/S20+/S20 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip in select markets.
Microsoft is trying to improve the experience of the Your Phone app with user interface changes. Users can now match the app's background with the phone's wallpaper. It's also lightened up the background color in dark mode, and tweaked the typography.
Microsoft's latest Windows 10 preview makes it easier to link a specific file type with the default app to open it with.