Ten years ago, we covered one of Microsoft’s most forward‑looking ideas: encouraging Android developers to port their apps to Windows 10 and link notifications through Cortana. It was a glimpse of a company trying to unify ecosystems before “cross‑platform” became a default expectation.
In 2026, that vision still feels important. Microsoft’s current AI strategy — spanning Windows, Android, and the cloud — builds directly on the same connective tissue Astoria (Android app emulation) and Cortana (early AI assistant) once represented. Back then, it was about notifications and app parity; today, it’s about intelligent context and seamless device continuity. Some are even predicting that we won’t need apps in the coming years, as AI will handle it all.
Looking back, this story reads like an early chapter in Microsoft’s long game to make Windows not just an OS, but a hub for every platform around it. While it didn’t work out quite as expected, we do have Phone Link today to help bridge that gap. — Daniel Rubino, Editor-in-Chief
The original article, Microsoft encouraging Android-to-Windows 10 app ports via Cortana notifications, was published on June 10th, 2016, by John Callaham.
Microsoft is using the Cortana notification sync feature in Windows 10 to add a “request app” feature if the notification comes from an Android smartphone.
The notifications were first spotted by Reddit user “MrPromaster’. The “Request app” link goes to a UserVoice page where anyone can recommend that an app be added to the Windows Store.
This new method to encourage more Android apps to come to the Windows Store comes several months after Microsoft officially canceled its “Project Astoria” bridge tool plans that would have made it easier for developers to port Android apps to Windows 10.
Notification syncing between Android and Windows 10 is currently only available for those running Insider builds of ‘Redstone’.
While the notifications are configurable on Android the request is rather nondiscriminatory too. For instance, we had the request feature show up for the Google Play store after it performed some app updates. Likewise for Shazam, even though there already is a Shazam for Windows 10 app available. While this tactic is not a slam dunk to get more apps to Windows 10, it is a rather clever move to reach the millions of Android users who also use a Windows PC every day.
We’ll have to wait and see how well this new strategy pays off once the Windows 10 Anniversary Update rolls out later this summer to the masses.