Windows 11 may finally let you turn off and restart your PC using your phone

Published Aug 27, 2026, 10:20 PM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. Sign in to your XDA account Summary Android app code hints that Phone Link may gain remote PC power controls, such as sleep, restart, and shutdown. It's not a guaranteed addition, as code is present but disabled; release depends on a Microsoft announcement. If Phone Link still falls short, third-party apps might better suit your needs. Ever since Microsoft introduced the Phone Link app, the company has been hard at work adding as many interactions as possible between your phone and your computer. However, it doesn't quite support every potential feature that you can do with other apps and services. Fortunately, Microsoft seems to be rectifying that, as someone has spotted development code that appears to add the ability to turn off your PC with your phone. Microsoft is working on allowing Phone Link to shut down and restart your PC Nothing is set in stone just yet, though The code was spotted by Abhijith M B of Windows Latest, who dug through the code for the Android client for Phone Link (called "Link to Windows"). The code contained a component called "RemoteControlManager" which isn't in use yet, and it contained a variable titled "isRemotePcControlsV2Enabled" which was turned off. The code also contained strings that described three actions: putting the PC to sleep, restarting the PC, and shutting it down. This implies that Microsoft is working on a UI for the Android app that will let you send a power-based command to your PC. While the inclusion of this code is no guarantee that the feature will ever see the light of day, it's not unfeasible to believe Microsoft would add it. After all, you can currently lock your PC with your phone, so it would make sense to also add power options for more advanced controls. However, until Microsoft makes an announcement, or something appears on the testing branch, we're going to have to mark this one for later and hope it gets released. If you're a little tired of Phone Link not catering to your needs, there are alternate third-party apps that may suit you better. For example, our writer Chandraveer Mathur feels that Phone Link has dropped the ball, and they found something far better suiting for their needs.